Recycle, Reuse, Refuse

Well, yesterday was a fast day for Jews. 25 hours without food, certainly a great jump-start in order to go the even healthier route. That WAS the plan – but old habits die hard and since it was my hubby’s birthday, I spent the afternoon baking cupcakes  – but they were mini. Perhaps I shouldn’t have used the recipe that included mayonnaise. *sigh.

I am a huge fan of recycling, my husband used to work for the EPA – that’s the Environmental Protection Agency, for the Federal Government – big stuff  and he would come home with all this information and it psyched me up for saving the earth. I took recycling to a new level in our teeny household. I’d save toilet paper rolls and paper towel rolls and milk containers and turn them into pencil holders and bird-feeders creating a massive collection of children’s projects. I’m not sure when my enthusiasm for this stuff faded but my youngest children now are asked by their teachers and camp counselors to collect all this stuff and I end up getting what I call, ‘garbage art’ because while I send my children with items like cereal boxes and toilet rolls other parents are handing in yogurt containers and pill boxes – so I get this collage of crap so to speak. On the more positive note, we make sure at home to recycle glass, paper, plastic and soon we are to separate even compost-y type stuff – which is kinda icky but I’m sure once we get used to it…

…much like dieting. I tend to hold on to that last chicken leg or the last burger and try to think of ways to reuse the food so as not to waste it. So there is the 3 day old chicken that gets recreated into the chicken pot pie, or the burger that becomes a sloppy Joe…to see the food go to waste is terrible. Not because there are children dying in Africa (thanks mom, I must have gotten this complex from hearing you say this a zillion times when I was a kid) but because I understand the value of money – and when I work hard all month-long to buy the food that my kids claim they like but refuse to eat it for the second time that week (the horror!) I end being the human garbage can. I eat the leftover half of hot dog and the few fries off their plates because throwing it away feels like failure. I didn’t make them eat all their dinner, like my mom used to make me. By throwing away the food, I am throwing my money away. Should I wrap up their leftovers and make them eat it the next day? To teach them a lesson or 2? Not to take more than we can eat. Not to be wasteful.

I used to be a really picky eater as a child. I used to hate lima beans and love cookies. (Still do, but will tolerate most other beans). I really try to not that mistake with my children. While its important me to make sure they eat balanced meals and healthy options, I don’t force them to eat foods they do not prefer.

I refuse to continue my eating habits the way they have been. I would eat whatever I wanted, when I wanted and I justified it. Its late and I need something sweet. I’ve got my period so I’ll pig out. I’m too tired to cook. I’m too depressed to eat anything that requires work. Excuses, excuses! I will probably stick to this plan for another few weeks (until the next period, maybe) and unless I see real progress, like my skirts getting loose or my boobs deflating a size I know myself. But I recently read one of Jeff Haden’s posts. He’s a ghostwriter, speaker guy that I follow and he really impressed me with his list of  The Worst Excuses For Not Changing Your Life. I qualified 10/15. I roller coaster with the idea of losing weight and it usually begins when I get to rock bottom  – all that self loathing!  I get really psyched and then I start to lose momentum and fizzle out with a bag of chips and tall cup of soda with lots of ice. But so far so good. I am making decent choices food-wise. I am at least exercising for 1 hour a week and that’s a start. I know I have a long way to go. But for now – this is pretty good – for me.

Tune in for more rambling…