So with this whole healthy eating BS, I have been trying new foods. I’ve had some success and some, well, read on.
Organic Greek yogurt:
Pros- None…or, I never have to eat it again
Cons- Tastes so bad I actually thought a dog had peed in my cup
Organic bread with seeds and crap:
Pros- Thick and yummy
Cons- More calories than I am used to for a piece of bread and takes so good I want to eat the whole loaf
Hormone free ground turkey (made into burgers):
Pros- Tastes good and easy to make on my Foreman grill
Cons- Made my husband hungry for a bacon double cheeseburger, which in turn looks a hell of a lot better than my weenie turkey burger
Paul Newman’s salad dressing
Pros- Good flavor and profits go to Paul Newman’s charity
Cons-Paul Newman is dead
Organic baby carrots
Pros-Taste like regular baby carrots
Cons-Taste like regular baby carrots
Will keep you updated as I try more!
Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Hot, Hot, Hot
Obviously, I didn’t blog yesterday. I could blame the fact that my husband had the day off and distracted me. I could blame the fact that we ended up going to the zoo and the Cards game went 15 innings. But the truth is that it was just too fucking hot to form a thought, let alone a sentence. Yesterday, it was one hundred and three degrees in Bremerton, WA. Notice I spelled that one out? I thought a temperature like that deserved the extra words.
For those of you who don’t know, the Northwest isn’t known for heat…rain and chilly temps, yes, but not sweltering heat (therefore no a/c, not even in some public buildings!). I have spent the past two years “accepting” (work in progress) the fact it rains all the time (42.9 inches a year) and that I wear sweatshirts daily. So the fucking trade off should be that I don’t have to spend any night with cold washcloths on my face just trying to cool off enough to fall asleep. Needless to say, I am pissed.
The lone highlight of the rising temps is that the heat has quieted my neighbors. No hacking coughs or “deep” advice on the struggles of sobriety have been heard in the past 36 hours. Now that I think of it, should I check on them? They aren't old or my pets....hmmm....
For those of you who don’t know, the Northwest isn’t known for heat…rain and chilly temps, yes, but not sweltering heat (therefore no a/c, not even in some public buildings!). I have spent the past two years “accepting” (work in progress) the fact it rains all the time (42.9 inches a year) and that I wear sweatshirts daily. So the fucking trade off should be that I don’t have to spend any night with cold washcloths on my face just trying to cool off enough to fall asleep. Needless to say, I am pissed.
The lone highlight of the rising temps is that the heat has quieted my neighbors. No hacking coughs or “deep” advice on the struggles of sobriety have been heard in the past 36 hours. Now that I think of it, should I check on them? They aren't old or my pets....hmmm....
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Organic Day 1 and Baseball Fun
Today was my first day trying to eat more organically…or as Jillian says “if it didn’t have a mother or grow from the ground, you don’t eat it!” This is going to suck the big one.
Breakfast was my only victory because I just had oatmeal with flax seeds, which I always eat. Lunch wasn’t so great because it is 97 degrees outside and the northwest doesn’t believe in air conditioning. There was no way I was going to use the stove or oven once I got home from the gym. So I had my turkey wrap, which wasn’t organic, meaning the turkey probably had more steroids in it than Barry Bonds. But it was the best I could do. Since I had technically cheated for lunch, I sucked it up and made organic pasta for dinner. Can’t tell you how it tasted, because I was in a heat-induced coma.
Ballgame
But I did have a great “last supper” while at the baseball game last night. I’m talking about a footlong hotdog and chips!! YUMMY! There was only one thing that threatened to ruin such a fabulous meal: the people sitting next to us. I was already pissed when the couple sat down because it was fucking hot and I wasn't looking forward to swapping sweat with strangers. But then I realized they were drunk, white trash, Blue Jay fans who felt the need to comment (loudly) on every play and every call (“come on Blue, get your eyes checked”).
In about the third inning, the female Blue Jay fan (Jayette?) decided to spread her drunken love beyond the fans in section 148. An usher was walking by our row peddling a trio of treats which he clearly announced, “licorice, ice cream, peanuts!” The Jayette yelled back at him, “I want a hot dog!”
After an uncomfortable silence during which the usher stared, dumbfounded, at the woman, he began walking up the steps to the mezzanine and responded with, “ma’am, I think you need to, eh, go back, um, up there for your damn hot...” And then he was gone. It took another two innings before the woman finally decided she would have to go get the hot dog herself. She was gone for four innings. She got lost.
Breakfast was my only victory because I just had oatmeal with flax seeds, which I always eat. Lunch wasn’t so great because it is 97 degrees outside and the northwest doesn’t believe in air conditioning. There was no way I was going to use the stove or oven once I got home from the gym. So I had my turkey wrap, which wasn’t organic, meaning the turkey probably had more steroids in it than Barry Bonds. But it was the best I could do. Since I had technically cheated for lunch, I sucked it up and made organic pasta for dinner. Can’t tell you how it tasted, because I was in a heat-induced coma.
Ballgame
But I did have a great “last supper” while at the baseball game last night. I’m talking about a footlong hotdog and chips!! YUMMY! There was only one thing that threatened to ruin such a fabulous meal: the people sitting next to us. I was already pissed when the couple sat down because it was fucking hot and I wasn't looking forward to swapping sweat with strangers. But then I realized they were drunk, white trash, Blue Jay fans who felt the need to comment (loudly) on every play and every call (“come on Blue, get your eyes checked”).
In about the third inning, the female Blue Jay fan (Jayette?) decided to spread her drunken love beyond the fans in section 148. An usher was walking by our row peddling a trio of treats which he clearly announced, “licorice, ice cream, peanuts!” The Jayette yelled back at him, “I want a hot dog!”
After an uncomfortable silence during which the usher stared, dumbfounded, at the woman, he began walking up the steps to the mezzanine and responded with, “ma’am, I think you need to, eh, go back, um, up there for your damn hot...” And then he was gone. It took another two innings before the woman finally decided she would have to go get the hot dog herself. She was gone for four innings. She got lost.
The Neighbors
Let’s meet my fabulous NW neighbors, shall we?
TB (a.k.a. Doc Holiday)
TB or Doc as my husbands calls her, moved in next to us and was given her nickname almost immediately upon arrival. She’s a smoker, obviously, and chooses to smoke outside her door. Being an ex-smoker, I totally understand not wanting to smoke inside and stank up your apartment and everything in it. So far, so good, right? WRONG! Apparently TB suffers from asthma and tends to cough when she smokes. But this isn’t a normal “smoker’s cough.” This cough is the loudest, juiciest, chunkiest and most penetrating noise I have ever heard. Even with our door locked, windows shut, and the TV on that cough makes it into our apartment. It is unbelievable, truly it is. About a month ago, TB went missing or what I thought was missing, but come to find out she was admitted to the hospital because she was having difficulty breathing. Shocker, I know.
Mr. Philosopher (a.k.a. Mr. P)
Mr. Philosopher lives two doors down and is a co-smoker with TB. So he stands out in front of our door and shouts a conversation over the coughing. Needless to say, we hear a lot of what he has to say. And his conversations are annoying as fuck. Apparently the philosopher has spent some time in rehab (Many of my neighbors have been to rehab, come to find out. Can you say halfway house? My hubby can find some classy places!). During his stint in rehab, Mr. P learned a lot about human nature and the nature of addiction. Therefore he feels the need to share this information, at length, with anyone who is unfortunate enough to listen.
Meth-head Momma (a.k.a. MH Momma)
MH Momma lives with Mr. P. and just recently had his baby. My husband and I first met her while she was standing outside, smoking. Yes, she was pregnant and smoking. MH Momma gets her nickname due to the condition of her teeth (or lack thereof) and her complexion. We recently found out the name of her baby boy: Junior.
Of course we have many more neighbors...you may meet them later.
TB (a.k.a. Doc Holiday)
TB or Doc as my husbands calls her, moved in next to us and was given her nickname almost immediately upon arrival. She’s a smoker, obviously, and chooses to smoke outside her door. Being an ex-smoker, I totally understand not wanting to smoke inside and stank up your apartment and everything in it. So far, so good, right? WRONG! Apparently TB suffers from asthma and tends to cough when she smokes. But this isn’t a normal “smoker’s cough.” This cough is the loudest, juiciest, chunkiest and most penetrating noise I have ever heard. Even with our door locked, windows shut, and the TV on that cough makes it into our apartment. It is unbelievable, truly it is. About a month ago, TB went missing or what I thought was missing, but come to find out she was admitted to the hospital because she was having difficulty breathing. Shocker, I know.
Mr. Philosopher (a.k.a. Mr. P)
Mr. Philosopher lives two doors down and is a co-smoker with TB. So he stands out in front of our door and shouts a conversation over the coughing. Needless to say, we hear a lot of what he has to say. And his conversations are annoying as fuck. Apparently the philosopher has spent some time in rehab (Many of my neighbors have been to rehab, come to find out. Can you say halfway house? My hubby can find some classy places!). During his stint in rehab, Mr. P learned a lot about human nature and the nature of addiction. Therefore he feels the need to share this information, at length, with anyone who is unfortunate enough to listen.
Meth-head Momma (a.k.a. MH Momma)
MH Momma lives with Mr. P. and just recently had his baby. My husband and I first met her while she was standing outside, smoking. Yes, she was pregnant and smoking. MH Momma gets her nickname due to the condition of her teeth (or lack thereof) and her complexion. We recently found out the name of her baby boy: Junior.
Of course we have many more neighbors...you may meet them later.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Grocery Shopping
I am so screwed.
My “triumphant” trip to the grocery store for real, organic food has left me feeling like a complete idiot. I wandered around that store, list in hand, feeling like I was in a foreign country. The best way to explain my total failure would be to show you the list I went into the store with compared to the list of what I purchased.
Here WAS my plan of action:
Organic Bread
Organic Oatmeal
Organic Yogurt
Organic meat
Cage Free Eggs
Organic Fruit
Organic Veggies
Organic Nuts
And this is what I came out with:
Almonds
Organic pasta and marinara sauce
Organic bread
Organic yogurt and Greek yogurt (Jillian’s idea)
Organic chicken and noodle soup
Raisins
Not sure how I am going to get three meals and two snacks a day out of that, but I will try. I think I will also have to try another grocery store and go in a little more prepared. I’m not sure why I thought great food and fabulous ideas were just going to fall into my basket. A plan should lessen the time I spend wondering around the store. I mean, you know you are in trouble when three different grocery workers ask you if you need help finding something. The meat counter lady wouldn’t give up and literally followed me all the way to the bakery department.
Recipes would be a good idea as well, but a heat wave has hit the Great Northwest and the idea of using an oven makes me sweat. Granted it is only 91 degrees in Bremerton today, but the lack of air conditioning combined with the 400 square foot box in which I live has made things uncomfortable to say the least. As if my white trash neighbors need a reason to walk around without their shirts, this heat has pushed them to the brink. And now the pool is closed, permanently! More on my fabulous neighbors later!
My “triumphant” trip to the grocery store for real, organic food has left me feeling like a complete idiot. I wandered around that store, list in hand, feeling like I was in a foreign country. The best way to explain my total failure would be to show you the list I went into the store with compared to the list of what I purchased.
Here WAS my plan of action:
Organic Bread
Organic Oatmeal
Organic Yogurt
Organic meat
Cage Free Eggs
Organic Fruit
Organic Veggies
Organic Nuts
And this is what I came out with:
Almonds
Organic pasta and marinara sauce
Organic bread
Organic yogurt and Greek yogurt (Jillian’s idea)
Organic chicken and noodle soup
Raisins
Not sure how I am going to get three meals and two snacks a day out of that, but I will try. I think I will also have to try another grocery store and go in a little more prepared. I’m not sure why I thought great food and fabulous ideas were just going to fall into my basket. A plan should lessen the time I spend wondering around the store. I mean, you know you are in trouble when three different grocery workers ask you if you need help finding something. The meat counter lady wouldn’t give up and literally followed me all the way to the bakery department.
Recipes would be a good idea as well, but a heat wave has hit the Great Northwest and the idea of using an oven makes me sweat. Granted it is only 91 degrees in Bremerton today, but the lack of air conditioning combined with the 400 square foot box in which I live has made things uncomfortable to say the least. As if my white trash neighbors need a reason to walk around without their shirts, this heat has pushed them to the brink. And now the pool is closed, permanently! More on my fabulous neighbors later!
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Happy Birthday to Me!
I am 34 years old today! So I guess it’s poetic that I start writing this now. I’m not sure what this is going to turn out to be exactly, but I am excited to start the long list of things I have been putting off doing. I guess this is my cattle prod.
Speaking of cattle, one of my first priorities is related to my diet. To put it bluntly, I eat crap. Yes, I keep my calories low so I don’t gain weight, but I don’t eat “real” food. Don’t believe me? Take a look at a typical day:
Breakfast:
Instant oatmeal
2 pieces of low cal bread, toasted with honey
Snack 1:
Granola bar
Lunch:
Lowfat turkey sandwich
100 cal popcorn
Granola bar
Snack 2
100 cal snack pack
Dinner:
Lean cuisine dinner
Low fat ice cream sandwich
I told you…crap. But my crappy eating really doesn’t bother me. The excessive amount of exercising that I have to do in culmination with this crap diet is what bothers me. I currently do over an hour of cardio a day with alternating days of weight/resistance training. I rarely take a day off. And this is just to maintain my weight. And I have finally decided this is bullshit. There has to be a better way.
So I have been doing some research and with the help of a book by Jillian Michaels (yes, that Jillian), I have come up with a plan. It is time to eliminate fake food and start eating the real stuff. Sounds like a no-brainer for most people. But most people don’t hate fruits, vegetables, and fish. So this is going to be a challenge, to say the least. I am also supposed to eliminate soda…but that isn’t going to happen right away. I don’t think the state of Washington is prepared for that.
I usually don’t believe diet books or anything like that. I preach calorie in vs. calorie out. And for the most part, that is true. But when that stopped working, I knew there had to be more. So I am going to give this a try and see if it works and better yet, if I can do it. I don’t know if I can, but I go to the grocery store tomorrow to get my provisions and I start on Tuesday.
Speaking of cattle, one of my first priorities is related to my diet. To put it bluntly, I eat crap. Yes, I keep my calories low so I don’t gain weight, but I don’t eat “real” food. Don’t believe me? Take a look at a typical day:
Breakfast:
Instant oatmeal
2 pieces of low cal bread, toasted with honey
Snack 1:
Granola bar
Lunch:
Lowfat turkey sandwich
100 cal popcorn
Granola bar
Snack 2
100 cal snack pack
Dinner:
Lean cuisine dinner
Low fat ice cream sandwich
I told you…crap. But my crappy eating really doesn’t bother me. The excessive amount of exercising that I have to do in culmination with this crap diet is what bothers me. I currently do over an hour of cardio a day with alternating days of weight/resistance training. I rarely take a day off. And this is just to maintain my weight. And I have finally decided this is bullshit. There has to be a better way.
So I have been doing some research and with the help of a book by Jillian Michaels (yes, that Jillian), I have come up with a plan. It is time to eliminate fake food and start eating the real stuff. Sounds like a no-brainer for most people. But most people don’t hate fruits, vegetables, and fish. So this is going to be a challenge, to say the least. I am also supposed to eliminate soda…but that isn’t going to happen right away. I don’t think the state of Washington is prepared for that.
I usually don’t believe diet books or anything like that. I preach calorie in vs. calorie out. And for the most part, that is true. But when that stopped working, I knew there had to be more. So I am going to give this a try and see if it works and better yet, if I can do it. I don’t know if I can, but I go to the grocery store tomorrow to get my provisions and I start on Tuesday.
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