Your assignment should you accept it.

Pearl One

I’m not shy about smart eating. I engage with this part of my life with total seriousness, but I have a little fun with it too.

When I face a group in any type of get-together, my plan is to get-to serving everyone else. In other words, staying busy and active is a huge part of how I navigate difficult holiday meals. If the party isn’t at my house, I work to help the hostess by assigning myself a job to avoid joining the “stretchy pants crowd.” Hey, the way I see it, it’s every eater for himself. If family and friends can’t resist the bounty, that’s between Thanksgiving-them and January-jeans-cutting-off-their-airway-them.

So along with staying helpful at the holidays, here’s how I roll from the U.S. Thanksgiving to January first:

• In the morning of a holiday event, I create a contract with myself that identifies the Obstacles of My Day and I write specifically about how I’ll soar over each one.
• As I’ve said, when my nearest and dearest collect, I feed the five million calories to everyone else while I load my own plate with the healthiest food available. Worst-case scenario I eat the nutrition-dense sweet potato casserole I brought from home. I’m never terribly hungry in the first place because I also ate out of my cold-tote on the drive over.
• A  cousin to staying busy during the get-together, is when I’m the hostess I bundle up the guests with beautifully packed food that wasn’t eaten at dinner (I mean, who doesn’t love Thanksgiving leftovers?).
• In the past, I’ve said that attempting to lose weight in November and December is just plain being mean to ourselves and I still maintain my stance. I encourage you to use the holiday season for your highest good. Don’t push yourself to lose weight during November and December, instead maintain (I call it “holding”) through the season.

Giving ourself ample time to “hold” our weight in place is one secret sauce to nourishing our ultimate plan (a lifetime weight loss). Our mind and body need the time to acclimate to our new normal. I think one reason diets of old didn’t work is that we were always encouraged to lose in a linear fashion. Plateaus were seen as negative. Nobody realized that “holding” our weight in place for a month or more helps every part of us adjust to the new number.

• As I navigate the season, I keep a strong question with me at all times. When I see the variety of pies at Thanksgiving I ask myself, “Would I rather eat pie and trigger myself into eating my way through the holidays and wake up totally annoyed with myself in January? Or would I rather stick with my smart eating plan now and forgo most of the treats – not all, but most — and be thrilled to wake up in January feeling like I slayed it?” As you know, I run with the latter.
• So let’s say that you’re going to chow on Thanksgiving, end of story. Okay, to that I say “eat before you eat,” at the meal don’t overeat to the point of being stuffed, and if you’re still wanting to overdo it on the fudge get busy with everyone else: take a walk, work a puzzle, or play a new game (this is the one I bought for Thanksgiving this year. It came highly recommended by creator Tim Ferriss and is called Exploding Kittens Coyote. Don’t let the name throw you. It has nothing to do with hurting animals).

I carefully guard my strong habits all the holiday season long. Adhering to my plan of eating “smart and sane” throughout the holidays means I’ll wake up on January one feeling thankful to Thanksgiving-me who didn’t let herself get triggered into ruining our long game plan. ♥

Pearl Two

Our journal-writing prompt pearl!

• What if Thanksgiving wasn’t about food, but about protecting January-you?
• What tends to throw me off during a holiday meal? What can I do differently this time?
• What tiny win can I commit to that will make me feel proud of myself tonight?
• How will I “eat before I eat” if I’m the hostess. If I’m traveling to the big day what will I pack in my cold-tote?

Pearl Three

Sequencing is taken directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The purpose of sequences is to help us move from reacting to circumstances to responding. I encourage you to do a sequence a day in your journal. Powerful stuff. Apply to your own life.

Initial Sequence

• Situation (be super concrete): Diane, 52, lives solo now that her last kid graduated college.
• Initial thought: “I’ve spent years dreading what is now a reality. The house is too silent and the quiet evenings seem endless.”
• Feeling: She misses being needed. She misses the chaos and fun of kids.
• Action: She mopes around assuming that her best years are behind her.
• Result: She stops caring for her home and it clutters up quickly. When a kid is coming to visit, she has to race at maximum speed to get the house in shape first. After her adult kid is gone she gets depressed again.

Chosen Sequence

• Situation (be super concrete): Diane, 62, lives solo now that her last kid graduates college.
• Chosen thought: Diane tells herself that, “Being sad is a normal part of kids growing up. I’m normal and my sadness is normal. Crying at times is totally acceptable. Now is also the time to be the author of my own life and write this new chapter.”
• Feeling: Supported, understood, and optimistic.
• Action: She journal-writes about her greatest passions in life. She writes about her favorite things throughout the coming months.
• Result: Diane gets the house in shape for the coming Christmas (when the kids are coming home). She volunteers at her favorite thrift store (benefits rescue animals), joins a Meet Up group with people her age, delivers homemade chocolate chip cookies to her town’s police and fire department (“they’re so appreciative”) and cruises solo always with a great book. ♥

Pearl Four

Books love us and want us to be happy!

This extraordinary story is a book-dessert of the highest order. Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza. The book chronicles a young woman’s – Immaculee’s — personal survival story during the Rwandan genocide.

After her family is killed by Hutu extremists, she hides in a small bathroom (roughly 3×4 feet) for 91 days, along with seven other women, relying on prayer and inner strength to survive.

I’m so, so glad I read Left to Tell. I love learning about a region I’d known nothing about from a person who actually lived through this (terrible) time in her country’s history.

I stayed up too late reading. Phenomenal book-dessert. ♥

Pearl Five

In essence, if we want to direct our lives, we must take control of our consistent actions. It’s not what we do once in a while that shapes our lives, but what we do consistently. ♥

Tony Robbins

The holidays are roaring towards us and if you’re like me — always on the hunt for unique — affordable gift ideas — I thought you might like to see what I’ve discovered so far: I’m giving books like this Charles Dickens collection to one son and to everyone a body wash scent that matches each person’s personality from the Philosophy collection (like cinnamon buns, vanilla birthday cake and raspberry sorbet). Last year this advent calendar of little jams was a five-star hit.

Have a well planned week everyone!

♥, Wendy

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.

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 given that computers can be so difficult, always feel free to ask in the comments below for Aunt Bea and I’ll get her right to you!

I am not an expert, doctor, surgeon, nurse, dietician, or 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.

Hi Everyone!

No need to panic but we’re 38 days away from Christmas! In pearl four I list five-star amazing gifts for kids.

Shall we?

Pearl One

There was a time when my own self-talk was in the toilet and it wasn’t until a friend called herself “fat and ugly” that I realized how far my own positive self-talk had come. Prior to being in therapy and later becoming a therapist, I was once abusive internally to myself.

And yes, that’s how I think of it: we’re abusing our own self when we engage in such a hateful and demeaning way deep inside.

My friend had a weight issue that bothered her. I’d seen her get thin and go back to heavy a couple of times and I never once thought of her as “fat and ugly.” My friend is a highly educated woman and can work in a number of fields given her skills and degrees are numerous; she volunteers in cat rescue and is a fabulous mom to three engaged, curious, sweet young men.

Do you see my point? Who she really is has nothing to do with what her skin-suit looks like.

Let’s take a lesson from Taylor Swift’s playbook on positive self-talk and how she has her own back.

How Taylor Swift Slays

I know that most of us grew up in the Elvis, David Cassidy, Eagles eras, but watching the back story and rise of Taylor Swift has been nothing short of astonishing. Her politics and skimpy outfits aside, who in the world can see their life trajectory as a young girl? I mean, how did she learn to write such beautiful lyrics? And then get her parents to move to a new state?

Positive self-talk. Taylor Swift uses it in spades. Look how she cheerleads herself:

TS: Before a concert. “They’re not going to throw things at you. It’s going to be OK, it’s going to be OK.” This is what Taylor tells herself before every performance. It falls into “what’s the worst that can happen?” category.

For our purposes: we can think, “What’s the worst that can happen if I give not eating after 6 p.m. a go? I’ll try it for a week and see what happens.”

TS: “Never be ashamed of trying and failing.” Love, love, love that she espouses this wisdom often. I’ve tried various projects through the years, some worked beyond my wildest dreams (beginning with my weight loss), while others sank like a lead balloon. In the past, I’ve always felt shame when a project tanked. Taylor’s words meant the world to me.

For our purposes: if living within a certain weight-window is what you want, then never stop reaching for the gold. Weight loss and a lifetime maintenance looks very different today than in David Cassidy’s day.

 TS: “You should think of your energy as if it’s expensive, as if it’s like a luxury item. Not everyone can afford it.”

For our purposes: omg, beautifully said!! Taylor is saying that your time, attention, and emotional energy are valuable and not everyone deserves unlimited access to them. Only those who treat you well, respect your boundaries, and bring something positive to your life have “enough” to buy that luxury.

This important reframe is why I say to call what we’re doing “a part-time job.” We want to do all that we can to elevate what we’re doing: losing weight and maintaining for a lifetime after age fifty. You are a valuable person. Call losing and maintaining a part-time job and give yourself the space and time to nail what really matters to you.

The voice in our head shapes our life. Choose kind, encouraging words every day. We’re not just thinking differently, we’re building resilience, and confidence from the inside out. Start small, stay relentless in your pursuit, and watch how positive self-talk can transform your inner landscape. ♥

Pearl Two

Writing prompts for our journal! If the below is too much, pick your three favorite questions. The last thing you want is to feel like you have homework.

• Write about a moment recently when you felt proud of your body, what made that moment feel special?
• Describe your body as if it were a trusted friend. What would it say to you about your worth and strength?
• List five ways you show kindness or respect to yourself that have nothing to do with weight.
• Reflect on a non-scale win this week. What does the win tell you about yourself?
• Write about a limiting belief you’ve held about your body or age and how you can reframe it positively.
• Imagine your life if you fully treated yourself like a valuable person no matter your weight. What would change in your habits or self-talk?
• Write about you in five years from today. What will your life look like? What can you do today to make the five-years-away you that much happier.
• Make a “self-value inventory” listing qualities, strengths, and achievements that prove your worth beyond your body. ♥
  

Pearl Three

Sequencing is taken directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The purpose of sequences is to help us move from reacting to circumstances to responding. I encourage you to do a sequence a day in your journal. Powerful stuff. Apply to your own life.

Knee-Jerk Sequence

• Situation (be super concrete): Tara, 67, lost forty-five pounds two years ago. Now she’s up ten pounds.
• Initial thought: “My old habits are creeping back. How do I stay motivated when the excitement of ‘losing’ is gone?”
• Feeling: Tara feels scared that she’s heading for a full regain. She’s tired of dieting forever, but she also doesn’t want to lose the body she worked so hard for.
• Action: In irritation she resolves to “do better.” She throws every food item out of the kitchen that could possibly cause trouble. Then she signs up for the pricey Pilates studio that just opened.
• Result: Tara lost five pounds by being strict with herself. But over time the five pounds returned.

Chosen Sequence

• Situation (be super concrete): Tara lost 45 pounds two years ago. Now she’s up ten pounds.
• Chosen Thought: “I’m doing something different this time. I know that if I allow my habits to slide I will have the inevitable weight gain. It’s merely part of living the Smart Eating Lifestyle. What’s happening with my eating is normal and par for the course.”
• Feeling: Tara feels like she’s challenging herself in a positive way to navigate her ship into calm water.
• Action: She takes time out to give critical thought to which habits needs shoring up. She also revisits what’s propelling her to make a dramatic change to her eating habits in the first place. And she goes back to looking at her habits and writing solutions to each obstacle.
• Result: Within a week she’s back to living her best Smart Eating Lifestyle. Tara returns to the groove of buying her favorite smart food, using her cold-tote daily and takes her workouts in a new direction: she signed up for one of the new studios that offers competitive-style choreography fitness classes with an emphasis on fun. ♥

Pearl Four

Gift alert for Kids! These true stories are ones that I read to my sons. All four of these books would make wonderful gifts for kids ages 3 to 9. Really you can’t go wrong with these four stories.

• The Bear that Heard Crying. Set in 1783 a little girl disappears into the woods, but is saved by a “big black dog.” A descendant of this little girl found this story while researching her family in New Hampshire records.
• Owen & Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship. An orphaned baby hippo and 130 year old giant turtle bond.
• Owney, The Post Office Dog And Other Great Dog Stories. A dog rides the rails with the postal people. Owney is now stuffed and lives in the Smithsonian.

Fiction stories. Do you know the Henry and Mudge stories? They are the most heart-warming stories ever. I read Henry and Mudge aloud to my kids initially and later the boys used the Henry and Mudge books as they were learning to read. They are sweet times 1000.

• Henry and Mudge a box collection made of the six first Henry and Mudge books.
• This Henry and Mudge box collection holds every book of the boy and his dog.
• If you want one of the best gifts I ever gave my teens (and then used myself): The Complete Calvin and Hobbes collection. A wonderful gift for kids and adults. Bill Waterson’s humor and drawings are for every age.

Pearl Five

Wouldn’t it be great to be gifted? In fact, it turns out that choices lead to habits. Habits become talents. Talents are labeled gifts. You’re not born this way, you get this way. ♥

Seth Godin

As I say each year, now is the window of time to request no food gifts in December from family. Tell them you’ll take diamonds and rubies instead. Emeralds in a pinch!

Have a wonderful week!

♥, Wendy

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.

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 am not an expert, doctor, surgeon, nurse, dietician, or 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.

Pearl One

People often have asked, how I’ve “done it.” No secrets at all about it. Here’s exactly how I’ve navigated challenging holidays like the week of Thanksgiving that we have coming up.

One: How I to Talk to Me

I remind myself, “Lady, Thanksgiving is but one day, not two or three or four. Actually? It’s just one meal”, I lean on this thought heavily throughout every holiday, but especially during Thanksgiving and Christmas.

If I’m feeling blue along the way as if I’m “missing out,” I gently remind myself of the fun I have to look forward to in 2025.

I’m never a drill sargent, I show a thoughtful respect towards myself. My attitude is that I’m important, and what I want is important so I’m definitely keeping myself on the Smart Eating Path this holiday week (with the help of a handful of smart tips).

Two: Create an “Exit” Plan for Leftovers

I mean who doesn’t love Thanksgiving leftovers? Come on. The leftovers practically have their own holiday. To all of us who grew up in the clean-plate-parent era. it’s been drilled into us that wasting food is awful-slash-ungrateful given how many are hungry in the world, or went hungry during the Great Depression.

But if we’re full enough, why does throwing food into our stomachs sound like a better plan than tossing food into the trash? Makes no sense. One of my mom’s friends used to say, “the food can go to waste, or it can go to waist.” Now, there’s some wisdom.

This year, build an “exit” plan for leftovers: in your mind — or better, on paper – detail who can take which leftovers with them. I suggest even buying these cute to-go containers that you’ll look forward to using, are inexpensive and super adorable. These are perfect for Thanksgiving and both of these for Christmas here and here. These are so fun I wish that I was having guests this year so that I could use these containers.

If your guests won’t take leftovers leave them at your – or your partner’s – lunchroom on Friday. And don’t forget the huge family in the cul-de-sac would likely love holiday cookies and half of a pie. Same with the single person who doesn’t have a crowd to cook for.

But the name of this game: get the calories out of the house! Your stomach is not a trash can. ♥

Three: Create Your Own Smart Jewelry

Just like wedding rings symbolize marriage and all that entails (love, fidelity, going thrifting together when a good pal can’t make it), this amazing tool comes to us from neuro-linguistic programming (NLP).

As you’re dressing each day during the week of Thanksgiving, pick one piece of jewelry and intentionally infuse the piece with meaning. Here’s what I do: I pick a ring, bracelet, scarf or manicure and tell myself that this ring symbolize my intent to stay on the Smart Eating Path for the week or the day of Thanksgiving.

I infuse into the ring how much I care about maintaining my Smart Eating Lifestyle and all that I will do to stay the course. I commit to the following. I will:

• “eat before I eat” over the entire week of Thanksgiving. Curbing my appetite is key for me.
• keep my portions sane (like the size of a fist).
• plan to take a thirty-minute walk listening to my playlist labeled, “Please take my mind off food!” For me that’s Linda Ronstadt, Cher, Aretha, Whitney, Prince and all the gang!

The jewelry needs to be a piece that you don’t often use and one that you’ll be able to see on Thursday (in the U.S.) so earrings or tiaras are a “no.”

Think: a beautiful bracelet, a ring you don’t normally wear, even unusual nail polish; the idea is that every time you see the ring, bracelet or your index fingernail in pink when all the rest are in white, you’ll think, “Yep, I’m staying committed to the Smart Eating Lifestyle.” Having something external that’s in the moment with you is like having a little friend along for support.

The takeaway: in the hoopla of the holiday, infuse jewelry with meaning that reminds you of your main mission (making sure January first-you is thrilled because holiday-you didn’t go Cookie Monster on the holiday calories and throw her under the bus).

Four: the Magic of Micro-rewards

I make deals with myself: I tell myself that if I stick with my Thanksgiving eating plan, I’ll have a pedi the following Monday. Or maybe I’ll stick with smart eating plan and reward myself with extra hours to read a really fabulous book that takes me back to 1938 Manhattan (The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles).

We’re on an arduous trek: keep the fun, lose the calories. ♥

Pearl Two

Keeping it short and snappy: guys, want to hear what the thin people have always known? If the pie is their favorite food on Thanksgiving, they eat a super light meal — or no meal at all — and make pie their real meal!! Guess what I’m having for Thanksgiving? ♥

Pearl Three

Sequencing is taken directly from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The purpose of sequences is to help us move from reacting to circumstances to responding. I encourage you to do a sequence a day in your journal. Powerful stuff.

Default Sequence

• Situation (something very concrete): It’s Thanksgiving Day in just three days.
• Thought: Scenario one thinks “I’m not doing anything or seeing anybody. I’ll overeat due to loneliness” while scenario two thinks, “I’m doing too much and dealing with a boatload of people. I’ll end up overeating out of sheer frustration and stress.”
• Feeling: A little blue in the former scenario. Overwhelmed and scattered in the latter.
• Action: Scenario one drives to the local Taco Bell and gets “dinner.” Scneario two attempts to delegate cooking duties only to realize that nobody knows anything about her kitchen. Result: Both scenarios see each person feeling sad and drained.
• Result: In scenario one, “I sat on the couch, ice cream bowl in hand.” In scenario two, “I was exhausted by the end of the day and crawled into bed.”

Chosen Sequence

•  Situation (something very concrete): It’s Thanksgiving Day in just three days.
• Chosen thought: Scenario one thinks, “I need to remind myself over and over that I might be alone for Thanksgiving, but I have a great trip in April with my favorite girlfriend group.” and scenario two thinks, “I need to plan how the cooking of the meal goes so it doesn’t all fall on me. I need to keep this thought with me: “Don’t worry about being perfect. Make memories.” (Thank you to Nanen Hoffman for this gem.)
• Feeling: Scenario one feels more included, less isolated. Scenario two feels a friendly calm descending.
• Action: Scenario one spends the evening with a good book. Scenario two continues cooking and baking, but with more ease, not as frantic.
• Result: Scenario one spends the evening reading a good book looking forward to the coming year. Scenario two chills long enough to enjoy her guests and all of the special food. ♥

Pearl Four

Books love us and want us to be happy.

Book-Dessert Alert! The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré is a coming-of-age novel by a powerhouse of a new writer. Her daughters encouraged her to write her first book and omg is it good. Daré has an MA in creative writing from Birkbeck, University of London along with other degrees. The woman can write.

And because every one loved her first book so much she wrote a sequel that’s also getting raves. And So I Roar is the amazing sequel. These two books paired together would make a fantastic gift for any reader (14+). Five thumbs up for this book-dessert. ♥

Pearl Five

A positive attitude causes a chain reaction of positive thoughts, events and outcomes. It is a catalyst and it sparks extraordinary results.” ♥

Wade Boggs

One fun idea for the big upcoming holiday is a great movie. I’m hearing from people I trust that the new Wicked movie that just came out is AMAZING. As in, the movie knocks it out of the park which I’m so happy to hear. I took my sons when they were younger to see Wicked on Broadway and the live show was off-the-hook, so it’s wonderful to know that the movie can hold its own with the Broadway show. (I know of a mom and her daughter who see movies on the big holidays because they don’t have family nearby.) ♥♥♥

♥, Wendy

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.

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 am not an expert, a doctor, a surgeon, a nurse, dietician, 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.

Save yourself! This holiday season keep your cavewoman snoozing.

Pearl One

We’ve made it through Halloween and are speeding toward Thanksgiving (in the U.S.)  We’re headed into the Season of Calories and as I say every year: we don’t want to wake up our cavewoman! Let’s aim to preserve our hard work rather than try to lose weight right now. To force yourself to try to lose weight with all the merriment happening around us is not being supportive of our own selves and could possibly create an angry backlash (ie. our cavewoman waking up and going Cookie Monster on holiday).

Instead plan to preserve your hard work. Remember, plateaus are the good guys. Giving our body the time it needs to rest and adjust changes the whole weight loss equation. In November and December keep your cavewoman asleep by doing what I’ll be doing:

• i stay on my eating plan.
• i always eat before I eat.
• I keep my cold-tote packed in healthy bites and by my side when I’m out of the house. I take opportunities to eat a tiny dinner by 6 p.m. and take a wonderful book to bed at 8 p.m.
• If I’m still hungry and know I won’t eat, I have half of a banana and then lights out!
• If I know in advance that at certain times I’ll struggle: I draw up a detailed plan about how I’ll handle each obstacle.

We’re “strengthening and holding.” We’ve so got this. ♥

Pearl Two

New Year’s Day-You

Let’s pretend that it’s New Year’s Day-you. Pull out your journal and ask New Year’s Day-you to write current day-you a letter: how does she feel when she wakes up that morning? What is she thrilled about (like you walked an hour all of Nov. and Dec.)? What helped her the most? She wants to thank you for ________________________. What does she wished you hadn’t worried about? What does she wished you’d focused on more? What does Jan. 1-you most want you to know?

Give a voice to your future self and capture in writing all that she has to say ♥

Pearl Three

Default Sequence

• Situation (be very concrete): My sister and entire family plus the Grandma are going to Hawaii for two weeks in December.
• Thought: But I want to go to Hawaii!! I especially want to visit Honolulu where we spent time as kids and show my sons Pearl Harbor.
• Feeling: Bummed. Disagreeable.
• Action: Huff and puff around for a while.
• Result: Get very little done.

Chosen Sequence

• Situation (be very concrete): My sister and entire family plus the Grandma are going to Hawaii for two weeks in Dec.
• Chosen Thought: Wendy, you go on fancy trips for the articles you write. Be happy that Shelley is doing something wonderful in her life.
• Feeling: Interested that I had such a strong reaction to Shelley’s trip that I hadn’t realized how much I wanted to see Hawaii again. Honolulu especially.
• Action: I start looking up the cheapest times to travel to Honolulu. But then thinking that if our days of “laying out in the sun” are over beyond the first few days what will we do in Honolulu? I guess we should think about Maui or Kauai too. Plus is this really how I to want to spend money?
• Result: I’ll keep the thought on the back-burner, but a trip to any island needs further thought. Ultimate result: I feel less green with envy and am back on track. ♥

Pearl Four

These three funny books come to you recommended via GQ magazine. I’ve dipped into all three and will finish The Idiot by next weekend! It was hard to choose the first one to read because every chapter of each book drew me in immediately with each having a wry, strong writer’s voice.

I want as much funny in my life as I can get. These three books all grounded in humor. The first is I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley. The second chapter opens, “I’ve never met two people more afraid of the house burning down as my parents.” Highly recommend.

The Idiot by Elif Batuman, The story starts with the advent of email. Great story.

No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July. College kids at Harvard. The book was named one of “the top ten fiction books of 2007” by Time Magazine. Reviews say that it’s “laugh out loud” funny. I’m in.

Throughout the holiday season, I’m aiming for books with humor. These three books deliver.

♥

I started a book gift list two posts back. I know that finding the right gift is tough. I’m hoping my list helps:

This book is a perfect gift for a woman at any age (14+). It’s a true story about an American woman who spied on behalf of England behind enemy lines in France. A Woman of No Importance the Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell left me absolutely floored. This book falls into the historical non-fiction genre and the author knocks it out of the park having researched and written the book in such a way that you can almost feel the Gestapo just steps behind Virginia as she flees France. Review: an incredible read and you’ll never forget Virginia. ♥

Pearl Five

The happiness of your life depends on the quality of your thoughts.” ♥

Choose one new supportive thought that you want to embed into your heart and plan how you’ll remind yourself (like keep a note at your desk, tape a note inside your kitchen cupboard, put a sticky on your steering wheel).

I’m still hoping those of you with a scarfing partner will email me! I’m writing about scarfers and how they can all be a little different. I want to address the different types. Wendy@theInspiredEater.com.

Have a great week!

♥, Wendy

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.

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 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.

Pearl One

A dear friend and I did a “girlfriend’s cruise” together. Over lunch one day, she asked what I thought about intuitive eating, and in a flash I realized that I’d been intuitively eating all week on the cruise ship.

At hearing her question, it got me thinking about the various weight loss methods that I’ve been asked about over the last three years.

Take a look.

Intuitive Eating

Intuitive eating is a very cerebral approach to weight loss, only to be considered after you’ve preserved (maintained) your loss for fifteen years.

No, I’m not kidding.

It’s like we need to crawl before we can walk.

When we’re attempting to eat intuitively, we’re told to “listen to our stomach’s needs”, to “honor our health” and “discover the satisfaction factor.”

Honor our health?! What does that even mean?

I never fooled with intuitive eating until I lost the fifty-five pounds and preserved the loss for 18 years. I probably went overboard and could have give IE a chance at year-15.

In the years before? No way. (It was just a beautiful idea that did not produce hard-core results.)

Look at it this way, pretend we’re in third grade and intuitive eating is in a PhD program.

Intermittent Fasting

Others have asked what I think about intermittent fasting (IF). Initially I was interested in the concept of IF, but several red flags soon popped up for me.

One, I know that I’m outside of the norm, but I don’t think that choosing the open window (time-wise) of eating is a good idea. In my experience, the best plan is to eat a large breakfast, moderate lunch, a snack in the afternoon, and a tiny dinner at 6 p.m. (Decreasing evening eating is a heavy-lifter in our toolbox.)

And two, when we’re told that “we can eat whatever we want,” it means that we’re not establishing smart eating habits along the way that will create a forever-loss.   

Overeaters Anonymous

Then we come to Overeaters Anonymous (OA). A reader asked me about OA and I told her, “I’ve never used OA myself, but I know women who speak very highly of their program.”

Why I didn’t use OA back in the day? I have no idea. A lost opportunity for sure. (I was young and likely too mortified to talk about my eating habits in public.)

If you know much about Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, OA provides a similar support-approach. There’s no charge and they’re not commercial. OA is 100-percent about working with those of us who don’t engage well with food.

It’s my belief that pairing OA and the Inspired Eater will produce astonishing results in your life. ♥

Pearl Two

I know.

It’s hard.

You’ll get no argument from me. Losing weight at our age is no picnic. And maintaining in December? Surprise! Not as easy as you might think either.

But amazing news: you and I can do hard things.

I repeated this gem of a saying to myself over and over when I was dealing with – like most of us — the hospital and some really invasive (rude) tests.

Because of these five little – but powerful – words I maintained my dignity when life was stuck in extra-hard mode.  

I. Can. Do. Hard. Things. Use liberally throughout December. ♥

Pearl Three

In pearl three we closely examine Atomic Habits.

James Clear tell us in Atomic Habits, “The problem is not slipping up; the problem is thinking that if you cannot do something perfectly, then you shouldn’t do it at all…”

Ohmygosh, this quote is so me. Before I’d had my aha moment (late 90s), I was either starving (thinking that was how to lose weight) or eating everything that wasn’t nailed down.

I thought being really hungry was just part of losing weight. I assumed that thin people were just better at dealing with their hunger. And I know I thought that I was the only person on the planet who misused food. Seriously.

Where do you fall? Do you “all or nothing” it?

Because one of the biggest mindshifts you can make is allowing room for error or “slips.”

Shifting from “all or nothing” to “I’m only human and I’m learning as I go” will determine your ability to create a forever-loss for yourself.

We’re not in school anymore. The food we eat will not be graded. If we make a mistake and overdo it, the teacher will not talk to our parents, and chowing the cookies will not be on our permanent record. ♥

Pearl Four

I don’t know why I even picked this memoir up in the first place, but I’m so thankful that I did. It’s essentially a modern day’s hero’s journey.

I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons by Kevin Hart. Maybe he’s your favorite or, like me, maybe you don’t know who Kevin Hart is (“Wasn’t he in Jumanji?).

In this memoir, Hart is our hero who battles very difficult people at every turn and prevails in the end. While technically a memoir, this is really a motivational-map for success.

How did a kid “from the wrong side of the tracks” become one of the highest paid comedians in the world?! Hart details his life from being an unwanted pregnancy to the death of his mom and a lot more.

Trust me, this is a don’t-miss. If life is extra-hard at the moment this book will keep you going.

Six stars out of five. ♥

Pearl Five

“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”  ♥

Marcus Aurelius

It’s a short week (in the U.S.), so then why do these holiday weeks always seem so long?!

I’m putting together a book list for holiday gift-giving, stay tuned. It’ll be in this format, “For the baseball lover in your life.”

See you on Tuesday!!

.♥, 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.

Your powerful brain is watching everything you do.

Pearl One

Years ago, I was driving with my parents and my two boys in our van and I guess I wasn’t driving fast enough because one driver peeled out from behind me and went screaming down the road.

At that, my five-year-old son scrunched up his little face in anger and said, “There goes a. . .

“This’ll be interesting,” I thought.

“PUNK!!”

There goes a punk. Not exactly a curse word, but okay. The Scarfer uses the word “punk” occasionally so that’s where my son first heard the word.

Kids absorb everything.

My Point

Like little kids, our brains are watching everything we do.

If you weigh your protein every single time before you cook it, she’s watching and thinking, “Oh, okay we’re the kind of person who measures everything.”

If we stop eating at 6 p.m. each evening, she’s like “Got it. We don’t eat after a small dinner.”

If we have too much food leftover, she learned long ago to think, “Our tummies are not trash cans.”

If you take a bite of cookie that’s just not worth the calories and spit the bite into a napkin she’ll think, “Wow, we are serious about losing weight. We even spit out food.”

As you trek the lose-weight-after-fifty mountain, plan to prove to her daily that you’re utterly serious about smart eating

How do you prove something to your brain?

Through repetition.

She just needs to see proof that something really matters, so give her as much proof as possible. ♥

Pearl Two

Hard question so I’ll go first. (We’ll do this backwards.)

My answer: yes, for the first three decades of my life food was definitely my primary entertainment and then I married someone who had the exact same hobby as me.

The question: is eating your hobby?

As we’ve well established, eating has been there for us when we’re having a huge emotion we don’t know how to deal with. Eating is there when we’re celebrating. Eating is there when we’re bored.

But do you also treat food like a good friend and a toy all packaged in one?

Here’s the thing, If you slowly take away one hobby – eating – something wonderful needs to replace it.

It would be cruel to take a toy from a toddler and not offer something equally as attractive in return.

For example, I love travel writing, but plenty would think, “but that’s work.” Right. But I enjoy it.

I don’t get hiking the Grand Canyon either, but plenty of people do it.

In your journal delve into what you love most in the world. Don’t expect immediate answers. Something might occur to you when you’re scrubbing the shower one afternoon.

Start by asking yourself these questions:

What part of my life is humming along beautifully and that I’ll keep in my life forever. . .

What is something that I love, but rarely do?

How do I navigate being bored, tired, drained, annoyed etc.?

And what method do I use to interrupt the, say, boredom?

I just really want. . .

I wish that. . .

Keep rolling the topic around and around in your mind.

(Small disclaimer: nobody lost weight and preserved the loss forever merely because they took up a new hobby. But having passions in life is just part of the bigger picture of losing-after-fifty.)

For me, my writing work took off around the same time that I lost the fifty-five pounds. I’d actually found something that I loved way more than food: writing and reading.

Thing is, it’s a big deal to give up all fast-food, not eat after 6 p.m., bring a cold-tote everywhere we go.

Taking away a favorite toy – food – is a cataclysmic change; be gentle with yourself and lose weight slowly.

And give yourself something amazing in return. ♥

Pearl Three

In Pearl Three we closely examine Atomic Habits.

In Atomic Habits James Clear tell us, “How to create a good habit.

• First law: (cue) make it obvious.
• Second law: (craving) make it attractive.
• Third law: (response) make it easy.
• The Fourth law (reward) make it satisfying.”

Clear says that of course there’s more nuance to developing a new habit, but this is a very good start. ♥

Pearl Four

I could say that the week got away from me, but the truth is while reading a book for our fourth pearl today, I got too embroiled in it. (After a thorough read, though, it’s not at the book-dessert level.)

I was considering one of these funny books.

The first two books look excellent if you want to lighten your mood. I don’t know about the third. I’ll read it and share it if here.

Comedy Comedy Comedy drama : a memoir by Bob Odenkirk. Bob is the guy who played “Saul” in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul. I have a feeling it’ll be a great read.

Hello, Molly!: a memoir by Molly Shannon of SNL fame. I’m looking forward to reading this one.

Just being curious I googled “the best of the funny books”, and this popped up.

Titled, the Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (1937-1969), it falls into the “humorous fiction” genre.

After I read these three, I I’ll share my thoughts. And if anyone has read one these books, please share in the comments below!!

I need a weekend of laughter. ♥

Pearl Five

One day you will tell your story of how you overcame what you went through and it will be someone else’s survival guide.” ♥

Brene Brown

Have a fantastic 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’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. ♥

Snuggly “No Days Off” cozy-wear & photo by CharlotteChanelllc

Hi Everyone!

Happy Friday!

Pearl One

The latest saying goes, Gobble till you Wobble.

Yeah, no.

Overindulging on Thanksgiving straight into our sweatpants is so last century. Today, instead of merely inhaling and/or surviving temptation, let’s set ourselves up to thrive as we maintain over the four day. Losing weight is asking a lot, but maintaining is totally ours.

Behold the powerful, micro-tweaks that removed my Thanksgiving-stuffing behavior for the last 16 years.

Let’s Do This.

First, the right headspace. Our mission is to maintain over the Thanksgiving weekend, and this is the perfect moment to label maintaining: a part-time job. If we don’t seriously prioritize our maintenance-mission, it will steer right off the cliff.

Next, we’ll write a list of our favorite smart foods. Let’s show ourselves that we can take our wants – maintenance — seriously.

At this juncture, I literally write the day I shop onto my calendar because my smart food will likely be sprinkled throughout the grocery-land: some at Trader Joe’s, others at Costco, and many at Kroger. Planning is our North Star.

Once home with our smart food, we pick a cool hiding place in the fridge. (I claimed the top drawer long ago. My family thinks there’s a ton of carrots in there so they steer clear.)

Beware the kitchen. If you’re hosting the event, save your maintenance-mission by preparing food — cooking and baking — only after you’ve had a smart meal.

If you’re visiting the host’s home, only bring smart food options like a huge colorful salad, veggie sides (sautéed in olive oil with a light salt sprinkling), or a light dessert. This way smart food is readily available for you.

Other guests will appreciate smart food offerings too. They may not say it, but most of us over 50 are dealing with weight gain given our food-porn world (and COVID).

Thirty minutes before the Thanksgiving meal itself, “eat before you eat.” Have an apple with peanut butter, baby carrots in hummus, a mug of butternut squash soup (Trader Joe’s). In other words, cut your hunger in half.

One more micro-habit from the naturally-lean of the world. Don’t inhale your Thanksgiving dinner plate (speaking mostly to myself). Take the time to be fully present in the moment noticing your guests, complimenting their beautiful clothes (if they’ve dressed for the occasion) and eating the holiday food slowly. ♥

Pearl Two

If you haven’t yet noticed, I’m no fitness-enthusiast. I was for a second there, but then my yoga instructor moved.

I’m a big believer that weight loss happens through smart food habits. Unless we’re training like an Olympian, working out does little to help weight loss.

That said, the feel good cocktail that floods our brains after a sweaty session? I’m all for those.

Endorphins don’t get the attention they deserve. If at the end of your workout you’re not grinning like a goofball, then walk a little faster, spin a little harder, or take the tougher yoga class.

Endorphins are a great tool in our forever-arsenal that will have our backs throughout the long holiday weekend.

Let’s plan to get our endorphins every single day of the upcoming four-day. So, that’s five sweaty workouts: the day before, Thanksgiving itself, and Friday through Sunday. Five times to get sweaty and giddy. (I’m scheduling it on my calendar.)

Walking, yoga and Pilates are my favorites. ♥

Pearl Three

The Self-Sabotage Department. I love looking at how self-sabotage plays out in my days. It’s so interesting to me that as I profess to want something – say, a clean house – I don’t put a solid plan in place to make the change happen. I make no plans, no strategies, nada. (Keep in mind I live with the head-clutter bug and his two clutter bugs-in-training.)

Okay. See what I just did? My thoughts go to cleaning my house and my brain immediately gets defensive and starts blaming my husband and sons. Being defensive and blame-y serves nobody.

Truth is, I’d rather be doing a billion different things besides cleaning like going to the dentist, pet sitting my friend’s Great Dane, or having the annual holiday-spending argument with The Scarfer. (We’re of different religions: I come from the large holiday gala, he hails from the “what holiday?” home.)

It’s a whole new ballgame the moment I label keeping my house up/losing weight/working out every day a part-time job rather than something that “would be nice to have, if I have time.”

And that’s how you lose after 50. I turned losing into my part-time job so therefore didn’t feel put-upon when it took time to shop for special foods, boil eggs, chop t veggies, and make salads. ♥

Pearl Four

Here’s how I embrace the holiday without turning one meal — Thanksgiving dinner — into a five or six day food-fest.

I keep on hand the first two items and plan to try the third item this weekend!

One — Take a sweet potato. Nuke or bake it in the oven, add a sprinkle of brown sugar and a mini-marshmallow or two and dig in. Repeat as needed.

Two – Buy butternut squash soup from Trader Joe’s. Pour into large mug, sip away.

Three – Wonderful reader Margie in Southern California picked up these fun bites at Costco: Egg White Frittatas and says they’re “so, so tasty. Good when you need something in a hurry.” Perfect and thank you for sharing! I think these cold frittatas are found at the back of the store, in the same case as pesto. (If you’re at the TP, you’ve gone too far.)

Four — I also have a mini whole wheat pumpkin muffin I bake and eat each year when I’m slammed for time. You can easily turn them into mini apple, banana, or blueberry muffins. I’m trying to keep these posts more succinct! Email me if you’d like the mini muffin recipe: Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com. ♥

Pearl Five

There’s a difference between interest and commitment. When you’re interested in doing something, you do it only when circumstances permit. When you’re committed to something you accept no excuses, only results.” ~ Ken Blanchard ♥

Have a mellow Thanksgiving week! Unless you’d love some excitement. Then have an exciting Thanksgiving!!

♥, Wendy

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.

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 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. ♥

To lose/maintain after age 50, we need to learn how to make a gazillion micro-decisions. Here’s one that trips everyone up.

A reader writes:

We have a large extended family dinner every Sunday.

I have no idea how to stay on a smart eating plan when we’re together and eating and hugging and having a great time.

My response:

Awesome that you’re thinking about this get-together — eating-wise — in advance. Planning is the secret sauce when it comes to parties.

One – What’s the Goal?

A few days before the party or get-together: ask yourself what’s your goal for this party?

• Do you want to eat one piece of pie and not sliver-eat three in the kitchen when nobody’s looking?

• Do you want to avoid grazing on chips, cheese and nuts throughout the evening?

• Do you want to sip a small glass of wine and not three?

Write — don’t just think — your goals in detail and how you’ll navigate each one. Then write your action plan. Writing is a key part of making the best micro-decisions.

Two – What’s the Mission?

Your action plan might include:

• Shopping for the special foods you’ll need to put your plan into action.

• Making at least two veggie dishes that aren’t laden in sauce and mayo along with a huge beautiful salad that everyone will appreciate.

• Serving a dessert like chocolate fondue with chunks of banana and angel food cake for dipping is a great way for you to have a little and no one’s the wiser. Or serve chocolate mousse, but keep the servings tiny. (I knew a woman who served chocolate mousse to her guests, but had sugar-free chocolate pudding in her own glass.) And the best dessert ever? The kind you don’t care about. Smart Tip: the more beautiful your dessert’s presentation, the less dessert you need to serve. Fancy restaurants serve teeny bites of awesome desserts.

• Using the Eat Before You Eat tool. I never arrive anywhere hungry. An easy “bridge” food is half an apple with peanut butter or a scoop of peanut butter straight from the fridge. The idea is to take the edge off so that you’re not ravenous when the food finally shows.

Three – Who’s the Naggiest?

If somebody bugs you about having seconds “because life is short” just smile and say, “I’m taking off the Covid 19.”

The entire table will nod and look at their plate. ♥

Tomorrow is September 1 and I’m telling everyone that I will work out five days a week in September so that I don’t back out. The ultimate plan is to join a new (to me) yoga/Pilates group and not embarrass myself when I take a class (e.g. slip in my own sweat).

Have a wonderful week! I love questions/comments so ask away in the comment section below or at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com.

I’m finally, finally learning how to do Instagram. I’d love a follow @theinspiredeater. (TIA!!)

And if you feel like health is hard? Join the club!!

♥, Wendy