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Losing Pounds After Menopause & Delish Green Smoothie Recipe

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Every Friday I share “five pearls” for our weekend. 🙂

Pearl # 1

A childhood friend was visiting from California. Because she’s a workout-lover I was excited to show her the new fitness club I’d joined (back when apparently I thought I had money).

We were having fun until we entered the changing room decked in high-end lockers, rolled towels, a steam room.

And a scale.

I’m always working on maintaining good eating habits and at the time didn’t have a scale so I said, “I need to weigh myself.”

At that, Clara said loud and forcefully, “It doesn’t matter what you weigh!! A number shows nothing!!”

She was ticked.

About a scale.

Thing is, I’ve done it both ways and both are fine. When I was losing the fifty-five, I loved not having a scale because it forced me to establish smart eating habits. My mind was where it needed to be: on choosing a bowl of cherries over the family-size box of Cheez-its.

But once I entered the maintenance stage, I wanted a bathroom scale. I mean, one here, one there. Pounds are sneaky. But I want to emphasize for the first few years I worked solely on establishing strong habits.

A scale is a feedback device. If we want to drop from 200 to 180, the scale will tell us how we’re doing in the food department.

At the same time, too much focus on a scale when we’re working to establish rock-solid habits, takes us to the wrong state of mind.

For example, say we eat a slice or two of strawberry cheesecake one evening and when weighing ourselves the next morning cross our fingers and pray that the scale won’t notice. So when the scale says, “look at you! You fooled the calorie gods! You go girl!” you’re getting the wrong message. And if you gained? You’re grumpy, aggravated and getting the wrong message.

Like Brushing Your Teeth.

Take the power away from the feedback device. No need to live by it. No need to die by it.

Go cold-turkey with your scale for a week –a month is better — and work only on establishing strong habits. (Have a green smoothie and a handful of unsalted nuts for breakfast, run errands with baby carrots in the car, have a tiny dinner and stop eating at 6 p.m.)

The scale has a place in our lives, but as we lose we want our mind, body and soul focused only on one thing: embedding super smart habits into our lives.

You’ve tried it your way for decades. Try it mine for one week. ♥

Pearl # 2

An oldie but a goodie: the Green Smoothie Recipe.

This is tasty:

  • One cup of ice into blender
  • One serving of vanilla protein powder (plant-based if you’re vegan; Costco’s is great)
  • One cup of almond milk
  • A cup or two of coffee (optional)
  • A large handful of spinach
  • Another cup of ice especially if you poured in hot coffee
  • Sometimes I also add a cup of frozen blueberries

Blend really well. I let it blend for at least a minute.

Yum. ♥

Pearl # 3

If you haven’t yet read these two powerhouse books on habit-formation, order from the library or Amazon today: Atomic Habits by James Clear and The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg.

Also, I’ve heard that the audio version of Atomic Habits is outstanding. ♥

Pearl #4

I learned this tip from a Tim Ferriss’s podcast. Tim essentially says that if we make a decision to not eat — let’s say — bagels never again, it automatically constrains our choices. Which is a good thing because in our modern world we’re all suffering from decision-fatigue.

I know of a woman who buys clothes only at The Loft. She likes their clothes, they fit her well and she doesn’t want to be faced with the millions of clothes choices available to women.

The idea is this: Make one big decision once, and avoid making a gazillion little decisions throughout the year. On a beloved forum my name is DogsPizzaBooks. That’s how much I love pizza. So you’ll understand that it was no little thing to give up pizza for a year.

But I’m doing it this year.

Start small so that your brain doesn’t freak-out and blow up the plan. ♥

Pearl # 5

Don’t be pushed by your problems; be led by your dreams.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

And remember, we can do hard things. (I have teens and this is my mantra.)

Also my mantra: It’s not just you. Health is hard.

Happy end of August everyone!!

♥, Wendy

P.S. Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And always feel free to email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get Aunt Bea right to you!

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20 Comments

  1. Martina Reply

    I love the sound of the green smoothie! As for giving up something for September, it should be wine as I’ve spent all summer in Italy drinking all the wine. I’m just not sure that I can. Can I think about it before committing?! #KCACOLS

    • Wendy Post Author Reply

      “all summer in Italy drinking wine” omg! Sounds awesome!!

      I’m curious: what was your favorite wine? I’m also looking. 🙂

      Wendy

    • Wendy Post Author Reply

      Thank you Lovely!! I’m having a green smoothie as I type. They’re amazingly good.

      Start small re: giving one thing up. (I never would have started with pizza. lol.)

      Wendy

  3. Kelly-Anne Reply

    I need to try this green smoothie recipe, it looks really quick and easy to make before the morning school run. I so need to give up the excuses in September. Thank you so much for joining us for #kcacols and we hope to see you next time..

    • Wendy Post Author Reply

      I LOVE these green smoothies. I even hide some powdered medicine I need daily in these smoothies. It blends the icky med w/ everything else and I don’t taste anything gross. Win-win. 🙂

      Cuddle Fairy is the cutest name ever for a blog!

      Wendy

  6. Dana, A mamanista Life Reply

    I love a green smoothie so, I think it’s time to whip out my unused smoothie blender out of the kitchen cupboard! With the support of my wonderful lifestyle coach and great friend, I am trying to abolish all processed sugars / sweeteners from my diet. It is not an easy quest however, I do believe I feel so much better physically and mentally for it.
    Thank you so much for joining us for #kcacols and we hope to see you next time.
    *Here is a link to her website, I hope you don’t mind, I thought you maybe interested xx

    • Wendy Post Author Reply

      I hope plant-based works beautifully. That’s essentially how I eat. More fruit- than veggie-based, but I’m working on it!! lol.

      Wendy

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