Well, the holidays are finally over and now we begin a new year. Welcome 2011. The year in which my first book will be published and my hypnotherapy/Jon Gabriel Method will help me lose 100 pounds by the end of December 2011.
My holidays were very nice. A little hard on the budget, but I only used $400 credit and I will have that paid off before March. I think the hardest time to maintain a strict diet is through the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas accounted for four belly busting meals and I lost track of how many other over-eating opportunities happened as a result of the holidays. Add into that my gourmet cooking craze. After we had such fabulous food in NYC in early November, I felt inclined to cook better dinners for the family. Of course, my gourmet fad included butter and heavy cream in some instances, but I can't blame weight gain on contents nearly as much as I can blame quantity.
When I cook I use real "living" ingredients. By that I mean I don't use any processed ingredients. I think that freshly cut and/or minced onions, garlic, peppers, and other fresh vegetables make a dinner worth eating. I also don't like to use protein substitutes like vegetable oil margarine or fat free milk, however, I do like using soy milk in place of cow's milk and cream because it doesn't curdle with lemon juice.
Some of my favorite meals for my family include vegetables and pasta with a pesto cream sauce, shrimp fettuccine, roast chicken with lemon wedges stuffing, stuffed hamburgers with cream cheese and finely chopped vegetables, fresh tomato and fresh spiced Italian sausage spaghetti and garlic bread, and cream pesto salmon steaks, Sword fish with tomatillo and butter drizzle, roast duck with orange sauce, and lamb chops with a cranberry/orange marmalade. All dinners include fresh steamed vegetables and mixed salad. In most case, cut mixed fruit is offered as a desert, however, I am a very good baker.
Sure, all of these foods sound calorie deadly and they are, however, I believe that over-eating is the greatest culprit. Imagine a dinner with one cup of rich fettuccine, a medium to large serving of steamed asparagus with lemon pepper, a salad with oil and balsamic vinegar, and a glass of unsweetened fresh brewed ice tea. Keep the portions small and this is a healthy feast.
Tomorrow I go in for my first hypnotherapy session of the year. We are supposed to begin working on subliminal craving reduction. I'll let you know how that goes.
I will be interested to hear how hypnotherapy goes. I love to cook too, so I know how you feel. I'll be back to cheer you on!
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