No Junk January Weight Loss: rethinking treats with my cat Mordecai

 Hi friends, it's day 2 of my No Junk January weight loss challenge and today I'm thinking, or rather rethinking treats, comfort food and junk food. And I'm using my cat Mordecai as a role model. Part of how I lost 100 pounds without gastric bypass was with calorie restricting using a 1200 calorie diet. But not just any old 1200 calories--I swapped out empty ones for nourishing, metabolism boosting, energy giving calories. And that's where Mordy comes into it.  

Mordecai is not your average feline. His definition of "treat" is avant garde to say the least. He's a health food nut, preferring green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, potatoes and other veggies. Oh he likes meat (see photo of him helping himself to canned cat food and brother Moishe requesting a share 😄) But just as much as he likes spinach. So imitating Mordy's eating habits is great for weight loss but it goes beyond that. It's about changing my mind about what actually constitutes treats and comfort food. 

"My 600-lb Life" is a reality TV show where patients with morbid obesity seek gastric bypass surgery for weight loss. It's heart-breaking to see very overweight people struggle. But it also illuminates what's wrong with our thinking about comfort food. "My 600-lb Life" participants speak of finding solace, peace of mind and even friendship in food--or rather junk food. The trajectory to obesity is clear--the more empty junk calories consumed the more tired, lethargic and overweight one becomes. 

Comfort food, in the "My 600-lb Life" (and a lot of our) definitions are sweets, salty snacks, fried foods, calorie forward pub grub basically. But as Mordecai has shown us, comfort food is that which feeds our bodies and souls, strengthens us and boosts metabolism (oh does he have high metabolism, lol)  not just our addictions. In fact, any addictive food, like sugar or salt, actually harms if overeaten. It kills energy, stalls metabolism and makes us sick. 

For weight loss and overall health, I'm choosing treats that treat my body in positive ways. For example, I just had avocado toast and I could actually feel my energy (metabolism) rising. The recipe was just light keto bread, a little salmon cream cheese, sliced tomato and avocado, cracked pepper and capers. These recipes are how I lost 100 pounds in the first place. And they'll help me lose weight again this No Junk January! 

Thanks for visiting! Stay tuned for more No Junk January weight loss tips. 

Lose weight or don't, but be happy in your own fur

 I just wrote a disturbing post about incels and I (and probably you who read it) need some mind comfort food. So here's a little treat to get us into a better place. Cats, namely ours, Moishe and Mordecai. Look at these guys and try not to smile. 

and while we're on the subject and because the point of this blog is to improve physical and mental health, note this about my cats. They are twin brothers. They have almost identical body sizes but different body shapes. Moishe (L) is stockier (some would say overweight) while Mordy is lean. Some would say skinny. Mordecai is also ALWAYS eating, wanting to eat and thinking of food. Moishe eats less. But he is still heavier than his food obsessed twin. But he doesn't care that he's overweight. He is supremely confident in his handsome floofiness. What can we learn from this? To be like Moishe. Happy in your own fur. Lose weight or don't. Above all else, like yourself. Because seriously, it wasn't till I stopped despising myself that I was able to lose weight. And (just for closure on the incel post) THAT being able to like yourself is what makes you attractive and able to like others. 

Love ya'll!