14 Month Anniversary of Eating Healthier!

I will never forget the day 14 months ago that Earl got the phone call from his doctor's office that changed our lifestyle. He was told that his bad cholesterol was high, the good was low, & his sugar was also high. Nothing was bad enough for meds, but awfully close. It was very easy to convince him that it was time to look at our eating habits. We refuse to think of ourselves "on a diet". "Diets" fail when you get off them. Been there, done that! We had to sincerely make a change.

 Vanity was not the reason for our change in eating, but the results have been amazing. Earl has lost 140 pounds, and I have lost 77! We consider ourselves to be in maintenance mode. We are not really trying to lose any more, but refuse to gain it back! We feel fortunate to have each other for support.

It is rather amusing when we see someone we haven't seen in a while. The really funny thing is that when we look at old pictures, it is hard to recognize those people! First pic is October 2015. Second is July 2014.

We did this totally on our own, no medicine or surgery, and no particular program. The basic idea is watching carbs, avoiding grains, avoiding refined sugar, and avoiding packaged foods. That means we buy lots of fresh or frozen veggies, fresh fruit, and raw meat. It's really pretty simple! We do "cheat"from time to time, but the next day we resume healthier eating. We both feel that our metabolism has changed, and we just don't eat nearly as much as used to.

We both feel so much better, and are amazed the difference this has made! We have both had to buy a whole new wardrobe. We have both gone from the "Plus Size/Big Man's" departments to regular sizes. When we eat out, we no longer have to request a table because of concern that the booth might be too tight. Earl can now easily tie his shoes. I could go on and on.

I do have a couple more ideas for posts on food that I plan to share soon. Here is a simple recipe that we came up with that we really enjoy, and it is goes with so many things!

Most cole slaw is either too sweet or greasy for my taste, so we revised it to suit us. We like this with smoked chicken, smoked pork, ribs, fish; just about anything! I call it "Revved Up Cole Slaw".

Dressing:
Blend 1/3 C bottled Cole Slaw Dressing, 1/3 C Honey Mustard Dressing, 1/3 C Apple Cider Vinegar, about 3/4 C finely chopped Cilantro, and 1 heaping teaspoon red pepper. (The red pepper makes it pretty spicy, so if you prefer, you might use a bit less.) The Honey Mustard and red pepper really give this a unique flavor!

Stir this into a 16 oz. bag of Cole Slaw mix. We have also added chopped bell pepper and a few tomatoes at times. This is really a nice change from lettuce type salad, and it holds well for a few days.