5 Pearls for Creating a “Good Enough” Smart Eating Lifestyle

We can do hard things.

Hello everyone and welcome to our new people!

Before we get to the pearls, if you haven’t received the Aunt Bea booklet, shoot me an email and I’ll get it right to you (Wendy@theInspiredEater.com). Same goes if you read Aunt Bea, but can’t find your copy. 🙂

Pearl One

At first this topic will not seem applicable to weight loss after 50.

It’s applicable.

Stick with me.

As you know I’m 100 percent behind talking kindly to ourselves internally. But the thing is, there’s been such a laser beam focus on positive self-talk, that other pieces of the self-esteem puzzle get short shrift.

Today, I’m giving serious shrift to an important part of healthy self-esteem that I call: Dazzling Dwellings.

For the most part, our formidable human brains — left to their own devices –, tend to dwell on sad, frightening, or irritating situations from our past, or from the horror stories we read in the news.

We go about our days playing out an embarrassing scene over and over in our minds, as if all that thinking about it might make the memory go away. (I wish.) We fall asleep in sorrow missing loved ones who’ve passed. We berate ourselves for not being perfect for kids, animals, or our own health.

Just name it. We’ve berated ourselves for it.

An aside. I recently told my son, “If they’d taught a class on how to be a perfect parent I would have taken it six hundred times.”

But if you and I want to live an intentional life aiming for healthy self-esteem, it’s time to substitute the on-loop negative memories, and insert Dazzling Dwellings in their place. Dazzling Dwellings are like the time you passed the licensing exam; those moments when you put work aside to shoot the breeze with your teen; or when you carved time from a busy schedule to visit a friend who’d just received a frightening diagnosis.

We all have dazzling memories, it’s time to dust them off and play them again and again in our minds for our own good.

But what does Dazzling Dwellings have to do with weight loss after 50? Well, here’s my thought: one of the reasons that our culture is so familiar with yo-yo dieting is because we don’t feel so good on the inside. We’ve been trying for decades to change our outside – our bodies – without first getting our insides in order.

Getting to Dazzling Dwellings won’t happen in a snap. It requires consciously noticing when we’re deep into the difficult memories, stopping ourselves, and substituting positive memories in their place.

Will it be hard?

Very.

Making such an enormous change in our thinking will be the work of a lifetime.

But that’s fine with us, we can do hard things. Where do we sign up? ♥

Pearl Two

This pearl was originally printed in Sixty+ Me.com.)

The beauty of our lazy gene and how it keeps me on the straight and narrow.

Our lazy gene only kicks into action if she’s set up for success. We begin with knowing our enemy’s territory: the layout of the grocery store.

Do not cross into this perilous world without first eating a small meal in your car. Eating at home doesn’t count. The magic lies in eating from our cold-tote – packed in smart foods like petite carrots, a tiny carton of yogurt, cut-up apple and so forth – again, in our adversary’s parking lot so that we don’t enter the terrain hungry and/or tired.

Our mission inside the store is to maintain a “clean cart” as we shop for healthy food (ice cream, cookies, candy and the like stay on the shelf where they can nab some other poor soul).

Finally, keep in mind that food stores keep the healthiest food on the outside perimeter; the junk food is found in the middle.

Remember, Kroger or Publix doesn’t care if we lose weight or gain. They’re only in business to make money. ♥

Pearl Three

The Think Big department. Quick! What do you think of when you hear the name Tony Robbins? The guy once on the late-night infomercials? The gazillionaire? The good looking, but kind of cheesy self-help dude?

Yes, to all of the above, but here’s the kicker: this guy has serious gems to share with us about how to hack our brains for the most amazing results. One part of Thinking Big is massive action.

I began applying massive action to my life in my mid-30s, but Tony was the one who named the behavior for me. Of all his teachings, how to use massive action is my hands-down favorite. Read more about my experience with massive action here.

Tony’s written several books, but I highly recommend the one that grabbed me: Awaken the Giant Within by Anthony Robbins. It’s a good one, enjoy. ♥

Pearl Four

In Pearl Four we talk food “tools” that support our smart eating lifestyle. I call the foods themselves that I rely on to get me through a health day: my food tools. If you have great food tips, please send them in! (Wendy@theInspiredEater.com.)

Onto the food.

I’ve been vegetarian since forever. One of my all-time favorite food products is the Morningstar farm line of plant-based meat substitutes: veggie grillers (130 c.); chick patties (170 c.); veggie bacon (60 c. for two strips); veggie sausage, egg, and cheese breakfast sandwich (200 c.); spicy black bean burger (110 c.); veggie meal-starter chorizo crumbles (110 c. for .5 cup) and so forth. I’ve eaten this brand for years.

Not only has Morningstar Farms converted in 2021 to being 100 percent plant-based, but they’ve also added to their line of plant-based food like veggie pepperoni pizza bites (180 c. for six) and Veggie Chicken & Cheeze Taquito Bites (200 c. for five).

While none of the faux meats are cheap, Morningstar’s products come in at a lower price than the fake meats meant to look and taste absolutely real (and found in the meat section of your grocery). You’ll find Morningstar products in the frozen food aisle of your big grocery stores. My hunch is that as more people commit to a plant-based diet, the faux meats will come down in price. ♥

Pearl Five

“What you tell yourself everyday will either lift you up or tear you down.” — Somebody wonderful ♥

Before Covid’s unwelcome appearance, I was a happy-camper travel writer. Since travel has returned I’m in the middle of coordinating a trip to Charleston, SC. I’ve never been, but hear that it is wall-to-wall awesome food. (They’re known for a 12-layer coconut cake. Bad news: I love coconut.)

But good news: I learned long ago how to enjoy a destination’s food without coming home with extra baggage in my trunk (if you catch my drift). I can’t wait to share with you how I take a smart eating lifestyle on the road!

I’d love it if you’d comment below. What are your most challenging moments when eating on vacation? Do you have tips to share for not overdoing it on a trip? We’re all ears!

Have a peaceful weekend.

♥, Wendy

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