Pumpkin Swirl Cheesecake (Wheat-Free & Sugar-Free)
In February 2012 my wife and I transformed the way we eat. We did something radical and eliminated all wheat from our diet. Cold turkey. One day I was eating a sandwich – the next day I was not. The results have been amazing. If you consider all of the foods we eat that contain wheat, you could end up with the same reaction as comedian John Pinette:
The winter holidays for our family are dominated not only by the warm glow of being with family and loved ones, but also by incredible food. Like many Americans, our holiday food is rich and delicious, but not ideal for people concerned about their weight and health. As we approached Thanksgiving 2012, our first Thanksgiving without wheat, I was a little concerned. Would I really be able to say no to the macaroni and cheese? Could I pass on the cookies, cakes, and pies that are such a wonderful part of our family’s tradition? Would I hurt someone’s feelings by saying “no thanks” to their famous goodie? This really was a concern.
I should have known that our family would be very supportive and non-judgmental about our food. We are very fortunate to have a family that wants what is best for us, even if it seems weird to them. Going wheat-free or gluten-free certainly does seem weird to many people. I also attribute our holiday success to two factors that relate to our Forward Story.
1. Forward Vision. Because our health is such a priority for us, we try to view each daily decision through the lens of the future. If I choose to eat these cookies, will the ensuing discomfort and negative health consequences be worth the temporary pleasure enjoyed? Listen, for my wife’s pies and cookies, the answer is almost yes. But we try to follow the philosophy that “Nothing tastes as good as being lean and fit feels.” By considering the future consequences of the current decision, I tend to make better decisions. In a previous article we referred to this as future-oriented behavior.
2. Planning for Success. The photo at the top of this post is the pumpkin swirl cheesecake that my wife made for Thanksgiving. It is a wheat-free and sugar-free recipe from Maria Emmerich. It is remarkable. The fact that we knew Thanksgiving could be a challenge for us led us to plan to have a viable alternative. This cheesecake was so good that even the wheat eaters in our family liked it. Along with the non-judgmental attitude of our family, having this alternative led to our success. It has given us confidence that in the future we can handle Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the challenges presented at birthday parties and other family gatherings as long as we plan for success. Planning for this success and actually following through on that plan was a key.
I accept the fact that having forward vision and planning for success does not come naturally for everyone. In fact, it may not come naturally for any of us, but some of us do seem to more naturally adopt these practices. If you struggle in this area, I want to encourage you that these are skills you can cultivate. If you do, you will be pleased with the results. It is worth the effort to grow in this area of your life.
I am now only 13 pounds away from my weight as a senior in high school 32 years ago! I am now 37 pounds lighter than when I began. I want to say thanks to our family for their support. It means a lot to have a good network of people that care about us.
Tell me about your own Forward Story. How do you employ forward vision and plan for success?
Has the role your family has played been a positive or a negative for you?
What a great story, and how inspirational for the new year! Congratulations on nearing your high school weight. That’s fantastic!
You are fortunate to have a supportive family. I often see and hear about family members sabotaging each other’s efforts to be healthier, under the guise of being kind and considerate. “Oh, a little bit won’t hurt you!” “It’s too cold for you to be walking today.” In a partnership, if the couple can agree on a goal, I’m willing to bet that their chances of success are doubled, and that’s a conservative estimate..
I’m not sure what drives the family dynamic for some people and why they feel compelled to sabotage their loved ones’ efforts at improvement. Could it be that to eat or exercise differently than the family always has is considered to be an implicit rejection of the family and its traditions/legacy? Could it be that if someone in the family loses weight and gets in shape it removes the excuses of everyone else for why they do not do the same?
I suspect a psychologist could provide some insight. All I know is that I am very blessed to not get that kind of pressure from family or friends. They support us, and I do my best not to proselytize too much for our particular approach. Of course, people do ask us what we are doing, so sometimes there is a fine line between answering a question and “selling.”
Your other point about a couple doing this together and greatly improving their odds of success is spot on. The fact that we are cooking together, eating together, and learning together makes this very painless. We are also celebrating together every success we achieve.