Friday, June 25, 2010

DAY 320 Dentists, Deciding & Cookies


Hello Journal & Friends,

Yesterday I went to the dentist. Oh joy. But I hadn't been there in about 7 months, and it WAS fun when she told me that she noticed right away that I was losing weight. :-D


Naturally, she asked what I was doing... and I just said that basically I stopped eating sugar and flour, and left it at that. 

I mean really... how do you make a sound-bite answer that would include the fact that it's not a diet, that you must change your whole way of thinking? That this is a spiritual, mental, emotional AND physical journey?? My dentist is a tiny thing, so I didn't bother.

But then I found it funny that after I said that I stopped eating sugar and flour, she look horrified, and with big round eyes asked "but how do you do THAT??" I laughed, and answered... "You decide."

And the more I thought of my simplistic answer, the more I realized that, while I was just being flippant in the moment, it really IS true. For whatever method each of us chooses, that really IS the key. There is no magic fairy dust... no secret formula. 

We must each reach that point where what we WANT to be means more to us than what we have been settling for... and DECIDE to change.

She went on to ask how on earth you can live without eating stuff like bread and cookies and such. I didn't go much into the answer, other than to say there are all kinds of things to use as substitutes.

Some people do just fine eating any and everything in moderation. For others there are reasons, sometimes medical, that they are healthier without eating certain things. For me, it's sugar/flour stuff.

So today, for Friday Favorites, I decided to share my MOST EXCELLENT recipe for sugar-free, flour-free Peanut Butter Cookies.


 I didn't invent it... just adapted it from one floating around the interwebs. Feel free to change out ingredients if you don't have one, or just want a different taste.

Rettakat's Most Excellent PB Cookie

1 cup peanut butter (I use Adams natural pb, the kind with no sugar)
2/3 cup sweetener of your choice (I use 1/3 cup splenda, 1/3 cup xylitol, and 1/16 teaspoon white stevia powder)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Optional:
1 tablespoon Chia seeds  (they are so good for you, and I look for ways to use them)
10 drops Peanut Butter flavored Capella Flavor Drops (I like my cookies super peanuty flavored)

Mix all ingredients together. Make ping pong ball sized balls of dough (this is easy when you use a little cookie scooper, the kind that looks like a small ice cream scooper).
Place on cookie sheet (I use a silpat) and flatten with a fork, making that cute criss cross design.
Optional: I sprinkle a little xylitol on top of each cookie before baking; it gives that crystalized sugar topping effect)
Bake in 350 degree oven for about 12 minutes. Take out and let cool on a rack. They are delicate at first, but will firm up as they cool. To me, they taste best after they have been refrigerated, and they freeze great! 
I make them up, then keep them in the freezer, and only take one out at a time.
Enjoy!

(my latest batch of PB cookies; I just noticed 
I got the criss, but forgot the cross, ha ha ha)


From Dr Phil's book: "You have within you everything you will ever need to be, do, and have, anything and everything you will ever want and need."

My verse for today: "Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits."

My quote for today: 'Peanut butter is the pate' of childhood." --Florence Fabricant

Enjoy the Journey,

Loretta
=^..^=


7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hmmm. I agree with the gist of what you said about deciding, but I have a little concern with the message. :o I hardly ever have a "catch" with any of your messages!

Here's my concern. One can earnestly decide--really, truly decide to change, be determined to change--but unless what's "decided" on is a plan that willl actually work, success will not be found. Then the "decider" will believe that the flaw is theirs--they just must not have wanted it badly enough.

I know. I've been there so recently. So many well-meaning bloggers told me, either directly or indirectly through their posts, that the reason I wasn't losing weight or couldn't stick with my plan was because I wasn't really commmitted. wasn't really motivated. wanted to eat more than I wanted to be thin. was just fooling around. And I was trying so hard....

Then when I cut out gluten, my world changed. I was able to decide AND DO IT! For me, there WAS a secret formula.

Now all I have to do is the plain, ordinary,hard work of sticking to plan. And it is hard some days, but it used to be impossible.

I assume that cutting our sugar and flour had a similar affect on you and your success.

Anyway, WLW, I just get concerned about those who are trying so hard and failing. I'd hate for them to conclude they have some internal flaw or ambivalence, when it might be that they haven't found the right plan to decide on.

Other than that, great post!

Deb

Retta said...

Thanks for your thoughtful comment, Deb. I appreciate your concern for those that struggle. It's hard to write the whole enchilada in one post. But to make it clearer, let me just say, you misunderstood, I think. Here was what I was referring to:

"But then I found it funny that after I said that I stopped eating sugar and flour, she look horrified, and with big round eyes asked "but how do you do THAT??" I laughed, and answered... "You decide."

She wanted to know how I could stop eating sugar and flour. And I told her the short answer: I decided to.

It is not the whole answer to everything. And even in regards to eating or not eating gluten, you still had to decide whether or not to eat it. And the resulting consequence--that the battle was finally "normal" again, and not that overwhelming, tortuous conflict--happened AFTER you decided.

Are we given grace to decide? I think so. Are we responsible for our choices? I think so. We have been given free will, and freedom to decide what we act on, or refuse to act on.

We can decide to eat our trigger foods or not, thus making the battle horrible or not for ourselves. You are right... when I made the choice to stop sugar and flour, it brought the battle back down from overwhelming levels, to the "doable" levels.

Even those that struggle are still blessed with the freedom to choose. Sometimes we need all the information, like what we are allergic to, or sensitive to, etc. I totally agree. Once identified and dealt with, it makes a HUGE difference. I agree. But even there, we still have a choice... we can refuse to give up our trigger, and decide we don't want to let go of it for whatever reason.

But in the context of what I was talking about in the post, HOW DID *I* STOP EATING SUGAR AND FLOUR, my answer stands: I decided. I had already read the information, and had known about it for a long time. And resisted... I DECIDED to resist giving it up, making my journey harder than it had to be.

But finally, I accepted that okay, I know what I needed to do, what I was sensitive to... now I needed to decide to let it go. And that is what I did.. the rest is history.

There is no secret formula, in the sense of the easy way out, the magic fairy dust or unrealistic expectations, that will replace good old-fashioned hard work and commitment, and consistency.

We all have those things that make it harder or easier for US. Maybe it's a "secret" to ourselves, if you want to word it that way, til we find out what our own personal needs are. But I guess I figured most everyone knows the basics... eat healthy, exercise, address your own particular medical needs. That is so different for everyone, there is no way to hit it all in one post, or even one book.

Hope that is a little clearer. :-)
Loretta
=^..^=

Christine said...

yeah...when you decide to do it the healthy way...that's when it works, and you did.
Those pb cookies look good.
I haven't cut out flour, just white flour. Whole grains are still on my menu.
Glad you found what worked. I am big on making decisions.
lol.

Ice Queen said...

Mmmm... Peanut butter cookies...

Golly, I love peanut butter cookies. Yours look wonderful. :D

Okay, am I the only one freaked out by that mask? lol If my dentist came at me with one of those on his face, I would go over the edge. lol

Yep. You just have to decide. A concept I just didn't get for a long time.

Kat said...

You decide. That is just so true. Thanks for the recipe. I think I may try them soon!

PJ Geek said...

You decide. I like that . My theme or new goal or new plan is all about Focus which is just another way to say "You decide".

I'm so making those cookies though I'll probably halve the recipe if I can figure out how to halve an egg. I have some I have to use by next week.

Scarlet Simple said...

This was a good post. I find the when I was doing low carb before and it was working people would always ask me ridiculous questions like: "How do you survive?" and I would always answer similarly: "By not eating crap." Or if I was particularly miffed: "By breathing." I know it doesn't quite fir the nature of your post but that's what it reminded me of. A friend of mine recently decided to do WW and his fiance took a look at his meal plan ask asked him: "How can you stand it?" And he replied: "I just want it that bad."

I have a weight watching gluten free friend who would love these cookies!

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