Alternative lifestyle choice

I've developed my first case of Shiny of the year: I've adopted an alternative lifestyle.

A of all, as Lovely Daughter says, while in NOLA I caught a full-on view of my backside in an unfortunate configuration of hotel room mirrors and was scared straight. B of all, the scale has climbed precipitously over the past 6 months or so* to an all-time non-pregnancy-related high that had me considering buying larger fat pants.

Oh hell no. Something needs to change, and it needs to be drastic.

So I read a book, chatted with a co-worker, saw a few random articles in main-stream national newsmagazines confirming my notions, and my path became clear. Yes, I've become a flexitarian. Long story short, my goal is to cut all animal protein back to less than 10% of my calories.

A Flexitarian Pyramid
based on Dr. Fuhrman's Eat to Live book.

• As many leafy greens as I can stuff in my face. Salad is the main dish! Other raw and cooked veggies (no, not fried) make up the rest of the base of the pyramid. Starchy veggies (potatoes, squash, corn) are counted as whole grains, at least until I get most of the weight off.


• Fruits and beans share the second tier. Also unlimited. I count tofu like beans.


• Whole grains, raw nuts, and seeds are next, supposedly once a day max**.


• Fish and fat-free dairy are next, recommended twice a week or less.


• Then poultry, eggs, and oil***, once a week or less.


• At the pointy end of the pyramid, beef and other animal protein (including cheese and non-skim milk), sugar in all forms and permutations, and hydrogenated oils. These are labeled RARELY in big, fat letters.

And as we all know, white flour and sugars (including honey, believe it or not!) are the devil.

So why is this Shiny? Well, it is a pretty major project; figuring out new meals, finding workable methods for shopping, prepping, and storing all of that fresh fruit & vegetation, and developing new habits so I can shove the right things in my mouth without having to think too much. That means spending a goodly amount of mental energy, learning things, and doing research. That makes it Shiny!

There are tons of nutritional and health reasons why this pyramid is a Good Thing. But my main reason for making this switch is that horrifying image burned into my brain of my rear in all it's... glory.

Best part is that I've lost 4 lbs in the first week and I haven't even completely make the transition yet. C'mon, veggies!

*I'd like to blame Mr B for this but can't quite figure out how.

**Ha! I'll try....

***Hahahaha! They'll have to pry my bottle of extra-virgin olive oil out of my cold chubby hands.