It has taken a lot of years to get this far on my lifestyle change journey. Notice that I said lifestyle change journey, instead of just weight loss more on that below. A lot of changes have been made. Some of those changes have resulted in a big change in what gets recycled and what is trash, more on that later. The journey has also impacted the overall quality of things I choose to keep and those I choose to let go.
First off I started this lifestyle change journey wearing a size 4X. I no longer wear a size 4X, instead depending on the brand I am wearing regular size medium to large. I also am not measuring myself with a tape measure weekly or monthly, that only lead to my frustration. The scale is used weekly instead of daily. The only thing that sees a tape measure is my rib cage for obvious reasons. I am happy to announce that I have lost 14 inches or 35.56 centimeters or 355.6 millimeters. I have only 4 inches or 10.6 centimeters or 101.6 millimeters to go before I reach the same size I was on my wedding day so last century. I may or may not make that goal. My goal is to live a healthier lifestyle. That is where this journey began.
Next these changes have resulted in a huge shift of what lands up in the land fill and what gets recycled. The change has been very dramatic over the journey. In the beginning we had a lot more trash than recycling. I attribute that fact to eating a diet full of processed foods. Processed foods come with an awful lot of non recyclable packaging. Pizza boxes, even though they are made with cardboard can’t be recycled because they get greasy, that goes for a lot of processed foods. The wrapping on frozen foods along with the boxes can’t be recycled either. Snack food comes in containers that usually can’t be recycled either. There is a definite trend going on here. Highly processed foods usually come in non recyclable containers. Which leads to the following question. If highly processed foods come in containers that are bad for the environment. Are highly processed foods good for the human body? My non-scientific answer is a definite no. I phrase the answer like that because I am a fiber artist and not a scientist. If you are a scientist and disagree with my statement, I will happily give you a chance to rebut my argument.
So what did I replace the highly processed food with? The answer is very simple, non-processed foods. I am talking about fresh fruits, raw nuts and vegetables. However, I still do use canned fruits without added sugar's and vegetables that come in recyclable cans. I also use frozen fruits and vegetables depending on the area you live in this material can be recycled or at the very least takes up a lot less space in the trash can.
I usually eat between 1 to 2 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables per day alongside traditionally processed food like cheese and tofu. Cheese and tofu have been around a very long time, they are considered a way to store excess fresh soybeans and milk for later use by preserving them. With the exception of the cheese all of these foods are lower in calories with a higher concentration of fiber which is good for the health of the gut. I also eat a fair amount of tofu, fish and chicken. Beef is an occasional food to be consumed no more than once a week.
I usually drink iced water year round. I like my Yeti 30 ounce metal tumblers, yes I have 4 that I rotate through. I refill them about 3 times a day in winter and more in summer, I live in the desert southwest. This also eliminates plastic waste. I find that my YETI tumblers last about 10 years, so if you price them out by years of use each cup cost about $3.00 a year to use. Plastic water bottles cost more per use and leave micro plastic in the water. Another recent article said that the high energy drinks are bad for gut health too. They suggested tea or water instead. I have replaced almost all soda with tea or water. the exception is when a migraine hits and I don’t have time for a cuppa tea and a 4 hour nap. To clarify this, I have had exactly 2 bottles of Mexican Coke in the last decade. All sodas and high energy drinks are considered a highly processed beverage. They are also very high in sugar, at least 12 teaspoons of sugar pre can or artificially sweetened, which have been shown to have bad side effects. My arthritis hates artificial sweeteners, they cause my inflammation to worsen. I would strongly prefer not to have any inflammation.
I have also been trying to lighten my life in other ways too. I have gotten rid of all my purses that were too heavy when empty. I go through my books and magazines every so often to see what I no longer find useful, they are passed along or recycled. A couple of times a day I spend five minutes or so putting things away or deciding if they should be recycled or passes along. During one of these 5 minute cleanups yesterday I found 15 hats and scarfs that needed to be photographed and placed in the right bags to leave the house. I am still a work in progress. The house is still a work in progress. I am going at a snails pace right now which is perfect for me.
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