Shame on Me!

I've been so slack lately about ANY blogging. My sincere apologies for those who hang on to every word. <--- sarcasm.

Life has been good but busy as of late. And I've been eating burgers. Before you scold me too much, hear me out. I've been VERY good with my standard calorie count per day. I got calculated to consume around 1,350 calories every day, which I've stuck to for weeks. I did, however, recently take a trip to Chicago to visit the boy. The 2nd thing I like going to Chicago for is Culver's burgers. They're a midwest thing so I NEVER get them here. They're so nasty and so delicious! The 3rd thing I like going to Chicago for is Nuts on Clark Popcorn at the airport. Delish. So this week I'm trying to make up for my missteps over the past weekend.

I also need to get back on board with the blog. My dear friend LaKesha has started steering me back to center. She and I are both registered for Lose It which is a self tracking weight lose/diet website.

www.loseit.com

It's great because you can post to buddies' walls for motivation. It's essentially an online food and fitness tracker. I just need to be vigilant about posting updates. I urge any of my buddies who are also dieting or changing eating habits to log on and look me up! I'm listed through my gmail account.

And for the fast food lovers much like myself... when you do fall off the proverbial wagon... at least get these:

http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatthis/7-fast-food-meals-under-350-calories

Cheers,
~M

Take Your Time... Enjoy it

Do you eat food or experience flavors?

I'm well into the meat (no pun intended) of the "French Women Don't Get Fat" book and I've had some "aha!" moments that I feel I should share.

Life is busy and crazy and it flies by. I work a lot, and as such my time to do much else is fairly limited. This definitely affects how I eat and enjoy food. Or don't enjoy it. I spend my days either zipping through meals that lack nutritional value, or go so long without eating that my stomach considers eating itself. Or I eat something I immediately regret. Sound familiar to any of you out there? I hope not, but I have a sneaking suspicion that at least a few of you can relate on some level.

So while I cannot afford the time to do this too frequently, I have been able to slow down some of my eating habits. And it truly is as the author of this book says... it's art. When you make it art. It's an experience, an indulgence, a masterpiece. When you make it a masterpiece. It doesn't matter if you're eating a piece of toast or the finest surf and turf or the most decadent tiramisu. If you take the time to enjoy your food, it will become a better experience overall, and may even have the ability to slow your appetite.

Think about what you're eating. Enjoy it slowly. Purposefully. For example, I am having leftover chili that roomie made for the Super Bowl. (Side Note: Kristen's chili is to DIE for). So it's leftover night. But I loved every minute of it. Whatever you're eating next, try a few things:

- Take smaller, non-heaping portions and chew them thoroughly before droppin em down the hatch.
- Close your eyes when you chew. Focus on the flavor of each part of your meal. So chili was a grand experience of figuring out each part of what I was eating.
- Try to look at your food as a thing of beauty, rather than just a way of sustaining life. (and trust me, a Snickers bar can totally be beautiful... so can a glass of water).
- Stop eating when your body tells you "I'm done!" rather than when your plate is empty. Mama always taught me it was better manners to leave something small on your plate.

As I mentioned before, I haven't really lost much weight. I think maybe 4ish pounds, if that. But like most women, it fluctuates. And I'm sure I have enough water weight to start a community pool. So perhaps a detox/cleanse is in order. But I haven't done that in years... ick. But regardless of the slow progress, I am enjoying myself. I have hiccups in the plan and I still have some bad things to eat every couple days, but I am slowly casting these things off. Cold turkey is not my style... unless it's covered in gravy. :)

~ M

Photos from Artful Food Blog and Cake Journal.

Drink Like a Fish

Water. Not booze. ;)

So I've started "French Women Don't Get Fat" and thus far I am enthralled. It reads as a novel of the author's life as a french woman who was transplanted to the States and then back to France and eventually returning the the US. Her plight sounds very familiar to my own. Tempted by food and over time your waistline changes. She even notes that the book is aimed at women who look to lose up to about 30lbs and change their eating habits... NOT DIET. I'm likin this chick already! ;)

So the first step is liquid refreshment. I totally need to up my water intake each day. I probably only have 2 glasses of H2O a day, plus a soda or coffee or some other drink (OJ or green tea). However, nowhere near the 6+ glasses a day that are the standard we should (but don't) follow.

The other thing is widening my variety of meal options. Especially since I work such strange hours. Thursdays are nice because I teach right after breakfast and am done by lunch. So all my meals can be made at home. No prepackaged bullshit to contend with (pardon my French lol). Sodium content is and probably will always be an issue for me, so I need to keep better track of that. Lots of those quick meals to go are packed with it.

My dear friend Lisa has made a few posts on here and talked to me at work as well. I admire her healthier lifestyle and of course she is teeny tiny to show for it! Good for you girl! :) I'm excited to take some of her snacking advice and get that stuffed mushroom recipe (hint hint!)

I fell of the proverbial wagon last night with a burger and fry love affair. It was what I imagine an extramarital affair would be like... dirty, scandalous and remorseful. The crisp of the fries were delicious, as was the nastily slapped together patties and cheese on my burger, but it didn't do what I expected it too. It wasn't satisfying. And while I miss the taste of that grossness, I just felt worse after. I was tired, sluggish and my pants tightened around me in discomfort. No more of that! I'll allow myself the random treat... a Sweet Tea, Caramel Latte, maybe even a couple DD munchkins. But if I get a burger it can't be from McDs. Homemade or gourmet. Even then, the calorie count is something to behold. ;) So yes, for shame on me. But I had to share. It's all part of the journey right?

~ M