Man, I’m having a rough time getting back into the groove of taking food pictures. The above is all I have to show for today…my lunch…more sodium-filled canned soup. I’m getting tired of canned soups, for sure…but, I didn’t think ahead and have any lunch ready, so I had to go with what was at hand.
Breakfast was an egg + white omelet with about 1/2 oz shredded swiss cheese. There was also about 1/3 cup peanuts and cashews mid-morning, and an apple and a small square of chocolate after lunch…carrots a little later.
Joey and I stopped at the ol’ Salvation Army this afternoon and I got THREE pairs of workout pants! They’re a little faded, yes, but they are perfectly good and I got all three for only $7.50. If you know anything about me, you know that I lurve all things frugal, so this was a total steal. I needed some more long pants because the only pair I have are these shiny purple stretch pants and are super-dorky. Now, I have some good clothes!
OK, so, on to the mindful eating thing…part of what I’m reading in French Women Don’t Get Fat is a set of strategies and tips to make us more aware of the flavors and nuances of our food. The first step to developing this ability is to EAT SLOWLY and MINDFULLY…not in front of the tv, not while reading a magazine, not even while surfing the net. The point is to eat in a setting where you can take the time to really taste the food and not just shovel it down.
I was nervous about our wrap party tonight because I knew that there would likely be lots of rich foods and especially pasta (a big weakness for me). I did the right things, having the carrots about forty minutes before the party…we also stopped and got a coffee (with 2 percent milk) to kill some time before the party, so I had that.
They had spaghetti and lasagne…both with meat sauce, so I had about a cup of plain spaghetti and some parm, about 1/4 cup pasta salad, and the rest of my plate I filled with salad. I did have a roll and for dessert a tiny piece of (very dry) red velvet cake.
However, instead of eating quickly like everyone else at the entire party, I ate slowly, and like the book suggests, I sat down my fork after every few bites, took a sip of water, and took some time to listen to the people around me. I also took the time to chew thoroughly and to examine the textures and tastes of the foods…it was pretty amazing, really. Did you know that pasta with parmesan is salty enough without adding anything else? Or that a roll with just a little dab of butter is so very decadent?
I laughed a little, really, because I noticed that, when I was just getting ready to start my dessert, everyone else had empty plates and was sitting back, quite obviously stuffed and bloated. For the first time that I can remember, I wasn’t blurpy and uncomfortable. I was satisfied with what I’d had, and although I kind of did want to go back for more, I didn’t, and after a few minutes, I realized that I wasn’t hungry.
Retraining the brain is the bulk of the battle, I know that, but it’s really interesting to see tangible results from suggestions I’ve just read. I’m really enjoying this book very much.
Anyway, tomorrow is our potluck at work…I’m taking hummus and rice worx chips. It’ll be another attempt to resist overeating and to pay attention to what I’m eating…hopefully I’ll have another success story for you tomorrow. We’re also shooting to hit the gym after work, so I might get a chance to wear a new (to me) pair of workout pants!!
Mission # 1 of the last two days has been “rehydration.” While performing in a musical is fun, you can’t just run to the loo whenever you want. As a result, I’ve been grossly dehydrated for the past several days, so I’ve been drinking tons of water and green tea to make up for it:
Breakfast = Gross. If you’ve recently purchased a Kashi Chewy Bar, I’m so very sorry. It was like chewing on a rubber tire that tasted vaguely of peanut butter. My jaws literally ACHED after eating this thing.
Genworth sent us their usual Christmas gift: a tin of peanuts and a tin of cashews, and they are GOOOOOD…I had a few to snack on throughout the day:)
Lunch was Amy’s Tomato Bisque…I’d never had this before, and it was absolutely incredible. I didn’t check the sodium level on the can because I knew it would bother me and I didn’t have anything else to eat, but I’m sure it was pretty high in sodium. Like my penguin bowl? It’s from Hallmark! I didn’t take a pic after I put the soup in because it was ugly. You get the idea…picture the bowl with red soup in it:).
I also finally made it back to the GYM! We did thirty minutes on the recumbent bike, but I cranked the resistance way up so I’d get a better burn. It felt good to work out again and I love having unfettered reading time. I’m currently reading French Women Don’t Get Fat. I’m only a few chapters in, but I’m finding it to be pretty realistic, surprisingly. I figured it would be another “diet fad” book, but the eating philosophy is pretty sound. I’ll have a full review later.
Tonight, we had fresh pasta with pesto (four cheese tortellini). It was tasty, but probably too much, to be honest.
So, my first real day back to food blogging:). Stay tuned..Thursday, I’ll (hopefully) have a story of Falafel success (and a recipe)!
Oh yeah…if “the moment” on Thursday night wasn’t bad enough…yesterday, between the two performances, someone actually asked me if I was expecting. I was mortified, horrified, embarrassed, saddened, and a host of other emotions, of course.
This woman…she broke the “women’s code.” Never ask another woman if they are pregnant. Never. Even if you’re a labor and delivery nurse and the woman is on your table screaming that it’s time to push. Just keep your mouth shut…seriously.
But she didn’t…thankfully, I was with my two best girlfriends who took it in stride and helped me to move on to another topic.
But I still went home and cried. And I only did the performance that I had to do today and then went home so I didn’t have to deal with looking/feeling like a sausage stuffed into that top.
I was like…”God, I already had ‘the moment’ on Thursday night…did we really have to take it to the next level of humiliation??”
Anyway…I’m lacking in positive things to say, other than that school is done for the semester and the musical is over for me now. It’s one that I’m definitely ready to forget.
Food pics to arrive tomorrow!! I didn’t take any today because I didn’t eat much…didn’t want any food on my stomch to mess up my singing. 
Well, I tried my hand at combining my two blogs and it just wasn’t working out. It also wasn’t keeping me honest about what I was eating and (not) doing in the way of exercise. So, I’ll keep my regular blog for knitting, simple living and frugality, and I’m baaack to food blogging over here:). I missed it, to be honest.
Anyway…so, to “The Moment.” Here’s a pic from our Christmas musical last year:
Notice that I’m already looking a little uncomfortable in my top (unlike my friend Katie, who’s just fine). So, I’m about ten pounds heavier this year. And I am noticeably uncomfortable in my top. And, like last year, I have a solo. And, it’s during a pretty rocking song. And, I can’t really move that well. So, I’m kind of humiliated that I’m having this issue. This year is a wash…there’s nothing I can do to make myself more comfortable today and tomorrow. But it won’t be that way next year, I can tell you for sure.
I had a similar moment when I lost my weight initially at 13. I couldn’t fit into a dress I liked when I was getting ready for church. I’m having that moment again. It’s mortifying to stand in front of a couple thousand people in a top that’s too tight.
So, I’m back…not necessarily with my tail between my legs, I don’t think, but with new resolve.
Hi guys! I just wanted to let you know that I’m still here. Unfortunately, I’m finding it really daunting to keep up two blogs and was neglecting my regular blog. I would love it if you guys would join me over at Inner Monologue of a Madwoman as I’ll still be posting some food photos, but not quite as many as before. There will also be discussions of frugality, simple living, knitting, and the everyday woes of a grad student. And lots of kitty pron.
Yes, you read it right. Joey wanted me to meet one of his friends from high school who invited us to go out with some of his work friends to Wild Wing Cafe. I was already nervous about it because I get that way around large groups of people that I don’t know, but, to top it all off, I’m going to a restaurant that’s DEFINITELY not vegetarian-friendly. The salads, soups, everything had bacon added to it, and, of course, there was the wings. I found a veggie quesadilla on the menu, which wasn’t the healthiest option, but since it was the only vegetarian option, I went with it, and it was GOOD, but I didn’t take a pic, because I was at a table full of people I didn’t know and I didn’t want them to think I was insane;).
Lunch yesterday was a hugh jass salad!!
Yeah, buddy! It was a “southwestern caesar salad” with iceburg mix, spinach, diced tomatoes, black beans, and light caesar dressing. It was divine!
And, better yet, there was nothing to explode this time;).
My mid-morning snack was oatmeal with a banana (that was so green that I had trouble peeling it, but it was super-tart, so I was a happy camper)
I felt better yesterday after re-reading my posts from my other blog, Inner Monologue of a Madwoman. To see that my moods and emotions run in cycles helped some, and I really do think that, once we get through the mid-month point, things will probably even back out and I’ll feel much better!
Today, I’m feeling even better than yesterday, and I’m pretty thrilled about that. Hope you all have a good Wednesday!
I’ll get to that later. Let me do my food pics from the beginning:)
My GM wasn’t that good yesterday, which was a bummer. I ended up pouring the last few ounces down the drain…it was too…chewy, maybe? But I still got most of it in, so I had most of my nutrients:)
How cute is this water bottle? I drank lots of water from it yesterday! My mom donates to the World Wildlife Funds, and this time, they sent her a sweet set of two of these bottles. I’m currently using this one as my “work water.”
I had to hit TJ’s for some tofu and edemame, and I got clearance from Joey to get some lunch too:). I got a Veggie Hummus wrap and a can of TJ’s low sodium minestrone soup:
I planned to eat half the wrap and the soup for lunch yesterday and then have the other half with a salad today. Unfortunately, the soup was nuclear:(. I put it in the microwave for two minutes while I ran to the bathroom at work. Just two minutes, seriously. That’s how long I usually nuke my soups. I came back, and the bowl was overturned and there was soup ALL over the inside of the microwave….and thus, I spent fifteen minutes of my lunch break cleaning out the microwave of delicious-smelling soup:(.
I ended up eating the whole wrap, which was DELISH
It had TJ’s hummus, cabbage, sprouts, cilantro, and carrots. HOLY yum!
Dinner was some leftover multigrain penne with marinara sauce. No dessert, and I finally got to bed by 10 pm. I was so glad…the lack of sleep has been putting me in a rotten mood.
This morning, I continued the healthy trend with this:
coffee and an egg + egg white microwave scramble with 1/4 c black beans and some diced tomatoes. This held me over today for quite a while. No GM this morning, though…I just wasn’t feeling it, really.
OK, off to write some more and then get back to work in cubicle prison!
I’ve recently become Charlotte’s Frugal Living Examiner. Trust me, the articles won’t be entirely Charlotte-specific, and you’ll find lots of hints and tips that’ll help you save a buck in this economy. Below are the articles I’ve done thus far. Subscribe if you like it and help me pay for textbooks!!
Don’t give up on me just yet! It’ll probably take another two weeks, but life will return to normal and so will food blogging. Right now, we’re trying very hard to get in as much time as possible with James because he’s leaving for Iraq soon. On August 14th, we’ll be driving up to Indiana (where he’s based) with him and Shannon to see him off. He’ll actually be leaving on the 17th, so we’ll stay until then and then make the drive back. After that, life should return to fairly normal levels. I must say, I will be very excited when they do, as I’m pretty exhausted.
Tuesday night, James came over and stayed until after 11. Wednesday night, Cory came over at 10 and stayed until 1. Friday night, James and Shannon and Cory and his girlfriend came over and some of them stayed until 2. Saturday night, James and Shannon came over and stayed until 1, and last night, Cory and Julia came over and stayed until 11.
Tonight will be a night at home for us, for which I am very grateful. We’re going to hit the gym and then come home and I’m going to do some cooking and some experimenting with my new food dehydrator! Tomorrow night, we’re hanging out with another friend of Joey’s at the Wild Wing Cafe (I’m pretty concerned about this being vegetarian and all…prospects of a healthy and good dinner are not looking likely). We had to cancel on my parents for Thursday night to go see the Harry Potter movie at the IMAX theater, and I felt pretty guilty for that, but we really need another night at home, because next weekend will likely be a repeat of this weekend.
Ok…on to my one food pic:(….I promisepromisepromise that I’ll get back to this soon…in the meantime, don’t give up on me just yet;).
This was my “lunch” on Saturday at the flea market. We had a ball this month. I got some awesome stuff, as did both my mom and dad….however, we forgot to pack lunch, so we ended up with a pretzel. I scraped the salt off and tried to blot off as much of the butter as I could, but it still left my tummy feeling pretty rotten.
Other than that, there was pizza, mexican, and italian food, but there were also veggies, so at least there’s that.
Peace and love to you all on this Monday!
EEEwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. 
. That’s how I felt about the coconut water. It had that weird, electrolyte-y flavor to it which grossed me out hightly, and not enough of a coconut flavor to offset it. Did I really just say that something that comes directly from a coconut didn’t have enough coconut flavor. Yes. Maybe I would have liked it better if it was one of the ones with added flavor? For $1.89 for that tiny juice-box thing, I’m thinking that I’ll be sticking with my chemically-enhanced Gatorate G2 stuff for the rare times when I need it.
I got the coconut water at this awesome store in Brevard a couple of weeks ago called Poppie’s. It was like WF or Earthfare, but bigger, two floors, and it had a cafe in it. I wish that there was one closer to us, because I would definitely want to shop in there (probably not buy much, but shop).
So, for my favor:)…..I’ve recently started writing for the Examiner website as their Frugal Living writer for my area. I’d appreciate it if you’d check out my first two articles, “Why Be Frugal,” and “Where to Begin.” Posts definitely will not be limited to Charlotte-area frugality, so go ahead and subscribe and maybe you’ll find a thing or two that you could take away about changing your spending habits.
Anyway, that’s all for now. It’s an uneventful food day…no GM because I wasn’t feeling it. There will be pics tonight or tomorrow:)
