There. I said it. I'm a fraud.
I always talk about eating healthy - making your own food at home - enjoying the process and not just the get - teaching your kids how to eat healthier and all I feel like is a fake. The last week as I geared up to land in Mumbai (Wed. evening) for a full-fledged food tour of Kerala, I was so packed with teaching classes and getting deadlines met that all I did was stress. And that stress made me want to eat. Not fresh salads and green smoothies like I normally espouse and consume, but pizza and Chinese take out.
Anyone that knows me knows that's a very unusual me. But, I wanted to come clean with all of my readers. There are days and weeks when you'll slide seemingly backwards. So maybe I'm not really a full-fledged fraud, but instead a more or less human like everyone else. Sure, my resolution is to lose 5 pounds, but maybe it will just take a few weeks longer.
For now, I'm happy to type this confession cuddled up in my King-sized bed in a room at the Mumbai Westin in hopes that my food adventure that starts tomorrow in Calicut, Kerala, will also spark some life back into my taste buds. I'm excited to explore new dishes and ways of cooking Indian foods, and meet some of the leading chefs in the area. Not sure if it will happen, but we're also slated to go lobster fishing at night.
As you battle your own daily food demons know that you're not alone. I'm right there with you. And realized that sometimes healthy eating is just a meal away. Snap out of the downward spiral and make a healthy salad for yourself. Spend a little time enjoying that dal with the spicy tarka (tempering) over a simple bowl of basmati rice, or a quick Rajmah in the slow cooker (page 74 of my book). Sometimes it just take one little meal to pull you out of the boring routine.
Though I'm traveling, I'm determined to cut a few pounds. Not by saying no to everything, but eating it in moderation. My team of two photogs is also trying to cut the calories and pounds. So at O'Hare, instead of getting two large paninis we ordered one portabella and split it. Instead of chips, I had a side of beans. It was perfect. So try my little idea of the self-imposed 50 percent diet. Eat half of what you would normally eat at any given meal (safe the rest for later) and you'll see a big, big difference. Try to make a majority of your meals vegetarian - don't fall back to meat just because that's your safety zone. If you love meat, sure eat it, but make sure the dish is worth having meat in it. Gregg, who is traveling with me, had never had portabella mushroom (that's a topic of another blog post), but he said he loved it. AND for someone who typically goes for the meat selection, that was a huge first step in trying to cut back a tiny bit.
I hope I'll have some amazing recipes to share with you once I start this trip, along with some spectacular video and pictures. Stay tuned and as always Facebook me.
p.s. one thing i'm completely proud of..I went to Trader Joe's on Monday and did NOT - after a long stare down - buy any dark chocolate-covered peanut butter cups. Though plenty of you have facebooked me to tell me you're enjoying them on my behalf. I'm living vicariously through all of you!
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Gloria Lopez
January 19, 2012
Everyone is entitled to a fat moment. So do beat your self up about it, enjoy it and walk it off.
Happy New Year