As a young person, I had zero confidence. Back in the 80s I would never mumble what seemed to be true: that working out didn’t appear to work in terms of losing weight. I’d been a Jane Fonda, Jazzercise, and Lilias, Yoga and You woman for years.

None impacted my weight.

Being shy, I wouldn’t share my thoughts about fitness losing weight. I just figured I was doing it wrong.

As far as I could tell, the only activity that made a dent in my weight was cutting back on calories. Today, this idea has hit the streets as fairly common knowledge.

Don’t get me wrong, working out like a SEALs team member, Michael Phelps, or Jillian Michaels definitely equals weight loss. However, the thirty minute walk or yoga class most of us take isn’t going to result in a scale trending downward.

Fast-forward to today. It doesn’t seem like word has reached the “experts” on smart eating, and it’s not only about calories-in, calories-out either. The powers-that-be are also misguided in thinking that skipping breakfast when using the intermittent fasting plan is a great idea, but is not.

When people are using the intermittent fasting plan, they’re often ‘eating whatever they want’ during their open window for meals. In doing so, they’re not developing the foundational new habits they need to maintain a weight loss forever (versus yo-yo-ing). Creating — and maintaining — strong habits is the backbone of forever-losing.

For the last year I’ve used myself as a guinea-pig to test that type of eating that I now think works well: eating like a king for breakfast, a princess for lunch, and a pauper for dinner.

At first I was reluctant to try this eating plan. I’ve kept 55 off for 16 years now, and I didn’t want to tinker with what wasn’t broken. At the same time, I wanted to see if the Royal Eating Plan (REP) would work. (Btw, I didn’t make this plan up, it’s been around for over 100 centuries.)

Take a look:

My King-Sized Breakfast.

Yesterday’s breakfast was one bagel with a generous smear of whipped cream cheese. Calories: 200 in the bagel, 70 in two tablespoons of cream cheese and I probably had three or four tablespoons. (I’m not a fan of bagels, but there wasn’t much food in the house. Very unusual for me: I believe in having your “food tools” always on-hand.)

A large handful of unsalted nuts. Calories: 190 for ¼ cup. I had at least a half-cup.

Two Madeleine cookies. Calories: 150 for two with seven grams of fat.

I would have had orange juice, but we were out.

For someone maintaining a 55-pound loss, that’s a big breakfast, right? But I created two hard and fast rules for myself: (1) breakfast had to be over by 9 a.m. and

(2)nI could never eat so much at breakfast that I wouldn’t be ready for lunch at noon or 1:00 p.m.

My Princess Lunch

I “lunch like a princess” from about noon to 4:00 meaning I’ll have two light meals.

Around 12:30 p.m. I had the oatmeal bowl that I’ve eaten every day for two decades while listening to my favorite podcast. (Half-cup dried oatmeal cooked, one cup blueberries, half cut up Honeycrisp, all topped in a quarter cup of my favorite yogurt. Vanilla, low-fat, Kroger) Good food, great episode, a relaxing moment in my day.

Around 2:00 I had a half-cup cottage cheese (I’m into cottage cheese at the moment).

At 4:00 I had a small Chobani yogurt (love coconut).

My Pauper’s Dinner

Dinner was a veggie and brown rice bowl that I make (with 1/2 cup cooked brown rice). If I’m eating with my family I have a tiny portion of the lasagna or whatever. (I  don’t have seconds of food and I always Eat Before I Eat when I’m with others so I don’t come to the table truly hungry.) I finish dinner by 6:30 p.m. at the very latest. (Six is better.)

When it’s bedtime, if I’m a tad hungry I’ll have 1/3 of a banana, half an apple or something similar; but whatever food I have, it’s tiny. (I never go to sleep hungry, but I don’t feel full either.)

Our Tummies Respond

I know you know, but it bears repeating. The less we eat, the more it becomes the “new normal” for tummy. It works the other way too: if we eat a lot, our stomach thinks that’s the new normal.

It really is just that simple, and yet I know that it takes time and conscious effort to transition to a large breakfast, moderate lunch, and light dinner.

Remember my favorite study out of England? It concluded that it takes 66 days of a particular behavior to turn the behavior into a solid habit. Keep a running “one sentence” journal each day of the 66 days you use the Royal Eating Plan. Writing about the behavior we want to embed strengthens our engagement with the new behavior. (I keep my journals on OneNote.)

And yes, I still use my eating structure (WW in my case) with the Royal Eating Plan, but I only count my large breakfasts as two to four points. In other words I factor in the calories to some extent, but not much because our bodies just don’t hold onto morning calories for whatever reason.

My thought: put sticky notes throughout your life to remind yourself of the habits you’re creating for yourself.

Also write stickies reminding yourself that you can save the brownies that everyone else is eating in the evening to have at breakfast with your morning coffee. I do this exact thing all the time so I don’t feel left out of having “fun” food.

Don’t be hard on yourself, it takes time to establish the habit of saving an evening dessert for the morning, but the results will convince you.

Having my Brownies & Eating Them Too

What I’ve come to love about breakfasting like a king is that I don’t feel constant deprivation as in — poor me — I can’t have anything porn-ish ever again because I’m over 50 and way past menopause. But with the REP I still score fun food, the time of day I have the treat is the only difference from everyone else.

When I first realized that a large breakfast was pretty close to a calorie-free meal I went a little bonkers. I was like, get out!! Are you saying that I can have those shortbread cookies The Scarfer always buys at Trader Joe’s? (It’s fine, he beams at his nickname.)

I can have graham crackers with peanut butter (tastier than it sounds) and even those brown sugar packet oatmeal things that I never get anymore? What dream world had I stepped into?! (Of course keeping in mind that I always adhere to my two rules: (1) stop breakfast by 9 a.m. and (2) don’t eat so much that I won’t be hungry for lunch.)

Here’s the weird thing, after eating on the REP for about two years the novelty of breakfast treats has worn off.

I’m not kidding. Wore off.

These days I have a handful (or more) of nuts in the morning (tasty and good for our hearts), maybe a small spoonful of peanut butter, and often my green smoothie that’s filling. But if the family had something food-pornish the night before, I’ll eat mine at breakfast.

Try the Royal Eating Plan for eight weeks and see how well it works. The bottom line (no pun) results in my life: I’m currently at the middle range of my four-pound weight window.

Want more info on this life altering eating style? Check out these two articles.

ScienceDaily: Eating dinner early, or skipping it, may be effective in fighting body fat.

NIH (National Institute of Health: Timing of Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Effects on Obesity and Metabolic Risk.

As always, I love getting questions in the comment section below or email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com.

And please always remember: it’s not your imagination. Health is hard.

♥, 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). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. 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!

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

I am not an expert, a doctor, a surgeon, a nurse or a nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ♥

Photo by Reynier Carl on Unsplash

Hello Thrivers,

The price of everything is skyrocketing. We’ve started shopping at Aldis again. If you have a way to save money, please share in the comments below.

It’s Five Pearl Friday!

Pearl One

There’s Oprah of course. But — aside from the obvious — have you ever thought about the genius that’s all around us? You and I marinate in the success of others to such an extent that we’ve become accustomed to the greatness, and don’t give it a second thought.

Give me a moment, and I’ll explain how seeing the genius all around us can change our inner world.

Let’s start with my car mechanic. Kyle isn’t just “fixing cars,” he’s saving lives by keeping his customers off the side of the freeway, and we love him for it. (K&R Auto, Atlanta.)

Or my hairstylist who doesn’t only do hair, her artistry leaves me feeling confident and pretty long after I’ve left her chair.

When you walk into your local Costco (839 total as of September 2022), do you wonder about the two guys who brought Costco into our world?

When you open the refrigerator, do you marvel at the guys through the last few centuries who built on each other’s knowledge and dedication to bring us our modern day frig?

That novel you can’t put down? That’s the work of a master storyteller.

Genius is all around us. Guess who invented the first car? There’s debate, but one name that comes up repeatedly is Karl Benz, Mercedes’s dad!!

And it’s not just the big time inventors. There’s people like the dedicated IT guy who keeps the Children’s Hospital computers in top condition for the nurses and doctors who care for the children.

We can include our librarian, the people at the post office, the gutter cleaning company, the owner and people who work at the gas station; our list would be endless.

You’re thinking, big whoop. So there’s amazing inventions everywhere. I’m not exactly inventing cars. In Pearl Two I’ll explain why this matters. ♥

Pearl Two

It’s self-evident that we can take great inspiration from the story of a single, destitute mom who in a Scottish café brought Harry Potter’s world to life.

But there’s phenomenal examples of inspiration all around us, and here’s how I keep myself pumped up: I look for inspiration everywhere I can find it. I mean, in any situation I’m looking for inspiration (or learning from mistakes).

When my boys were young, I found inspirational messages in their superhero shows (especially Big Hero Six). I essentially looked at the bigger message the movie was conveying, and used it as a boost in my own life.

I love my veterinarian, and watching him expand over the last seven years has been crazy-inspirational. He had a thriving practice, but then created a cat clinic, and now is building a second story onto his clinic that will become his surgery room. (It’s easy to see his dream go up because he’s on a main road in town.)

When I drive by his clinic rather than saying to myself, a second story, cool. I think, look at how much he believes in himself. And my very next thought is, wowza, if Zach can commit a massive amount of money to his business I can sure stay focused on creating a Smart Eating Lifestyle. Had he always dreamed of a huge vet clinic? What did he say to the loan officer? How does he pumps himself up each day?

In other words, I’ve made it a habit to look for inspiration everywhere I go, so that I’m always filling my brain with a can-do mindset.

My point, J.K. Rowling doesn’t have a lock on inspiration.

It’s a habit to instill – looking for inspiration in your day-to-day –, but practice it often, and eventually it becomes second nature.

Journal about the encouraging scenes you notice each day, write about them in your journal, and then “inspiration stack.” My stack would be: my veterinarian, Dr. Edith Eger (survived Auschwitz), a friend’s daughter who travels solo to other countries, and definitively my friend who has a disability, but lives life with gusto.

I’d love to hear what inspirational scenes you’ve spotted in your own life. I hope you’ll share. ♥

Pearl Three

In October, we’re keeping this slot for “How I Screwed Up.” You know that I’m a big believer in “brownies for breakfast.”

The Scarfer went shopping and he brought home donuts. I went to bed thinking, tomorrow morning will be tasty. The morning dawned and while it was fun to have a donut with coffee – okay three –, they weren’t worth the sugar and rush.

Remember wad-able food? Well, these donuts were melt-in-your-mouth, gone in a flash, totally wad-able bites. Normally I eat maximum-bite food like a whole wheat bagel with whipped cream cheese, a bowl of Cheerios, or maybe pizza from last night. I don’t eat food that disappears in a blink.

As you know I hold myself to two rules for eating “anything I want for breakfast:” I have to be done eating by 9:00 a.m. And I can’t eat so much that I won’t want lunch at noonish. For example, if I’d eaten half the box of donuts, I probably wouldn’t have wanted lunch until 3 or 4 p.m.

My Takeaway

Wad-able foods are merely eye candy and aren’t worth the time and money. I won’t put them on my grocery list again. ♥

Pearl Four

You know what hasn’t been in my freezer for a handful of months? A gallon or more of ice cream. My husband hasn’t been buying any. I work hard not to preach about how he should eat.

So, I didn’t say a word.

Today he casually mentioned that he’s buying cereal – on sale – and has a bowl every evening instead of ice cream. (I acted all cool like, “oh, what a good idea.” Inside I was thinking, strike up the band!!)

He added, “Have you seen the price of ice cream??” Um, no, I never go in that aisle. Apparently it’s doubled in price. Yikes.

He’s not doing it for his health, he’s doing it because he’s angry about the prices.

Whatever works, I’m flexible.

This a huge step for this guy. He isn’t a teen, he’s in his 50s and eating whackadoo-food all day has caught up with him.

If you’re also struggling with an ice cream habit, consider keeping a clean grocery cart when you shop (no ice cream goes into the cart), and eating cereal as your “bridge-food.” (Meaning the slower you go, the better the habit will be rooted into your life.) ♥

Pearl Five

I always did something I was a little not ready to do. I think that’s how you grow. When there’s that moment of “Wow, I’m not really sure I can do this,” and you push through those moments, that’s when you have a breakthrough. – Marissa Mayer ♥

Have a smart eating weekend, 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). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. 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!

You know the scoop: I am an Amazon affiliate so if you buy something through a link at this site, I may receive a small commission that won’t impact your price at all.

I am not an expert, a doctor, a surgeon, a nurse or a nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ♥

Hello everyone!

If sugar is on your last nerve, read on!

Pearl One

Craving treats in the evening plagued me for years. I’d tried everything I could think of to end the cookies, candy, cake, ice cream routine, but nothing worked. Once I even talked my husband into keeping his treats in a locked safe. I can’t remember how long that so-called “solution” worked, but it was probably one day, tops.

Back in January 2021 I decided I’d had enough. I thought, I will extinguish my evening sugar habit once and for all.

And after a lifetime of getting nowhere, I finally hit on my own hack that wiped sugar off my map. At this writing I haven’t had sugary treats in the evenings for three years. The plan works beautifully. And it now belongs to you.

The Stop the Evening Sugar Plan

For the first week or so of early January, I’d spend each morning writing about the steps I would take that evening to defeat my sugar-urge. The first two weeks were the hardest.

My planning notes looked like this.

When the dessert-hour rolls around and I’m craving Oreos and ice cream – not to mention watching my husband, the Scarfer, chowing down –, I agree to do the following:

• Step One — Get out of the kitchen and away from the ice cream scarfer. I will listen to an inspirational podcast and wait for the craving to quiet down (btw, cravings are like clouds. They subside if you wait them out).
• Step Two — Listen to hard rock from the 70s. (Not sure why, but great music stops my cravings.)
• Step Three –Take a hot shower.
• Step Four — Brush teeth and read in bed. (I call it book-dessert.)
• Step Six — Turn on the electric blanket and go to sleep.

Within two weeks my sugar cravings seriously calmed down.

By Day 66: the new habit was solidly mine. Today if I want something fun – like birthday cake – I have it with my morning coffee. More about the advantages of brownies for breakfast here.

Now You

In the morning, long before the cravings start make a “step list” for yourself to navigate evening cravings. Write down the moment you start thinking about eating the treats. Is it immediately after dinner? Or more like 9 p.m. when you’re watching Hulu? Or is it after everyone goes to bed and you have time to yourself?

Write up a plan that focuses on precisely what you commit to doing when the urge hits. Let’s say you know that you want a large bowl of ice cream every evening at 9. Plan to get out of the environment that’s connected with ice cream: the couch, Hulu, your scarfing partner.

Just like Pavlov’s dogs, our brain has connected relaxing evenings to ice cream.

So write up a plan that specifically – very specifically to your life – takes you step-by-step through the hardest time of day when the sugar urge hits and detail how you’ll handle it (listen to light jazz? Take a bath? Get into bed and call it a day?).

Let your partner know, “Hey, I just want to give you the heads up, but I won’t be watching Hulu tonight. And it would really help if you wouldn’t eat ice cream around me for the next two weeks.”

As I snuffed out my evening sugar habit, I didn’t just pick one step from my list.

No. I completed all six steps that first week.

Within two weeks my sugar cravings had somewhat calmed down.

By Day 66 (the time my favorite study says it takes to create a habit): the new habit was mine. Today if I want something fun – like birthday cake – I have it in the morning with my coffee. Read more in Brownies for Breakfast.

Make a “step list” for yourself to navigate your cravings.  

Don’t come up with a one-step plan. You need at least five or six ideas to essentially remind yourself about what really matters to you. (And if you’re reading this, I doubt it’s ice cream.)

Tracking your experience is key. These lines are from January 2021 when I wrote down one line about how I was developing my no-sugar habit:

Day One – 1-2-21. Had cake last night for “dinner.” It was my way of saying good-bye to sugar. It needed a funeral.

Day Two – 1-3-21. I did it! The whole plan: I went to bed early with my book. No sugar!

Day Three – 1-4-21. Another success. Going to sleep earlier has helped in so many ways. No sugar.

Day Eight — 1-12-21. Day 10 — Still no dessert!!

And there you have it.

Let me know what habit you’re extinguishing – or bringing to life — using this step-by-step method. ♥

Pearl Two

If anybody thinks that I eat perfectly day in and day out, please allow me to disavow you of this notion.

While it’s true that my plan is to keep my weight within a four pound window, I still have moments when I step off the smart eating path.

So, when my weight heads in the wrong direction, do I beat myself up for whatever I ate or overate? No, not even a little. I see it this way: if being mean to ourselves worked you and I would be a size 4.

Instead I’ve retrained my brain to use supportive self-talk. Learning to talk kindly to yourself is practically a superpower.

So there I was a pound over my “high” weight.

Here’s what I tell myself when I need to strengthen my smart eating habits:

Me: Oh, hell no!! (This one’s my favorite. Oh, hell no! means that there’s no way that I’m returning to my prior weight that included health problems and so forth.)

Me again: Not on my watch!

Still me: “Smart habits first and the weight loss will follow.” (Just thinking about habits reminds me that, if I’m gaining one of my habits is slipping.)

Final me: I decide the number on my pant-size not the Superbowl party, the chocolate Easter eggs, or even pizza by the pool come summer.

Please use my, oh, hell no! Three little words that have played a huge role in helping me keep off 55 lbs. ♥

Pearl Three

I keep this space to write about Thinking Big. I’ll always be in love with the very idea of Thinking Big because it pushes me to go for the gusto when planning my life. OF course it’s true that there’s much we don’t have control over, but it’s also exciting to know that we have control over a lot.

Thinking Big can be as small as, I will read every book my favorite author has written to something huge like, I will author and publish a book. Big-small: I will take that acting class I’ve long thought about. Big-huge: I will be in a movie within the next five years. Big-small: I’ll seriously spruce up my French. Big-huge: I will live in France for at least a year.

I’d love to hear: what are your thinking big plans? ♥

Pearl Four

Over the last month, when it was time for an afternoon snack or light dinner I’d open my fridge’s salad drawer, and come up empty in the leafy greens department. I had a realization. “Real” salad doesn’t have to be lettuce based.

Right?

Right. Given my aha moment I pulled out my trusty cucumber and sliced off ten cucumber coins. I placed a handful of petite carrots and cherry tomatoes on the plate next to the cucumbers and finally drizzled all with one teaspoon of olive oil and a added a small blob of ranch dressing. I lightly dip the veggies into the dressing for a smidgen of extra flavor.

Share your coolest aha moments. Learning from each other is a brilliant way to raise our smart-eating game. ♥

Pearl Five

“Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one.” – Bruce Lee ♥

Join me in making it a beautiful week!

♥, 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). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. 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!

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

I am not an expert, a doctor, a surgeon, a nurse or a nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ♥

My favorite cold tote-bag to carry smart snacks.

My five-star book list.

Nothing gets me up at zero dark thirty, except for this one thing.

Hello Thrivers!

Have you read the Aunt Bea booklet? It’s important to read her or this blog won’t make much sense. You’ll find her to your right in the box under my circle bio. She’s supposed to land in your email, but sometimes she ends up in spam. If you lost her just let me know: Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll shoot her right to you! ♥

Onto our pearls!

Pearl One  

Why and how to deepen your ‘why.’ If we’re not chewing on our ‘why’ several times a day, we’re not strengthening our ‘why’ and receiving the full benefit. We want to be one with our ‘why’ because that is where all the motivation comes from.

For example, I’m not getting up at 5 in the bleeping morning for any reason. I need my sleep without it, I’m a zombie.

Period.

Oh, right, except for that time when I excitedly woke up super early before the kids, packed the minivan with The Scarfer, put our two little Firecrackers into their car seats, and set out for Florida’s Legoland.

You see? I had a strong ‘why’ for getting up when it was still dark.

These days The Firecrackers are 19, and trips without them are my new ‘why.’ (Haha, I kid.)

But my current ‘why’ for staying on the Smart Eating path has changed a bit. Today my overarching ‘why’ is that I want to be as healthy and strong as possible for my future family: the grand dogs, grand kids, The Scarfer, my boys, everyone.

Which is a tough ‘why’ because working for something that happens years in the future isn’t that motivational for me on a day-to-day basis.

So, since my today’s ‘why’ can be a tad nebulous, I add a strong amendment. I don’t have health issues that are made better by sitting on the couch and watching Hulu (sadly), so it’s imperative that I maintain an active lifestyle.

(That’s another thing: what I once called ‘working out,’ I now call ‘an active lifestyle.’)

Recently a Thriver wrote and said, ‘We don’t have to work out, we get to work out.’ I love the distinction. How we think about an activity and what we call it forms the basis for how we engage with the activity.

The Takeaway

Journal-write about your ‘why’ and write long enough that you get down to the nitty-gritty on why your ‘why’ matters so very much to you. Plan to write (or type) for a while before the real gems come spilling out.

Journal-writing about our whys and wants and questions and frustrations is the most inexpensive form of therapy available – and quite possibly the most powerful. ♥

Pearl Two

A good question to ask yourself before diving into food: Is this behavior adding to my Smart Eating habit or subtracting from it?

Take me this morning. I woke up on time, had my fun little breakfast – see Brownies for Breakfast for more info – and all was well in my world. After two hours of writing I made coffee and proceeded to go on the hunt for something cake-ish.

At that, my prefrontal brain took over saying, no, you’ve already had breakfast.

So, then the cave woman in me replied, who would even know? It won’t hurt anything to have a cupcake.

Prefrontal brain: If you eat a cupcake now, you won’t be hungry for lunch. And that’s the deal: you can have what you want for breakfast, but you have to stop by 9 a.m. and be hungry for lunch at noonish.

My cave woman: Big damn deal.

Prefrontal me to cave woman: Ask yourself, is having a cupcake adding to my strong habits or subtracting from them?

Cave woman: Subtracting.

Prefrontal: Try playing with Max – our attention-hound kitty – for ten minutes and then see how you feel.

Ten minutes later: I don’t want to ruin my lunch.

And with that, the prefrontal brain is back at the command center. ♥

Pearl Three

In June, I’m keeping this slot for talking about the poison of perfectionism. It appears to me that while our culture — in public — trounces ‘perfectionism,’ in private it’s a whole nother story. We drive ourselves nuts attempting to be perfect. Because if we worry that if we’re not perfect a catastrophe will descend.

Perfectionism is dangerous because it worms its way into our Smart Eating lives in stealth mode; we don’t even realize what’s happening until perfectionism has become a way of life for us.

And getting a handle on our own perfectionism is no picnic. Our neighbors drive slick cars, perfect people are everywhere on TV and social media; our homes look lovely (as long as nobody goes upstairs) and so on.

I once knew a mom in our kids’ playgroup who wore her one-karat diamond engagement ring with pride. Until another mom moved into her neighborhood with a two-karat. So, guess what one-karat did? Yep, she started appearing with her own two-karat (attempting to be perfect lead her to buy the two-karat).

Given that our culture is oriented to having things and more things and more and more things, it’s no wonder that we’ve fallen into the perfectionism trap. So let’s not be hard on ourselves. The perfect (seeming) world is all we’ve ever known.

Beginning to notice perfectionism appears in your life is the first step to rooting it out. I doubt it’s human to entirely rid oneself of perfectionism altogether. Wouldn’t that be us trying to be perfect in ridding ourselves of being perfect?! lol!

Just start noticing when you’re being particularly hard on yourself and journal-write freestyle about how perfectionism has taken root in your life. ♥

Pearl Four  

Back in the ‘80s and ‘90s ‘the experts’ seemed to work overtime to find fault with coffee; they were trying to figure out which horrific disease or terrible disorder coffee caused.

Each time a new study came out, I held my breath and when nothing came of the latest study thought, phew. Made it through another one.

Fast forward to May 2022, and a study on coffee came out that followed a whopping 171,616 participants (mean age of 55.6 years), and reported phenomenal news.

Among other benefits, regular coffee drinking decreases cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, Type 2 diabetes, and three cancers (colorectal, uterine and liver).

The Mayo Clinic recommends drinking at least two cups a day, adding that four cups – a max. of 400 milligrams – is even better.

Of course, this study isn’t referring to milkshakes bought at Starbucks, this was a ‘black or a teaspoon of sugar in your coffee’ study. (Yes, you read that right. If you like one teaspoon of sugar in your coffee you’re also good-to-go.)

So, that’s a no to Starbucks and a giant yes to home-coffee! ♥

Pearl Five

Be a warrior, not a worrier.” – Elizabeth Archer ♥

Below you will see my first foray into kayaking. Very, very fun.

I highly recommend doing something outside of your wheelhouse.

Have a beautiful journal-writing weekend, 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!

I’ve been asked if I could include something like Buy me a Coffee on the Inspired Eater. So if you feel up to sending a coffee, I am a devotee. You’ll find the coffee “button” to your right. And, as always, thank you so much for reading the Inspired Eater. ♥♥♥

Pearl One

I’ve long thought that our world is so the Jetsons: cutting-edge and very cool.

I mean, we’re rich in brilliance personified like Maria Beasley (invented life rafts for ships) or Rosalind Franklin (discovered something huge in DNA).

And let’s give it up for Josephine Cochrane who invented the dishwasher!! (And the crowd goes wild.)

Furthermore, can we talk indoor plumbing? Wow, right?

And I haven’t even mentioned Prince, Aretha, or Taylor Swift.

Doesn’t planet Earth rock?!

But, then we come to our (funky) diet-industry.

We’ve learned that we’d been lied to for decades by Big Sugar and that, at one point, there was something hinky going on with the food pyramid too. Not to mention that the “calories in, calories out” crowd are still debating each other.

On the plus side, we’ve received life-saving info on sodium, that too much is a hard no. And they genuinely seem to want the nutrition labels on food items to work in our favor (food counts came out in 1994, revised in 2016).

But these are still the peeps who once sang the praises of margarine, only today to urge us to welcome butter back into our fridge (in tiny servings of course). And let’s not forget what happened to the innocent egg.

And yet with the gains made, there are still those of us who are like, whatever. I have to figure this out on my own.

But here’s the thing: the larger culture has long taught that being hyper-focused on what we put into our mouths is is the key to losing weight. But really food is only the substance we use.

The truth is that eating issues begin in our hearts.

We might be grieving or angry or disappointed. We might be deliriously happy. Or scared. Or even despondent.

And the best way I know of to reach our hearts is through journaling-writing. And please don’t tell yourself that journal-writing is a “nice thing to do”, only not today. (Sorry, too busy.)

You’re never too busy for journaling-writing. It’s an imperative piece to losing after 50 and maintaining the forever-loss.

Writing suggestions:

• What’s going on inside of me today? Am I frightened, mad, anxious?
• It’s difficult for me to sit quietly with my feeling(s) and just “let it be” because. . .
• When I’m having my feeling, where do I feel it in my body?
• If I “sit with my feeling”, how long does the feeling stay?
• I know that feelings pass like clouds moving through the sky, but I’m still scared to stay present and be calm with my feeling(s) — rather than feeding it chocolate — because. . .
• When I was young who comforted me when I was having feelings?
• I had to deal with feelings on my own so I turned to (list as many as you can). . .
• In my emotional life today, which feelings can I handle? Which rattle me to my core?
• What kind of self-talk would help me immensely as I learn to better engage with myself while experiencing a hard (for me) feeling?

Journal-writing reveals insights into ourselves in which we’re not consciously aware. Get to know you, you’ll fall in love with the person you find. ♥

Pearl Two

I didn’t think up this great tool, but I’m sure glad that Tim Ferris – podcaster extraordinaire – put words to the feelings of “HELL YEAH!!”

Let me explain.

When we take something away from ourselves – like overeating for comfort – we have to give something in return or we feel a yawning void, an emptiness inside, and head straight for the Doritos. (When people give up alcohol or drugs, the rehab staff strongly encourages participants to find new passions in life as part of the healing process.)

But how to choose from the millions of hobbies out there? We’ve all tried various activities and – while some were okay — none sparked much passion in us.

But Tim’s “HELL YEAH!!” energy changes the equation.

As an example, one woman I know loves comedy. She’ll take her comediennes on Netflix, but she’s wild about seeing stand-up live. Years ago, she saw Seinfeld just months before his show went on the air and last week she saw Kid Gorgeous — John Mulaney — live in her town.

That said, what’s your reaction to seeing a comedienne in person? This is where Tim Ferris says, “If your answer isn’t an uproarious, ‘HELL YEAH!!‘ pass it up.”

If an activity or idea doesn’t light Tim on fire, he’s out.

So, what’s your reaction to:

• Seeing all of Johnny Depp’s top twelve movies? A “HELL YEAH!!” or “meh”?
• Returning to the childhood classics like The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, and A Little Princess also by Frances Hodgson Burnett. (Adults reading awesome kid-lit is a thing.) “HELL YEAH!! or “so-so”?
• Beginning with a “paint by numbers” kit and moving onto to actual painting classes. “HELL YEAH!!” or “not really”?
• Photography classes. “HELL YEAH!!” or “pass”?
• Taking a therapy dog into a nursing home. “HELL YEAH!!” or “not my thing”?
• Love travel? (TrustedHousitters.com makes it more affordable. Just sayin.’) “HELL YEAH!!” or “not into it”?

But here’s the tricky part: we need to open our hearts to new experiences. We need to at least try — your equivalent of — the comedy show, or the painting class, or the therapy dog. You can’t blow off every suggestion: trying new things is part of our Smart Eating Lifestyle. Don’t make it a dramatic thing, just try two new activities a month. Eventually one will catch your attention.

Btw, I’ve tried a lot of things that didn’t pan out, one to the tune of $2000. So don’t force yourself to like something you don’t like (only try not to spend $2000 when you’re still in the honeymoon stage). Just stay open and try new activities.

When we’re living more of a “HELL YEAH!!” life, our dedication to eating 95 percent fuel-food, while keeping the fun-food to just five percent is way less formidable. I’d love to hear your “HELL YEAH!!” passions in the comments below. ♥

Pearl Three

We keep this slot for a new topic each month and in November we’re talking “stacking.” Last week, I pointed out how easy it is for me to stack negative memories. (Kind of a downer.)

Today let’s talk stacking small, but significant memories that make us laugh. When I think of funny moments, I see in my mind’s eye my grandma who had a great sense of humor and loved to laugh. She was the throw-your-head back type.

Have fun with this one. In your journal stack five memories and then write them on stickies where you’ll see them and smile every day. ♥

Pearl Four

Food. A thriver from Texas wrote and said that she loves to put mashed avocado into warm corn tortillas adding a smidge of salt and a squirt of lime. (Since I use WW’s old points system paired with the REP, I eat my guac-tacs for lunch, not dinner.)

My review: yum, yum, and more yum. ♥

Pearl Five

There is no passion to be found playing small — in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” – Nelson Mandela ♥

If a problem is bothering you, it’s annoying someone else too, no doubt.

Have a beautiful mid-November 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). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. 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!

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime.

I am not an expert, a doctor, a surgeon, a nurse or a nutritionist: the information within TheInspiredEater.com is based solely on my personal experience and is not intended to be used as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. ♥

He was using intermittent fasting, but eating half of an entire cherry pie during his “open eating window.”

Photo by Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash

Hello Thrivers!

It’s important to read the Aunt Bea booklet or the Inspired Eater won’t make much sense. You’ll find her to your right in the box under my circle bio. She’s supposed to land in your email, but sometimes she ends up in spam. If you lost her just let me know: Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll shoot her right to you!

Let’s talk pearls.

Pearl One

Truth be told, we’ve fallen in love with ‘diets.’ We revel in a long honeymoon with the newest eating plan for weeks or even months.

But eventually the Debbie-downer scientists get involved and study our beloved only to conclude that the plan is a no-go, and we’ve been led astray. Our response: honeymoon over, we’re done, and we return to our former (train-wreck) eating patterns.

Welcome to what intermittent fasting (IF) is facing this year. We were high as a kite with IF’s potential until the scientists mucked everything up by (recently) saying that it doesn’t actually work.

And yet here’s the thing: IF is absolutely fine as long as we pair IF with developing Smart Eating habits too.

Consider a guy I know who was thrilled to hear about IF. In the beginning he ate on a six-hour window and lost more weight than he’d expected. But then ‘something happened’ and the weight showed up again. So he closed his eating window to just five hours (noon to 5 p.m.)

Last I heard, even the five-hour window ‘wasn’t working.’

But turns out that during his open window, this man was gorging on Big Macs, full-sized cherry pies, cheesecake, pizza and the like.

The real trouble with this man and IF is that as he lost he wasn’t also developing better ways of engaging with food.

And that’s the piece the scientists don’t include in their equation. It’s vital that — as we lose — we also learn to navigate our food-porn culture; come to terms with our own overeating ways, and plan to live a Smart Eating Lifestyle that’s vibrant for the long game. ♥

Pearl Two

What is a skill? I consulted the dictionary which says, the definition of a skill is a talent or ability that comes from training or practice.

‘That comes from training or practice.’

Interesting.

Then I took a look at the description for ‘habit’: ‘a recurrent, often unconscious pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition: she made a habit of going to bed early.’

Wow. So training/practice + frequent repetition of new behavior = ironclad habits.

What new skill are you developing this summer? ♥

Pearl Three

In June, this slot is kept for talking about the poison of perfectionism. I have it. You have it. The only ones in our culture who don’t have it are our sweet, furry darlings.

Perfectionism.

Wouldn’t it be sad, if our little guys mused with gloom, I’m an okay Shih Tzu, but there are better. Even that mix around the corner is more adorable than me.

Let’s begin with a couple of examples and my perfectionism point will make more sense.

Imagine we buy a new car. She’s a beauty: red, shiny and gorgeous. Months later we notice that she has a scratch here, a ding there bumming us out no end leaving us thinking, I give up! This is why I can’t have nice cars. It must be me: I’m just too old to learn new car-tricks. And with that, we give up Red and revert to our old beat-up truck.

One More

You might remember that I woke up on the first of January (2022) to Covid. It wasn’t fun, but at the end of the month can you imagine me thinking, that’s it! The year is ruined. Nothing good will happen in 2022. And for the next 11 months I live in Eeyore-mode.

This example might seem silly, but this is exactly what we do after we’ve overeaten. We give up on the Smart Eating Path.

Here’s the deal: we are going to slip and overeat cake, or raid the freezer, or inhale the oatmeal cookies. It’s part of this trek we’re on: to lose after age 50. You and I are normal humans for overdoing the calories.

The only piece that matters at all is how we respond to the slip. ♥

Pearl Four

Recently I wrote about frozen bananas and what a delicious base they make for faux-ice cream. A reader wrote saying that she doesn’t like bananas.

J. writes . . .

I REALLY wish I could get past the smell/ taste/ texture of bananas because I would love to have an ice cream alternative to enjoy all summer long. Dairy free alternatives are so hard to find!

There’s been an explosion in dairy-free ‘ice creams’, and let me tell you: they’re spectacular. Thankfully they’re pricey. Our only hope is to have some for breakfast, lol, which I detail here.

However — in all seriousness — if this type of dessert leads to binging, forgo it all together.

I found these non-dairy babies at Kroger.

So Delicious. I more than sampled their salted caramel cluster made with cashew milk. My review: O.M.G. Do yourself a favor and never buy this one. Nothing to see here, just move along. Serving: 2/3 cup, calories: 260, fat: 15 g, fiber: 1 gram, carb: 31 g.

Ben and Jerry’s. You know something’s afoot when these guys are in the game. I taste-tested their Netflix Chilll’d that blends peanut butter surprise cream (almond milk) with salty pretzel swirls and fudge brownie. Wonderful, but the Ben and Jerry’s has way more calories and fat than the better tasting Salted Caramel Cluster above. Serving; 2/3 cup, calories: 380, fat: 22 g, fiber: less than 1 g, carbs: 44 g.

Oatly. Devotees rave about Oatley so I’m guessing specific flavors might deliver more of a kick. I tried the oat milk and coffee, if you serve this dessert as ice cream, nobody would know the difference. Oatlys came in at the lowest calories. Serving: 2/3 cup, calories: 210, fat: 12 g, 1 g, carbs: 24 g.

Just saying: If you’re weaning yourself off a stubborn ice cream habit, these surprise creams might be a great way to start.

A hearty thank you to J. for alerting me to a new food item that I now need to avoid like the plague. ♥

Pearl Five

What screws us up most in life is the picture in our head of how it’s supposed to be.” – Jeremy Binns ♥

Have a beautiful weekend, Thrivers! And please feel free to ask questions via the comment section below or by emailing me at: Wendy@theInspiredEater.com.

With love and support,

♥, 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). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. 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!

I’ve been asked if I could include something like Buy me a Coffee on the Inspired Eater. So if you feel up to sending a coffee, I am a devotee. You’ll find the coffee “button” to your right. And, as always, thank you so much for reading the Inspired Eater. ♥♥♥

Photo, gorgeous phone case, (& more bejeweled pieces) are by celdeconail.

Pearl # 1

Full disclosure: There is a wrinkle to losing after 50.

 Back when I was “well-insulated,” I never had dark circles under my eyes.

Ever.

My face was a blown up balloon: smooth, no wrinkles, and definitely no dark circles.

When I took off the final pounds, several stayed poofed on my face. Then menopause hit.

When that thrill ride was over, I emerged a raccoon.

I tried everything: concealers (Shape Tape and the popular Maybelline one) and a rainbow of color correctors. I even tried carefully dabbing zinc sunblock under my eyes (just to see what would happen). 

Nothing happened.

And therein lies the adage women have heard for ages, “You need to pick: your fanny? Or your face?” meaning if you lose too much weight your face deflates like a balloon.

When I first caught sight of my dark circles, I was not happy and decided to gain five pounds. Still nothing. I kept the five pounds on for six months to see if anything would improve.

Nothing improved.

My Takeaway

At 67, Oprah looks fantastic. Sure, she’s a a billionaire and so forth, but partly her looks are due to not over-losing in her 60s. Keeping some weight on keeps her face filled.

In retrospect, I likely needed to gain ten to fifteen pounds, and then let them hang around forever to really impact my dark circles. But jeans, nicer clothes, undies, everything I had were in a specific size and blah, blah, blah.

Don’t make my mistake.

As you slowly lose – giving your body generous amounts of time to adjust and stabilize along the way – ditch the idea of getting down to your college or pre-baby weight. Shoot for a happy middle between your fanny and your face.

Because not only can’t we eat like when we were young, turns out we can’t lose like we’re young either. ♥

Pearl # 2

You know, “calories in, calories out?” Well, I’m no scientist, doctor or nutritionist, but I think one day they’ll arrive at the idea that there’s something to the timing of calories rather than just the amount we take in.

I’m not talking about intermittent fasting. Or maybe I partially am. I’m talking about eating the “fun” calories for breakfast, having a moderate lunch, a small snack in the afternoon and a tiny plate at dinner. By 6:30 p.m. I’m done eating for the day. (If I eat breakfast at 8:30 a.m., a 14-hour intermittent fast isn’t bad.

I started this eating plan in January and have been surprised at how chill it’s made me re: healthy eating. I  haven’t been struggling with staying within my preferred one to three pound range.

I wrote more about success with this type of eating here and here. ♥

Pearl # 3

Welcome to my mind on self-sabotage where every incredibly awesome idea comes to die.

This week I had self-sabotage thoughts on a constant-loop. I wish that we could surgically remove these Eeyore thoughts. This is what I heard this week:

•  “All your effort won’t do much and you’ll feel like an idiot again.”
• “You’re spending too much time on this. You’re stealing from your family!”
• “Your life is good, you’re nuts not to kick back with Netflix and chill.”

Here’s what I do with these thoughts. If they happen after 6 p.m. I remind myself not to listen to them at all. I pretend they aren’t there and grab a good book to quiet them down. If they happen during the day, I listen closely. Maybe they have a point. I give their ideas serious thought, and then implement fifty percent of what they’re pushing for. Our ultimate plan: identify self-sabotaging thoughts as the life ruining wet blankets that they are. ♥

Pearl # 4

Best Hack in the World Alert! I was late to the cell phone party, so you might already know about this hack.

I’ve never been a fitness enthusiast. The best I’ve ever done is almost three years of weekly yoga/Pilates classes, but my instructor moved. (Lamo reason for not finding new classes, I know.)

Motivating myself to use my indoor recumbent bike has been a massive fail.

But here’s what I figured out: I put the Netflix app on my phone and told myself that I can only watch a show when I’m pedaling the bike. I know!! Brilliant, right?!

I went from thirty to fifty minutes on the bike. I can’t wait for my endurance to build so that I can binge-watch. ♥

Pearl # 5

If you’ve gotten an idea from this post to use in your own life, awesome!! Let me know what you liked, or what you’d like more of for October posts. The holidays are galloping our way, I’m betting you have questions re: maintaining or losing after 50 during the holidays.

And trust me, it’s not your imagination. Health is hard.

♥, 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). On your cell you’ll see it immediately following the first post. 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!

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime. 🙂