07.31 - I Struggle

So . . . I've been trying to eat healthy and what not, but . . . I'm really reallllly bad at it. I have absolutely no willpower when it comes to yummy foods. It's a huge problem. But yeah. Despite that, I've been trying my hardest to "exercise." You know-- stuff like walking fast to work, lifting up two file folders instead of one, doing a few crunches in bed. I've been quite productive. ;) Anyway, once I weigh myself in a week, I'm hoping I'll have lost the desired 5 pounds and can fit nicely into my dress. It's wishful thinking, but oh well.

Here's one of the many wrenches that was thrown into my brilliant, well thought-out plan this week. Ha. I struggle:



FATTIE RATING: 4

07.28 to 07.30 - On Second Thought...

there's no way I can do South Beach all over again. Getting rid of sugar and carbs completely messes with my head and body. It makes me feel all weak and grumpy. Anyway, I talked to a friend at work who's all into nutrition and she lectured me-- saying that I don't need to give up carbs because it's something our bodies need, but that I should reduce my calories and eat healthier. I totally agreed with her. So yeah. I've incorporated sugar and carbs back into my diet, BUT I'm going to try really really hard to reduce my calories and eat fresh, good foods. In addition, I'm going to work out as much as I can over the next two weeks. Actually, I ran (or more like speed-walked) 3 miles along the lake with my two girlfriends last night. It was the biggest struggle (especially in this humid weather) and, man, do I feel the soreness today . . . but I guess it was worth it because I feel like I'm on the road to success. ;)

Anyway, here was my attempt at a South Beach lunch two days ago:


I sort of cheated though because I should have gotten white meat instead of dark meat. But dark meat is so good! :\ Haha. I'm a such a failure when it comes to this diet thing. Argh. Alrighty . . . here goes another day . . .

FATTIE RATING: 4

07.22 to 07.27 - Non-Stop Food

I went on a retreat this weekend and it pretty much consisted of non-stop food for four days. It was borderline obscene because our three meals a day took place in a gourmet all-you-can eat cafeteria that changed its menu daily and had over ten stations. It was quite delicious, and I'm fairly certain I gained 5 pounds.

In light of that, I desperately need to go on an intensive two-week diet/workout regimen. I'll be in my friend's wedding two weeks from now and it is imperative that I fit into my dress (which, sadly, is a size smaller than I would normally get-- but at the time of purchase, I deluded myself into thinking I would be able to fit into it). Ha.

So yeah. Time to get serious. I'm going back on South Beach Phase 1 (no carbs, no sugar, no fruit) + I plan on going to the gym AT LEAST three times a week. Most bridesmaid workouts require six months (ha). Let's see what I can do in two weeks. :\

FATTIE RATING: 5!!

07.19 to 07.21 - You Know You're Obsessed With Food When . . .

• you'll walk long distances for it
• you'll spend a ridiculous amount of money on it
• you'll suffer for it
• you'll feel guilty or embarrassed about it after
• you'd do it all over again

I had a fierce craving for cupcakes about an hour ago. The nearest decent cupcake place is about half a mile (roughly six blocks) from work. I tried to talk myself out of it-- reminding myself of all the annoying tourists, the humid weather, and of how tired I am. But none of that worked. So I made the trek and found that I couldn't buy just one. So I bought two-- for a total of $6+. I told myself I wouldn't spend anymore on lunch, so I picked up a 99-cent cup of ramen at the 7-Eleven. I'm sad to say that the ramen was an off-brand so it didn't quite hit the spot . . . and instead of saving some of the cupcakes to take home, I inhaled both within minutes. *shaking my head* Sad, sad individual . . .



FATTIE RATING: 4.5

07.16 to 07.18 - Tired and Beastly Make for a Bad Combo

I find that when I get very little sleep, I want to eat like a beast the next morning. Such as this morning—when I chose to devour two delicious sausage burritos and a cup of coffee from McDonald’s. It doesn’t seem like much, but that’s only because I stopped myself from also ordering an Egg McMuffin and a yogurt parfait. :\

I thought it was just me, but then I read something that makes me feel a bit better about myself. Apparently, lack of sleep increases cravings. There was an article in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that mentioned a study done on a group of healthy, young, male college students who were asked to sleep only four hours a night for several days straight. After only two days, these guys found themselves craving high-calorie, high-density, high-carb foods the next morning. The study found that poor sleep disrupts two hormones associated with appetite: leptin (which tells the brain there’s no need for food) and ghrelin (which tells the brain it’s time for food). Sleep and insulin assist the two hormones in working together. Therefore, poor sleep causes the two to become jumbled—eventually increasing leptin and decreasing ghrelin—while also increasing cortisol (the stress hormone which also increases belly fat) and making it difficult for our body to use insulin (in a way similar to diabetes). So yeah. All in all, lack of sleep = the road to becoming a fattie.

I think I’m going to be on that road for at least the next week. *sigh*

FATTIE RATING: 4.25

07.10 to 07.15 - Hotdogs are Yummy

When we were younger, my brother and I would usually come home from school in the afternoon and have to make our own food. It was usually macaroni and cheese, scrambled eggs, or hotdogs (never the Ballpark or Oscar Mayer kind unless it contained cheese, but always the Vienna Beef or Best’s Kosher kind ‘cause we’re bougie like that-- ha). Hence, the love for three of my favorite foods began.

Anyway, there’s this hotdog chain called America’s Dog that gives you a variety of different hot dogs (with specific topping options). After visiting the downtown location quite a few times, I’ve established that my favorite variety is the Kansas City Dog: swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and mustard. Seriously, it’s delicious. The combination of toppings is like a symphony in your mouth. Ha.

Anyway, I decided that I should stop paying for this delicious creation and just make it myself. So there was a pack of hot dogs at home and I decided to take a couple to work. Then, during my lunch break, I roamed around to 7-Eleven and Walgreens in search of toppings. Sadly, sauerkraut is not easy to find. So I ended up eating a bootleg version of the Kansas City Dog sans sauerkraut. It was good, but it was also a little sad. My goal this weekend is to find a jar of sauerkraut and leave it at work—then all will be right with the world.



P.S. My friend swears by the Charleston Dog: coleslaw, chili, onion, and mustard. I’m too hooked on the KC one to try this, but you should give it a shot.

FATTIE RATING: 4

07.08 and 07.09 - "I've Never Seen You That Excited."

That's what my one cousin said to me today. She said, "I've never seen you that excited about food. Except for cheese." Ha. She said it as she watched me devour my small cup of Berry Chill frozen yogurt (with one spoonful of strawberries and two spoonfuls of mangos). Oh man. Sooo good.



I realized that there are few foods that really make me excited. One definitely being yogurt-flavored frozen yogurt. The others being:

+ lemon flavored ice (Great White Shark, lemon Italian ice, the white part of a Firecracker popsicle, etc.)

+ cheese (yeah yeah, so obvious)
+ hard salami (ha)

+ homemade fried chicken

I'm sure there's more, but I'm going to attempt to appear modest. ;)

FATTIE RATING: 4

07.02 to 07.07 - Family & Food Go Together Like...

. . . hot dogs and mustard. Or like macaroni and cheese. Mmm. :)

Anyway, yeah. The last few days involved an obscene amount of food and family. Where there was one, there was always the other. It was impossible to separate the two-- but I honestly would not have had it any other way.

There's not much to say, really. I'll let the following picture of my gorgeous cousin and her yummy plate sum up my week. And, by the way, that is not disgust on her face. Her expression depicts excitement and our family's amazing ability to mentally will food into our mouths. It just doesn't always happen to be attractive, that's all. ;)



FATTIE RATING: 5!

06.25 to 07.01 - Wash, Wash, Wash

So my friend was recently infected by a bout of the stomach flu (a.k.a. norovirus). It’s pretty much a worse form of diarrhea, because it usually also comes with nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy, aches, fever, and even dehydration if you don't replenish the fluids and electrolytes you lose. Apparently, the virus is found in the stool or vomit of infected people, and it spreads easily from person to person. People become infected by touching surfaces or objects contaminated with norovirus and then touching their mouths or eating food/drinking liquids contaminated by infected food handlers. Awareness of norovirus has grown mainly due to its prevalence on cruise ships.

What I don't get is why food handlers would even have norovirus on their hands. The only way is if they were contaminated themselves and didn't wash their hands after pooing or throwing up-- or they didn't wash their hands after touching bathroom surfaces that potentially had contaminated poo or throw-up-- or they touched some random surface or object that they thought was clean and didn't bother washing their hands. Whichever way it is, the presence of poo or throw-up remnants is involved. I know washing hands tends to be tedious . . . but blech.

Needless to say, I've been quite paranoid lately. I've been washing my hands longer than usual and under water several degrees hotter than normal. I don't want nasty bodily waste or any virus that might have come from it anywhere near my food or mouth, thank you very much. Blech.


This is a great ad. It really makes me want to eat out...

FATTIE RATING: 4