Day 21: (part II) "Just eat the damn ice cream!!!"

I was chatting today with someone who is almost at the end of their weight loss journey, and we both agreed. IT IS SCARY!!!!  The weight maintenance is the part that is the most difficult because you can "allow" yourself more indulgences, that you can't do when you are strictly trying to lose weight.  I remember being at that point a few months ago and it seems that the natural progression for me (thanks to my friend Maxine), was to learn to eat clean.  So I've mastered eating clean, I don't buy processed foods, I only buy foods that I know what is in them (and I would have ingredients in my pantry),  our meat is from our farmer, and I eat tons of beans, legumes, veggies, fruits, raw nuts and seeds.

The next step on my journey was to balance working out.  My goal was to be super efficient at the gym (I'm still working out the kinks) but what I want is to maximize the work load in order to increase my base metabolic rate.  So for example, tonight while I was parked on the couch watching Off the Map and a pvr of Parenthood and folding 6 loads of laundry, I was burning as many calories as someone who is jogging on the treadmill (well a very fit person jogging).

That is what I want, I want my body to have the optimal fuel so that I can push it to it's absolute maximum anaerobic threshold.  The benefits are incredible, I can be with the kids in the evening longer, because I'm not at the gym 2-3 hours a day.  I am increasing my immune system so that I am more resilient to nasty bugs, which I will catch, I am a mother of 3 kids and have a husband who is a teacher... germs are everywhere here.  I am curing myself of mental issues and chronic joint pain, no more anti-depressants and NSAIDS (non-steroid anti inflamatory drugs).  And cleaning up and healing my digestive system, since being off gluten my gut issues have all dissapeared.

So what's the problem???  Well here it is, when I was in weight loss mode.  It was easy. Ice cream = bad.  See??? easy! but now.. The conversations are much lengthier, ice-cream with a berry compote (warmed up with chia seeds), it's just so yummy...and there is only a little bit left in the container, it will all be gone soon and I won't buy another one. ...well ok!  Just this once, have a bit, you earned it, you worked hard!

But the problem is when to do say, enough is enough?  How do you moderate "moderation".  I might have incredible self control, but I can talk myself into eating ice cream anytime, every time!  So this is my plan, I have a raw banana ice cream recipe, I bought banana's tonight.  I'll freeze them and give it a whirl.  That is my plan, if I can't fight it, BAKE IT!!!  It's always better if I make my own food than buying it, I will always put less sugar, therefor it has less guilt :)