Day 5

Two words.

Spaghetti Squash.

Sweet heaven on earth... where have you been all my life?!

I used to be a super picky eater when I was a kid. As I've gotten older, I have tried to add in more things.

With this new lifestyle change, I knew I would need to be even more open to eating so many different things I had never tried before (so I wouldn't be stuck having lettuce every single day)

I am so glad I did.  There are so many delicious things that, up until this point, I had simply ignored.

Like the previous 4, Day 5 has been pretty smooth sailing.

Without the panic for food, I decided to once again test my cooking abilities.

I had picked up a spaghetti squash when shopping (not even knowing what the heck to do with it)

Google really helped me out there (virtual high five Google)

All you do is cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, sprinkle with a little olive oil, salt and pepper, and toss in the oven at 450 for 45ish minutes.

While the squash roasted, I tried my hand at homemade tomato sauce.

Sauteed garlic and minced onions... oregano, thyme, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning... crushed tomatoes, a little bit of tomato paste... simmer on low heat and you are good to go.

Add some browned ground beef and you have a yummy sauce!

When the timer on the stove beeped, I wasn't really sure what to expect. I pulled the squash out and let it cool for a while.

Then I took a fork to it.

Oh. My. Goodness. It looks like pasta. 

I know it's called spaghetti squash and all, but I guess I was a little skeptical.

I tossed some in a bowl, poured the sauce on top, sprinkled it with some extra oregano, and sat down to the most delicious meal I've had all week.

(And I've eaten some pretty tasty things)

I was so excited, I called my sister to proudly tell her what I was eating.

(She eats paleo, so I consider her my guru for paleo recipes and tricks)

I actually felt a little guilty for enjoying it so much... it felt like I was eating carb filled pasta. 

But I wasn't. My healthy decision turned out to be a healthy AND delicious decision.

The only thing I can say is that God has truly blessed this journey so far.

I was so afraid to take the first few steps and truly commit to a lifestyle change - I guess I figured I was so far gone, I would fail within a day or two, so why even bother with the struggle and guilt? 

I'm discovering that making healthy choices that are good for my body can be an even more positive experience than making bad choices that only temporarily satisfy me.

I hope that I can continue on through the remaining 25 days in this same mindset. 

Let's consider Day 5 a culinary adventure.