Recipe: Spinach - Hazelnut Salad w Grapefruit Juice Dressing (148 calories)

     I have been on so many diets, most of them for such short periods of time as to make them useless at really affecting my lifestyle or my weight long term.  The only diet that really "worked" for me was one in 2000 when I took part in weekly classes, group activities, and then a six month support group.  I lost 50 pounds, started exercising regularly, and felt a lot better than I do now.  This stayed in place for nearly a year until life circumstances became very stressful and I started over-eating again.  But that year of eating well and feeling better is the reason I have hope that, if I can make a good diet work for me, I will be rewarded in the end with better health, more mobility, and a body light enough to not have to drag it around.  [Yes, I know I am talking about my body as if it is "not me" but it certainly feels that way sometimes!  :  )  ]
     I have promised myself that I am going to "ease into" this diet and not plague myself with feelings of guilt if I am not "perfect" immediately.  The first day I encountered REAL HUNGER again for the first time in a long time.  Hunger is a nagging sort of sensation.  It says, "You know the solution to me.  Just eat something!"  It was interesting just hanging out with hunger at bit the first two days and watching it inside me.  Okay, can I live with this?

     The information on the Longevity Diet says right up front that you are going to experience hunger.  It says that people who are focused on "looking better" do not do as well with this as people who are focused on "living longer with better health."
     Taking after my scientist father, I have enjoyed getting out my Encyclopedia of Food Values (Corinne T. Netzer) and starting to make a list of the foods I eat regularly and their calorie values.  Weight Watchers doesn't help with this. You can't go backwards from a food and it's points equivalent to see the calorie value, so I am making my own list.
     It has also been fun designing some new recipes.  For example, I invented this salad the other day from things already at hand in my kitchen and it was delicious!

Spinach, Hazelnut Salad with Grapefruit Juice Dressing
148 calories total

2 cups of baby spinach leaves, washed       18 calories
12 Hazelnuts, crushed                                 90 calories
1/2 grapefruit, juiced                                   40 calories
a bit of salt and pepper to taste

     I also encountered places where I have chronically "gone off my diet" and will have to find a way to deal with them.  For example, The fellowship hour after church where people bring all kinds of high calorie goodies to snack on.  Going to the Nederland Community Center for a movie on the weekend where the temptation to buy popcorn, a little 75 cent box of Good and Plenty, or a soda pop is so strong!
     But the calorie totals for my first two days were 2057 and 1908 - significantly less than I have been eating so this is "improvement" if not "perfection!"