What I Ate Wednesday...

Today is my last day off before returning to work.  I'm so glad I've had these two days off after our trip because I came home sick - I have this sinus thing going on and I'm feeling pretty awful.  I'm hoping another day of rest will help me feel better more quickly.

I stepped back on the scale this morning after our Seattle trip, and I was very discouraged.  I did not track my calories with MFP from Friday through Monday, though I felt like I watched my portions, and we were very active.  Despite that, I've gained over 5 pounds since last Thursday!  Very discouraging!

Rather than feeling like a victim, I've been reflecting on why this happened, as well as why I struggle with food and my weight overall, and I know the answer.

It's not necessarily the quantity of food I'm eating, it's the quality.

To be honest, I am not a fruits and veggies kind of girl.  To be honest, there are days when I consume nary a fruit or vegetable.  To be honest, I eat too much processed food, specifically bread/crackers/chips, and cheese.  

Why?

Well, I suppose this is what I was raised eating, so this is what my palate and my brain prefer.

If given a choice between a side of veggies or a side of carbs, the carbs win every time.

Example:  While strolling through Pike Place Market in Seattle early Friday morning, my husband bought a bag of fresh mini-donuts, and I ate one.  It was delicious.  I could of had more, but I didn't.  I thought I was being good.  Later that afternoon, my daughter insisted on buying a cup of fresh cherries from a stand in the same market.  I didn't eat a single cherry.  I don't dislike cherries, but I didn't feel the instant draw to eat one, as I had with the donut.

Hubby has the cherries on the monorail, and both my daughter and him started eating them immediately, while son and I didn't.  (My poor son inherited my poor eating habits, I'm afraid!)

Thinking about how I eat, it's sad to think I have trained my body to prefer foods that come from factory, rather than beautiful foods that come from nature.  I see the beauty, but I don't choose to nourish my body with it.

I've heard that you can retrain your palate to love fruits and veggies.  I would love for this to be true.  I would love for it not to feel like a punishment to choose steamed broccoli over french fries, or fresh fruit over a bagel and cream cheese.  I would love to feel compelled to devour fresh cherries at the farmer's market, rather than the bag of donuts.

Thanks for allowing me to confess my poor choices and think out loud.  

Are you a natural lover of fruits/veggies?  Do you think a palate can be retrained to love fruits and vegetables?