Looking at the Bigger Picture – Who Wants To Cook in a Dirty Kitchen?
When I was in high school, my physics teacher showed us the movie Mindwalk in class, and it blew my mind! You can watch the whole thing on Youtube if you have two and a half hours to spare, but the synopsis is this: to understand something, to really understand it, you shouldn’t look at it in isolation, but instead, look at how it fits into a bigger picture, and affects everything it touches.
I want to understand why I don’t usually eat well. To do that, I need more than a list of which foods have the most nutrients. I have that knowledge, and it isn’t enough. To conquer overeating, I have to consider what factors in my environment affect the choices I make. And to do that, I need to look at the bigger picture.
I looked around today, and here’s the first thing I saw:
Of course I’m not cooking healthy food.
When I look into my kitchen and see this, the last thing I want to do is cook. This sight makes me want to eat something out of a box – the less prep the better.
My sink doesn’t always look this way, but it looks like this at least once a week. I get busy taking care of Troy, lose time social networking and blogging, and before I know it, my sink is piled high with dirty dishes.
Gross.
So losing weight isn’t just about knowing what to eat – it has to be about time management too. But if I make a rule that all the dishes have to be washed before I go to bed, can I keep it? There’s the question. If I want to be healthy, the answer should be yes.
We’ll see… 
P.S.: I followed it today:
- Saturday #31: Reconnecting with old friends!! :)
- Guest Post from Teddy at the Pregnancy and Motherhood Blog!!
Rebecca,
What a great post. It is so true. My husband is a chef an our kitchen is a constant state of cooking, dishes and produce boxes. When I look in at it all I want to do is go out, close the door and eat in a restaurant!
But, I perservere (most days) and try to make something at home. One of my good friends, portions out her meals the night before (like she is taking it to work) and puts them in her fridge. I wish I did that. I think I would weigh less if I did!
Wow! That is a great idea!! I’m not sure I could do it either – but if I can keep my dishes clean for a week, I may give it a shot!
All the years of raising our four daughters were busy ones. It was so tempting to just eat out of a box. But I had to make up my mind that I wasn’t going to do that. And the dishes? I HATED then and I HATE now doing dishes. But I made myself do them right away because, if I didn’t, I faced the same situation you faced. I often thought a maid would be fantastic but I would probably have cleaned up before she arrived. LOL My grandadday always said- “The housework can wait, the children can’t.” The thing is, I think, to find that happy medium that works for you. And it sounds like you are on the right track to finding it! Thanks so much for stopping by my blog! I’m a new follower now!
Thanks Pam! And thanks for stopping by! It means a lot to hear advice from others who have been through similar situations before!!
I hate dishes! Here are some tips for enjoying the dish washing a little more.
http://plusothergoodstuff.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-to-make-washing-dishes-pleasant.html
Great link!! Thanks for sharing Joanna!!
found u thru the mom’s monday mingle and now follow through GFC! hope to see you again in the blogosphere!
Awesome!! Thanks for stopping by – heading off to your blog!
How is it going? I am so lucky to have a dishwasher and a better half who cleans up after me when I cook! Have a great week.
Hi Carole, nice to hear from you! It’s going well
You have a great week too!
Enlightened thinking! I write a food blog and cook quite a bit and don’t have a husband who likes to do dishes. But you are 100% right, a clean kitchen encourages you to cook. If I don’t finish at night, it’s the first thing I do in the morning and I never start cooking something new until the last batch of dishes is done – clean slate. Aim for finishing every night, but don’t beat yourself up if you don’t. Tomorrow is always a new day…
Happy Saturday Sharefest!
Thanks, and thanks for checking out my site!! I’d love to check out your blog – but I can’t from your link. One thing wordpress has over blogger in some ways is easy access to each other’s blogs. Hope you are sent this reply!!
nevermind – I google’d ya!
Oh I have that same feeling as well. Our kitchen is always a mess and it is just easier to eat something processed. I have to remember this and work on keeping it cleaner so eating better doesn’t feel like a chore.
Me too – it’s a lot more fun to cook in a clean kitchen.
You are so brave and honest to post a photo of your sink piled high with dirty dishes! And I love the “after”! Cooking is a dirty business, no two ways about it. . .
Very true! Thanks for checking out the site Louise!
This is so true! My husband, baby, and I are currently living in corporate housing and the place is always a mess because I am constantly thinking, “only a month here, only a few weeks left, only a few days, until we move!” Well, I want to eat takeout every single night. I tried to make a better effort this week and cooked twice. Woo-hoo!! Clean kitchen, clean eating!
Visiting from SITS.
annie
http://justalittletart.blogspot.com
Yay!! Congrats Annie!