Rethinking my way of thinking....

So I did this whole weight loss thing "naturally", you know, no pills, shakes, etc. I made "sustainable lifestyle changes" to get the weight off. Right? Well....now I'm thinking...not so much. I still eat most of the same foods, just in smaller quantities. I did make some ingredient substitutions (ie., low fat, reduced calorie, etc) and cut out some really bad stuff (like almost all of our fried favorites), BUT for the most part, the foods are still the same.

And it is starting to bite me in the butt! I don't want to cut quantities any more. The food is there and I just want to eat whatever I want! That doesn't work well for weight loss (or maintenance). Yup, still struggling....

I've been thinking a lot lately about the need for me (and my family) to really change the way we eat. We need to cut the complex carbs WAY down and WAY increase the fruits, vegetables and whole grains. When I think about it, it seems simple. Trying to put it into practice is a completely different ball game!

We have a huge food storage FULL of the crappy foods that I am talking about eliminating. Not to mention the fact that those foods have a better shelf life anyway making them more practical for food storage. It also makes it easier on the budget because when that stuff goes on a really good sale, I can buy 6+ months worth of it. It is a little harder to buy 6 months worth of fresh fruits and veggies!

I know, freeze it, can it. I have issues with freezing. One problem is the space. I don't have 50 cubic feet of freezer space. In fact, my freezer space is quite limited. I also have issues with freezing because what happens if the power goes out in the middle of summer? Yeah, my aunt (who has two full sized freezers) had that happen to her and had to throw out ALL that food!

Canning....BLAH! I know, stop whining and do it.

My other major issue is the kids. I have five kids ages 2 to 9 who have become accustomed to eating like crap. That's not exactly something that can be changed overnight. "Hey kids, I know you're used to eating Fruit Loops and Frosted Flakes for breakfast every morning but from now on, we'll be eating tofu and muesli. Ummmm....yeah.

I have been taking baby steps but I get frustrated with baby steps. I know that baby steps are steps and I just need to keep plugging along. I wish I could just throw everything out and start over but from a budget standpoint, that would be suicidal!

Anyway, enough with the whining.

I made a list of vegetables and put an "x" (* means we tried it since making this list) by all the ones we as a family have tried at one point or another. This list isn't comprehensive. I took off all the herbs, beans, and anything that brought up a photography website when I googled it (that really happened BTW). I was actually surprised at how many we had tried. Let me emphasize "TRIED". We don't by any means eat all of the "x"-ed ones on a regular basis.

So our new baby step is to try everything on this list! Wish us luck!

Artichokes
Arugula
Asparagus
Avocado	x
Beets	x
Beets, Yellow
Bok Choy
Broccoflower	x
Broccoli	x
Brussel Sprouts	x
Butter Beans
Cabbage, Green	x
Cabbage, Purple
Cabbage, Red
Carrots	x
Carrots, Purple
Cauliflower	x
Celery	x
Chard
Corn	x
Corn, White	x
Cucumber	x
Eggplant
Endive
Escarole
Fennel
Green Beans	x
Greens, Collard
Greens, Leafy	x
Greens, Mustard
Jerusalem Artichoke	x
Jicama
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce	x
Mushrooms	x
Okra	x
Onion	x
Onion, Green	x
Onions, Red	x
Onions, White	x
Onions, Yellow	x
Parsnips	x
Peas	x
Peas, Pod	x
Peas, Snow	x
Peas, Sugar Snap	x
Pepper, Green Bell	x
Pepper, Orange Bell	x
Peppers, Chili	x
Peppers, Hot	x
Peppers, Red Bell	x
Peppers, Sweet	x
Peppers, Yellow Bell	x
Potatoes, Purple	x
Potatoes, Red	x
Potatoes, Sweet	x
Potatoes, Yellow	x
Pumpkin	x
Radicchio
Radish	x
Rhubarb
Rutabagas
Sauerkraut
Shallots	x
Spinach	x
Squash, Acorn	x
Squash, Ambercup	x
Squash, Autumn Cup
Squash, Banana	x
Squash, Butternut	x
Squash, Carnival	x
Squash, Chayote
Squash, Crook Neck	x
Squash, Delicata
Squash, Fairytale Pumpkin
Squash, Gold Nugget
Squash, Hubbard	x
Squash, Kabocha
Squash, Pattypan	x
Squash, Spaghetti	x
Squash, Sweet Dumpling
Squash, Turban
Squash, Yellow	x
Tomatillo	x
Tomatoes	x
Tomatoes, Cherry	x
Tomatoes, Grape	x
Tomatoes, Pear	x
Turnips	x
Watercress	x
Yams	x
Zucchini	x