You can eat yourself into any weight

My friend, Miami-made, has all these fantastically amazing friends that she talks about. Today she shared a story about her friend that just opened another restaurant.

The Restaurateur said to Miami-made, "You can eat yourself into any weight on any diet" and that stuck.  Stuck with her and with me. I doubt I would get super fat on a vegan diet and overload on Hummus and Guacamole. But then again, I am compulsive so who knows?

Each of my family members has their own dietary concerns. I am the only one who is ACTIVELY trying to lose weight. My children and husband have no need to lose weight. My children do not eat enough vegetables. I am trying to meld the two - everyone eating healthier and me eating less and moving more. 

The past couple of months have been more trying on them than usual. In the past I would cater to their needs and hide the vegetables. I made wicked pasta sauces with beets, sweet potatoes, and broccoli. Now I make broccoli bites and roasted broccoli and broccoli melts. They are seeing what they are eating and they have to overcome what it looks like and see if they like the taste. 

The kids come to the dinner table wondering each night what vegetable goodie I have worked up for them. I try really hard. WAY harder than my mom ever did. She used to made mashed potatoes from a can of flakes. So this week has been a lesson in eggplant and now we are moving onto sugar snap peas.

"What did you get at the store, mom?" says the son.

"Some beautiful purple eggplant, some amazing bright sugar snap peas and some exciting shiitake mushrooms" I reply.

"Why are the mushrooms exciting, Mama?" asks the daughter.

"Because that is how the chefs talk on her shows and she thinks the ingredients are beautiful, amazing, and exciting," says the son.

This week we featured: baba ganoush, eggplant chips. eggplant cubes, and a stir fry. The baba ganoush worked and I roasted the eggplants wonderfully, skin-up. The kids weren't fans but they tried something new. They liked the eggplant in the chicken stir-fry but that wasn't super exciting.

Now we are onto sugar snap peas and I made a killer spicy side dish. Once I buy some black sesame seeds and roast them I can take a picture.

Eating the vegetables will make everyone healthier. 

So how do I lose weight at the same time?

Not eat past 8pm is good start.

Drink more water.

Move more.

Skip the carbs from grains every chance I get.

When I serve the chicken and rice. Skip the rice. Or make the portion the size of your fist. If I serve Naan and the children have 2 pieces, then I eat 1/2 piece. 

It is the carbs from grains that kill me. If I avoid those I lose weight. The husband and the children do not have to suffer as well. Unless they are my taste-testers, and then everyone suffers (MUAH!!)

Keep chasing that healthy lifestyle. I'm 41, my Grandma is 96, so I figure I get to make it until at least 101. That's 60 more years to go! Here are some of my inspirations: Grandma Barbara, son and daughter.