Welcome back to the new Forward Flavor blog!

6 months later, and I'm back.  (This blog initially was a 4-post experiment in March that started and ended there.)  I'm trying not to be down on myself, but instead see if I can reinvent and re-launch this blog.  Forward Flavor is back, but with a new twist!

I still love to cook and bake.  I love to eat, and I love honest-to-goodness real good FLAVOR in my homemade foods.  I’d love to inspire others to cook more from-scratch at home too.  I don't mind writing and taking photos, but I think it's been hard for me to schedule time for the formality of it without any real purpose: making sure to take pictures of my food, write down my thoughts, and do posts.  Yada-yada-yada.  Plus, I think I felt guilty advocating the way I eat, when I always felt a little guilty myself, especially because I can’t maintain the weight and fitness I want eating this way.

Enter my new goal: to move myself FORWARD by losing some weight and getting healthier, and sharing that with the blogosphere, starting now.  (I know, trying to lose weight, big deal, just like everyone else.  But I’m doing this blog more for me right now than for my potential readers, though maybe I can inspire someone else!)  To be clear, I refuse to go on a "diet".  I'm not following any book's, or doctor's, or anyone's specific diet advice (heaven knows I’ve read lots over the years).  For me, there will be no gimmicks, no “low carb” or “low fat” or low anything, and no already-prepared meals or meal replacements—I already know how to cook.  My thought is that I already know what I need to do to feel healthier while dropping a couple (dozen) pounds, and I just need to DO IT.  Of course, I find it interesting and inspiring to hear other people's weight loss stories too, so I’m hoping I get feedback!

So, I figured I should do posts on this.  I figured that this blog could help to keep me honest and regimented, and perhaps, maybe even garner a little support (hello, potential readers).  I just started my new Caryn's Not-a-Diet Guide to a healthier lifestyle this week, so let's dig right in!

My current stats, as of Day 1, Monday, 10/5/15:

(Sorry, no photos of me until I meet my goal)

Age: 35

Gender: F

Ethnicity: Caucasian

Height: 5'4"

Weight: 148.8 lbs

BMI (body mass index) = 25.5 (per cdc.gov's calculator) => Overweight

According to the CDC, for my height, my weight should be between 108-145 lbs to be considered "Normal" (not underweight, not overweight).  Boy, do I hate the word "normal", though; it's just a loaded word.  Google's definition of normal is "the usual, average, or typical state or condition".  Does that mean that on a bell curve, the majority of 35-year-old, white, female Americans who are 5'4" tall are between 108-145 pounds?  Perhaps, though these days, I question that.  And of course, I already know not to "trust" or believe that the BMI is the 100% failsafe answer to "what weight should I be in order to be healthy."  But for me, I know the BMI is a decent starting point, since I am not a bodybuilder with a huge muscle mass, so I’m going to start there.

To some, it may seem silly that I’m interested in blogging about my “relatively small” amount of weight loss that I’m trying to achieve.  But to me, it’s about how I feel, and I know that I feel better, healthier, more fit, and sexier with a little less weight on my frame.  I already know that I feel overweight.  In fact, I think it's really important to take into account how I feel and how healthy I am, and not only focus on numbers on the scale.  Every person’s weight is a very personal matter.  Some people are thin, some are thick, some are tall, some are small.  I think it’s great that there’s diversity, and we should embrace it more as a culture.  I think all Americans (especially women) are subjected to unhealthy, unrealistic body image messages through the media, advertisements, and entertainment industries.  We are “supposed” to look skinny, even downright gaunt, according to them.  But I believe that's unhealthy and unrealistic for me (and most people).  So, when push comes to shove, I want to be at a weight that I feel healthy at, and I know that makes me feel happier too.  I wish we could all be at our own personal “happy weight”, and I wish that it would be easy to be at and easy to maintain that weight.  But I know for me it’s not easy.  

My ideal happy weight is between 120-130 lbs, and so my goal is to be 125 lbs.  I have been 125 lbs before, probably though most of my 20's.  It felt great: easier to exercise, easier to walk up and down stairs, and easier to find flattering clothes at the department store.  I’ve lost weight before, and even though I’m not a yo-yo dieter, per se, every time I lose it, I have had a hard time maintaining my happy weight over the years.  That means that this time I’m gearing up for an almost 25 lb weight loss, but more importantly, I want to maintain my weight loss forever.  In the realm of things, that isn't really that much, but to me, that's a lot.  My dog weighs 32 lbs, so it's like losing almost a whole dog's worth of weight off my body (eek!), and then maintaining my happy weight over my lifetime.  But as my husband says, it's best to take it 5 pounds at a time, and not get overwhelmed by the overall goal.  I agree wholeheartedly.

I also strongly believe in not losing weight too fast, and not with a deprivation diet, or one that is too difficult to maintain long-term while living in our society, aka "real life".  My husband and I did a 30-day whole-foods, plant-based (vegan) diet challenge back in January 2013.  It was fun, interesting, tasty, and I lost weight!  But I felt hungry all the time, it was quite challenging to eat out, and I can’t imagine having to navigate through the holidays eating that way!  I knew that I wasn’t planning to go vegan for life (I mean, cheese! butter! eggs!), but we wanted to experiment.  I’m glad we did, but I know that’s not the way I want to move forward.

My defined, realistic, short-term goal is to lose 5 lbs (to be down to 144 lbs) by my 36^th birthday, in late November.  That’s 5 lbs in 7 weeks—I better be able to do that!  And ideally, I’ll lose more than that, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself.  Overall, I believe a 1-2 lb/week weight loss is both healthy and realistic, especially if I add additional/regular exercise to my life (including some weight-bearing exercises, so I don’t lose bone mass as I lose weight, which studies have shown can happen, yikes!).

How do I plan to achieve my goal?  I have put together my Caryn’s Not-a-Diet Guide to help guide myself.  The best thing is that there is no food that’s off limits for me, and I’m not planning to be hungry.  I’m also not starting a crazy amount of exercise, but just upping it a little.  And I’m planning to prepare all the food myself, except for the occasional eating out, like before.  I don’t plan on this taking any more of my time than the cooking I did before.  Well, except for blogging about it.  ;)  Yay!

Here it goes.  Forward Flavor!

Caryn’s Not-a-Diet Guide

1. Keep a food diary

Keeping a food log/diary is very helpful for weight loss to be successful, as proven by many organizations.  In the past, I’ve tried counting calories, and found it too difficult, so I had given up on keeping a food diary because of it.  So I’m not going to track calories.

Instead, I’ll track ALL the foods I eat, their quantities, and time I eat.  And I’ll track when I work out, eat out, and my feelings when I eat, if they seem very strong (or how I feel when I refrain from eating something—not having dessert every night is going to be hard for me!).  I won’t post my full food diary on my blog, but I’ll post my feelings/thoughts as I go forward!

2. Have a support group (husband / friends / blog) to lean on

If I tell others that I’m doing it, then they can help hold me accountable.  Having this “support group” is going to be really important for me.

3. Do an official weigh-in once per week (write it down)

My weigh-in day is going to be Monday.  Realistically, I’ll weigh myself every day, but I’ll base my loss on Monday’s number.  Yikes, I can’t have binge weekends!

4. Set specific, realistic goals (and rewards!)

First short-term goal: lose 5 pounds in <= 7 weeks (by my birthday).

First reward: buy a new, cute outfit once I meet my first goal.

Weekly goal: lose 1-2 lb/week, on average.

Overall goal: lose around 25 lbs, to get to 125 lb, and feel fit and healthy!

Don’t get frustrated if it takes a long time – maybe 6 months! – and stick with it!

5. Eat smaller portion sizes of EVERYTHING!

Don’t feel “full” after a meal—that’s too much food.

However, don’t try to feel “hungry” all of the time.  I don’t want to cave and eat sweets.

Since I’m part of the “clean plate club” (can’t shake that), I will put onto my plate only 1/2 - 2/3 of what I’d normally take.  If I’m still hungry, then I’ll eat more.

6. Don’t make any foods off-limits

I love food.  So, I’m going to eat it all, just less of it, and the less healthy foods less often!

I love to bake, but I will now bake WAY LESS often.  And spend that time cooking and experimenting with tasty, healthy meals instead.

I am going to limit dessert to only 2-3 times/week.  (Argh, I am currently addicted!)

But, I’m still going to eat dessert—mostly my delicious homemade desserts!

Also, I am planning to eat (green) vegetables at 2 or more meals/day.

I am planning to eat as many fresh, whole fruits and vegetables as I can/desire.

I’m not worried about reducing my salt intake, as long as I cook at home most of the time from whole foods (and eat out very little, and few processed foods).

7. Exercise (a little) more

I already am a walker, hiker, and jogger.  I plan to more regularly jog (3+ times/week) and get back to doing some sit-ups, push-ups, etc.

I am a gym membership waster, so I’m NOT going to join one!

8. Eat the good stuff

LOTS OF

whole grains (preferably unprocessed/not ground into flours)

fresh veggies (or frozen, winter is coming!)

legumes (beans, peas)

fresh fruits

“whole, good” meats, poultry, and fish (local farm-raised, grass-fed, wild-caught and/or organic, and not processed meat as much)

LESS OF

good fats (extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil)

whole fat dairy (butter, cheese, yogurt, milk)

nuts / nut butters

avocados (less because they’re very fatty)

bananas (less because they’re very starchy/sugary)

VERY LITTLE OF

sugar / syrup / honey

desserts (limit to mostly homemade!)

white flour stuff (pancakes, bread, etc)

jam / dried fruits / fruit juices

alcohol / soda (even diet)

fried foods / extra fatty foods (pie, donuts)

canola oil, soybean oil, and other “unhealthy” oils (GMO and hydrogenated!)

processed meats, especially with nitrates (bacon, ham, hot dogs, sausage, pepperoni)

processed foods (most non-whole “boxed” foods at the store)

junk foods (candy, chips, etc)

eating out!