New Year, New Outlook

I've been dealing some health problems for a couple months -- not food-related, actually -- but nonetheless, the experience has reminded me how significant, nay, essential, good health is to living a good life. So, after a hiatus, I'm back blogging, and committed more than ever to getting healthier.

Like so many people, one of my New Year's resolutions is to lose weight. A lot of the food that's safe for celiacs to eat unfortunately also comes with a lot of fat and calories, as I've discovered the hard way. Already on a restricted diet, however, I find the idea of eliminating any of my remaining options very unappealing.

I've tried detox diets more restrictive than my current plan that last months and take off weight fast, but that pack on the pounds after your diet returns to "normal." A case in point: A few years ago, I wanted to lose 10 pounds, so I followed a detox diet, lost the weight, looked emaciated, then ate normally (for me; gluten-free, etc.), and gained 30 or so pounds back -- not really effective.

This time around, I'm just counting calories. I'm keeping a daily food journal, tracking what I eat and the calories consumed. It's helping me make healthy choices and be even more aware of how I'm fueling my body; it also works to monitor portion sizes. Basically, I'm just eating a balanced diet and moderating anything else that doesn't offer much nutritional value, like wine. I don't normally eat a lot of sugar anyway, and beside sweets, the only other thing completely off-limits is tortilla chips, simply because they're too addicting for me.

I plan to combine the calorie-counting with exercise for a healthy weight loss. About a week into the process, I'm already noticing small results, a great motivator to keep going.

I'm also working to expand my options. With limited food choices, it's very easy to fall into a rut and eat the same things, week after week. So I've been experimenting with my own recipes, and have been quite pleased with the results. To my repertoire so far I have added chicken piccata, shepherd's pie with a sweet potato crust, Irish potato soup, and more. Not only do they taste good, creating new meals is satisfying in its own right.

With seeing progress already in a couple of areas, I have to say, the year is off to a good start.