02.17 - Three Plate Minimum

So . . . I'm very determined to begin a lifestyle of healthy eating and working out . . . but this past weekend gave me a bit of a setback-- especially on Sunday. I went to good ol' Old Country Buffet with a couple friends-- and if you've ever been to a buffet with me in the past, you'd know that I have a three plate minimum requirement. It's a way to get my money's worth as well as my stomach's worth. ;) In addition, comfort food is my weakness. :\ So yeah . . . my three plates at OCB were surprisingly delicious and it thoroughly messed with my mind and made me want to forget about my health and GI system. *sigh* I have issues and no one to hold me accountable. Wahhh.



Eatery Info: Old Country Buffet, 6125 N Lincoln, Chicago, IL 60659

02.13 - Reality Check

Recently, several people close to me have acquired gastrointestinal problems that have changed their diets dramatically and have even caused some to shed a lot of weight. After initially hearing about these problems, I felt bad and silently thanked God that I didn't have to deal with them myself. One friend actually teased me and said that I should hope for a GI problem because it would help me stop eating so badly. I laughed it off.

But after continuing to hear about the lifestyle changes that are necessary to treat and deal with GI problems, I'm actually starting to become a bit afraid. The thought of having to give up just one of my fave foods makes me nervous, so I can't imagine incorporating even more drastic changes in diet and eating habits.

These stories hit so close to home that I'm starting to realize (dun dun dun) that I can't take my health for granted. At the rate I'm going, I'm pretty much guaranteed a GI problem in the next year or so. And who knows what more. So . . . I dunno. I think I'm going to try incorporating a bit more good stuff into my diet and reducing some of the bad stuff. I'm not going to go completely crazy on a health kick (because this is me we're talking about) . . . but I'm definitely going to make some gradual changes. Better that I do this stuff now on my own than later by necessity. :\

02.12 - This Is Why I'm Fat

http://thisiswhyyourefat.com/

That's the link my so-called friend sent me yesterday afternoon. He randomly likes to remind me that I'm a pudgy dumpling who will die of a heart attack one day. Unfortunately, the site did not deter me from fattening foods, but instead made me incredibly hungry. That's how twisted my taste buds are. :\ Some of the pictures that made my mouth water were the corn dog pizza, the double bacon hamburger fatty melt, the mega pizza, the spaghetti meatball on a stick, the 60 pound rice krispie treat, and . . . the Krispy Kreme Bacon Cheddar Cheeseburgers!!

I am such a taste addict because, even though I wasn't hungry, I began craving the taste of glazed donuts and cheeseburgers like crazy. So, in a moment of pure impulsivity that I could not talk myself out of, I walked to Dunkin Donuts for two glazed donuts and then to McDonald's for a Quarter Pounder with cheese. I then walked quickly to the office lunchroom to put the delicious concoction together. :\


The McD's QP is perfect for this because it comes with TWO slices of cheese for one quarter lb. patty! Mmmm.


After eating one half of the "donut cheeseburger," I decided that the donuts were overpowering the cheeseburger-- so I opted to eat them separately instead, alternating between donuts bites and cheeseburger bites. In conclusion, I do like the tastes together...but not at the same time. :)

02.11 - The Giving Coworker

I have this sweet 40-something year old coworker who some might say is an older version of me (because our appetites are so similar and her general outlook on life is that food is happiness), and she loves to share her food with me. I know it's because she sees a kindred eater in me, but sometimes it's a bit over the top.

Especially since I've been under the weather, she's been giving me an excessive amount of food that has sometimes been a struggle to eat (considering my subpar appetite). Last week it was her half of a chorizo burrito for breakfast, the other day it was some of her cabbage and beef leftovers for lunch, yesterday was half of an onion and potato omelette for breakfast, and today was half of a ginormous polish sausage for breakfast.

She's unbelievably sweet for taking care of me in that way, but I'm almost afraid to see what she'll come up with tomorrow-- especially since she will not take "no" for an answer. Let's all just hope it won't be the sardines she brought one morning and shamelessly heated up in the communal microwave. :\

02.06 - Absence of Hunger

So this cold has pretty much consisted of a sore throat and an annoying cough—and, for some reason, I haven’t felt that hungry. I actually skipped dinner two days in a row and am thinking of nixing lunch today. Is it twisted that my lack of hunger is exciting to me? I never don’t feel hungry. This is seriously awesome! I can feel the pounds melting away. Haha. I wonder how long this will last . . .

P.S. On an unhappier note, another thing that's made me lose my appetite is the realization that if you received a stimulus check last year, it's coming off of your tax refund this year. Umm . . . I have no idea how that's supposed to help our economy in any way considering that so many people who had jobs last year and received those checks might not have a job this year. Ugh. I was so upset, I wrote President Obama. :\ There goes my dinner for tonight.

02.05 - Clean Out The Germs

When I cleaned up my condiment drawer the other day, I found a couple herbal teabags that I don’t remember ever having. And since I seem to have developed a cold of some sort, I decided to make myself some hot tea this morning. As my tea bag was steeping, I felt excited at my find and decided to read the front of the tea bag wrapper to see what these wonderful herbs were going to do for me. The wrapper said Detox Tea: Cleansing & Revitalizing – Made with over 20 potent Chinese purification herbs. I thought, “Wow, that’s gotta be really good for my cold—it’s gonna get rid of all my germs and revitalize me right up!” So while I was waiting, I went to check on my toast . . . and suddenly, as the fog in my head started to clear, I remembered my friend who is doing detox and the frequent bathroom visits she mentioned having to make . . . and then I realized the meaning of “cleansing” . . . so I lunged for the wrapper, turned it over, and read the very last line: “Drink this tea along with Triple Leaf Herbal Laxative Tea, or any of our diet teas, for additional support in cleansing.” With horrification, I grabbed my cup and dumped it into the sink. Yeahhhh . . . no detoxifying at work for me, thank you. :\

02.03 - Office Pack Rat

I was so annoyed with my condiment drawer today because I was looking for honey but kept coming up with ketchup packets. So I decided to do a little organizational cleaning. I am pleased by the outcome.