Eating My Veggies

The highlight of my weekend was dinner on Saturday night (my high points typically revolve around food). Dan made a delicious meal of mushroom-stuffed mushrooms with seared green beans. Yes, mushroom-stuffed mushrooms sounds like a redundancy in flavor, but it was actually a portobello mushroom filled with wild rice, button mushrooms, and goat cheese, topped with cherry tomatoes and bread crumbs, and baked to perfection in the oven. I only wish we had taken a picture, because it was gorgeous. And healthy. And it was so good.

Over the last several years, we've gradually developed better and better eating habits, and we've gotten quite good at planning and preparing healthy balanced meals, embracing vegetables, and significantly reducing processed foods. Not that we are the pillars of healthy eating, but when I think back to how I ate several years ago (dinners frequently consisting of Bagel Bites or boxed macaroni and cheese), I realize how far I've come.

As it turns out, though, I have a ways to go. I attended a Smart Living Expo on Sunday, complete with several free health screens. I was a little nervous, knowing that some of my eating and exercise habits have really been off the mark in the last year. 2007 was probably the most stressful year of my life since adolescence. My job was a nightmare, I grappled with lots of anxiety and depression, and as a result, I ate and ate and ate. Emotional eating is always something I've struggled with, and it was in full force from January through September. By the time I was settled into my new position in October, I was feeling much better, but I was not prepared to set myself up for failure by trying to lose weight around the holidays. And so, as it happens, there's a little more Jenn to love these days. :)

I know I'm not at my healthiest, and though I feel guilty about this, I'm trying to give myself a break. I really do try to take good care of myself--and I generally succeed. But last year was a tough year, and I fell off the ball, and as my friend Sally gently reminds me and other readers, I shouldn't beat myself up about it. I was prepared for some slightly bad news, though I'll admit to feeling depressed about my test results for a good part of the day yesterday.

And so, January seems as good a time as ever to get back on track, even though it seems so cliche to set out to be healthy around the New Year. Lately I feel like my old self again, and I'm ready to take care of myself again. After a to-hell-with-it-all year, that is a very good feeling.