Redundant And Repetitive

I realize that I have been eating nearly the exact same type of wrap day after day for about a week. Don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t bother me, but what I am wondering is whether or not I should try to vary my foods a little more to prevent boredom.

I’m really not sure how I feel about this. The last thing in the world that I want is to become tired of eating the same foods day after day and give in to temptation just to find a little variety. However, I like my ruts. I am one of those people who are quite content to pack the same lunch each and every day for several months (if not years) and never have an issue with finding it repetitive.

I think it stems from the fact that I used to be a picky eater. I wasn’t a big fan of trying new foods and I had a long list of things that I already knew I didn’t like. As an adult though, tastes change and maturation allows for periodic ventures into the unknown – whether the realms of exploration lead to something simple like cuisine or more complex and personal. Although I’m sure my palate will continue to change, I would say that at this stage in my life I have emerged as a person generally willing to try almost anything at least once, but still very much someone who is happy living off a limited variety of foods.

Another factor to consider here is that I really don’t get much out of cooking. More to the point, I don’t cook. I like easy, and it seems like turning on the stove suddenly makes things a lot more complicated. So, again, the comfort of reducing the number of choices I have for my meals looks very appealing.

The biggest challenge in only making a small number of meals is that I risk giving in to sweeter, more decadent options when they arise. Also, I worry that I will not be getting the full range of nutrients that my body requires if I don’t consume a larger selection of foods. Finally, because of my aversion to cooking, I am wary of becoming complacent regarding prepared foods again. I used to be the queen of the microwave dinners and the prepackaged snacks. I know I will never be a completely clean eater, but I just don’t want to be putting all of those preservatives and chemicals into my body anymore.

My point is that I am at a bit of a crossroads. I am sure that this is just the first of many such decisions I will discover need to be made on this journey, but that knowledge certainly doesn’t make it any less complicated. Okay… I guess in weighing the pros and cons against one another I feel like I am safe in choosing the redundant diet as opposed to a richly diverse one. For me, the start of this path needs to be as uncomplicated as possible. Besides, no one ever said I couldn’t change my mind.

FOOD & BEVERAGES:
- 7 glasses of water throughout the day
- 1 white peach
- 1 black plum
- 1 wrap on a soft tortilla shell with honey ham, grated cheese, mushroom, carrot, garden cherry tomatoes, romaine lettuce, calorie wise Miracle Whip, mustard, and pepper
- 1 mug of hot chocolate
- 4 Ritz crackers with cheese
- 1 homemade low fat oatmeal muffin with butter
- 1 cup of carrots with light ranch dressing
- 1/2 cup of pineapple

EXERCISE:
- 4 sets of 30 stomach crunches
- 30 minute walk