No, You Don't Have To Live On Salad For The Rest Of Your Life!

I got a chuckle from a poster on the Optifast Facebook page who made a (laughing) comment about completing the Optifast fast stage and then having to eat salad for the rest of her life. Speaking as a gourmet cook, I can tell you that it is not only possible but actually quite fun to prepare healthy things to eat that are not just a bowl of iceberg lettuce, matchstick carrots, celery and low fat dressing! Indeed, if that were the only option available to me in order to keep my weight off, I might as well throw in the towel right now!

But no, we have a wealth of tasty things to choose from when we go into maintenance. When I move into this stage, I'll have a chance to share some actual recipes, but what I thought I'd do now is try to tempt some of you to consider exploring the true joy of cooking itself. Like anything, it requires practice -- and patience because you'll inevitably have mistakes -- but the end result is such pleasure and a wonderful sense of accomplishment. Quite similar to reaching your goal weight.

Now, I did not become a good cook overnight. Yes, I had an interest in it at a very young age (I asked Santa for a hand mixer at age 10), but I have never been to culinary school. I did not begin cooking in earnest until I got married eleven years ago, when I was 35. And I did not just jump in and create masterpieces overnight. I approached things cautiously, and sometimes with trepidation. Many mistakes were made. But the successes started to outweigh them and soon I was on a roll. My confidence grew over time.

Cooking gives us the wonderful opportunity to explore our creative side. For me, cooking is like painting a picture. Picture yourself with a piece of paper and some watercolors (or finger paint if that's easier!). I am bringing together food colors to create something beautiful. To me. I am not striving for perfection -- there is great beauty in a "looser", more free-flowing design. Rule #1: Do not try to emulate pictures of dishes you see in magazines, cookbooks and on television. Those are carefully designed and photographed in certain ways to maximize the way they look. This is not what we are shooting for at all. Yes, the recipe (and the way the creation tastes) is fabulous. But by no means should you place demands on yourself to match the picture. That takes all the fun out of things.

In addition to color, think about texture. The smooth skin of eggplant. The grainy feel of cous cous. The ripply leaves of kale. The sandy features of spices. These are all interesting and pleasurable to touch. Incorporating texture with color changes your picture, makes it even more interesting. What about smells? You can take things up another notch. Spices add exotic aromas -- and maximize flavoring as well. Herbs fill your kitchen with delightful smells as they simmer.

The great thing about cooking is you do not have to be out on a limb, winging things on your own.Yes, we all need instruction and guidance, a good "painting" teacher. Particularly when just starting out. As we delve into the world of healthy, flavorful cooking, fortunately we now have many teachers to follow. Some are good, but some are not so hot. How do we tell the "good" ones from the others? Well, some of this is trial and error. Like cooking itself, you have to sort through the good dishes from the bad ones, and this is done by trying them out. Yes, some money, effort and time is "wasted," but actually, if you think about it, you are gaining experience. And that is invaluable. Remember that making mistakes is AOK, and happens inevitably.

Which brings us back to the concept of perfection. I encourage you to allow yourself to be imperfect. Might that possibly make your dishes better tasting? Good things can come from "accidents." Cooking gives us the freedom to explore -- with no boundaries (save dietary limitations required for maintenance). What freedom! Possibilities are endless. It's as if we have a never-ending supply of painting canvases to use for life. And that's wonderful.

For me, cooking has developed into a life-long passion, and it can be the same way for you too. There's joy in the creating and joy in the eating. It's something I do for myself because it feels good, much like exercising. There's a deep satisfaction that comes from pulling together interesting things to create something special. As I mentioned, that sense of accomplishment you feel does wonders for my self-esteem. Take off on your own culinary journey. You won't regret it. I promise!