Food.

I talked about how I read The Hunger Games last night. Well with that has come talking with friends who have been anxiously waiting for me to read them so, that we could talk about them. This for me has meant talking about food a lot and survival techniques. Yes, I know I could have competed in The Hunger Games and possibly won when I was 16/17 years old. I say this as do many others who knew me back then because I was not only an athlete but, I also was known for playing in trees and going camping and knowing edible plants etc. My other favorite past time happened to be throwing knives which until my ex messed up my wrist was a skill I was quite proud of.

These discussions ultimately come back down to food and eating squirrels, rabbits, and other wild game. My friends have all said they could never imagine eating these things and all I could think was well you have never been starving either. When I was growing up we weren't always that well off and there were times we went without a lot which has made me quite resourceful in the kitchen. We never had to eat wild game when I was a kid that waited until I lived with my ex husband and his friends would bring me game that I had to then figure out how to cook. I rose to the occasion and made some pretty tasty dishes with deer meat and even rabbit at times. I also was known for making meals out of what everyone considered to be nothing. Rice, butter, ketchup, a handful of spices, and miscellaneous canned goods this was the nothing I had in my kitchen to feed four for three weeks. Oh and can't forget the top ramen I picked up at some point 10 for a dollar. Not once did anyone turn up their nose at what was cooked and they actually ended up liking some of the meals and they became a staple in the house.

Ours had not as much meat.

Which brings me to my point those who have grown up hungry seem to have more imagination in the kitchen to make things that shouldn't be palatable pretty darn tasty and not just because you are starving but because they actually do taste good. I am not trying to brag about my cooking skills at all they to me are mediocre at best but, I do know how to throw things together and make them taste good. I can even follow a recipe pretty darn well. My point is that most of the people I know how never really had to open their fridge to find a bottle of ketchup and ice in the freezer only. Then to go on to open the cupboard only to find a huge bag of rice and a mixture of canned veggies, canned meat/beans, and canned fruit. Then throw in a handful of spices. All this is meant to feed 4 adults for near a month for three meals a day. Yeah we had three meals everyday for 21 days on what I just described they may not have been huge meals and they might have been soups with lots of water to help fill the person but, we had our 3 meals a day. Also yes the meals got better when I was able to get the 10 packages of top ramen but, I think we would have made it till the end without them with our rationing and my imagination on making new meals out of the same old thing so, that no one got tired of the meals they had to eat.

After a month like that it wasn't hard for me to go grocery shopping on $100.00 for the month to feed 4 people. I bought lots of dried beans, rice, noodles, canned/frozen veggies, flour, and  other baking stores. Then when a friend offered us game meat we jumped on it like crazy because it meant we had meat. I didn't care that it was deer and rabbit and wild bird all I cared about is that it was meat and would stretch our meals further. I lost any kind of pride I would have had against eating Bambi and Thumper because I had a family to feed and we didn't have the ability to be choosey. We also went out into the woods and picked wild berries and other edibles such as roots and leaves that made teas. I feel we were lucky that we were able to between me and my roommates figure out a way to keep our selves fed. Funny thing is rooting through the woods for things with my old roommates and trying to figure out how to make interesting and different meals out of what we had were some of the best times I had in TN.

I came out of that situation a better person I think and I am proud to say I know what it means to be starving and not care what you are eating so, long as you have food in your belly. I think everyone should experience that at least once in their lives in order for them to truly be grateful for what they have.

Hunger Games

Alright so, I doubt anyone noticed that I was missing for a whole week that is because I caught something that made it so food and I did not combine well and at times water was not welcomed. I ended up staying in bed unable to really sit for very long at all which made it pretty impossible to work on the computer so, I read The Hunger Games. Those of you who know me knew that I would love the books before ever reading them. Those of you who don't know me might wonder why I love the books. This is why... I hate Socialism/Fascism etc. Which is displayed in a pretty harsh light in The Hunger Games. For those who haven't read it you really should since this is where we are headed right now with our current choices in Government, Laws, etc. It took me a little over three days to read them because of the constant trips to the bathroom and passing out mid sentence from exhaustion. Now I am craving more to read but, am missing the characters from these books I believe some call it a book hangover.

I don't want to talk to much about what is in the books because I hate spoilers but, I will say this the food that is mentioned from the capitol had me missing food that I haven't eaten since I was a student ambassador in 1998 in the British Isles and Ireland. Some of that could be because I didn't hold down food from last Sunday until late Wednesday night but, I think some of it is here in Southern California they don't really have things like Lamb Stew with plumbs or Goat Cheese and apple Tarts so, hearing about them made me remember how I actually liked those foods when I tried them. Yes, I have been known to try foods outside of my comfort zone even with all of my allergies. I guess that makes me a bit of a daredevil lol. Of course those who know about the stunts I pulled as a child would know I am not just daring when it comes to food lol.

Anyway I am finally feeling human again held down food for several days and am getting stronger by the day.

7lbs

To start off with I was all kinds of bent this morning because I had gained 7lbs but, then I did my measurements and found out I had lost inches all over :-) Now onto this week it was finals week plus my birthday. My birthday means one thing to me and that is Key Lime Pie. I love key lime pie and can not keep it in the house so I buy myself for my birthday every year a single slice of key lime pie. Then since I don't eat it very often it is such a little party in my mouth. Yes, this goes back to my whole moderation thing. I make sure to only eat key lime pie on my b-day or special days I limit myself to a single serving and guess what I was still 300 cals under 1200 today after I finally got to celebrate my b-day without stress. Of course being that far under meant only one thing I needed a Pepsi and some chips and dip lol. :-)

Annoyed.

Yes, I am going to go on a tiny tangent read or don't.

Okay yes, I am all for clean eating and I think it is best to make your own foods etc. I really think that it makes you more accountable for yourself and your body. With that being said I would like to say that most of the people who practice clean eating piss me off. They say things that make anyone who doesn't follow the clean eating regime to a T like crap. Yes, I agree processed foods are not the best for you or your body because they tend to carry a lot of empty calories and I don't like empty calories at all because I like making sure my body is getting everything it needs. However, sometimes you know what I want a damn pepsi or a bag of sour patch kids or bacon real pig bacon wrapped around a jalapeno filled with cream cheese and baked yeah that is awesomeness right there...um sorry I love bacon. Anyways back to what I was saying it isn't cheating to me to drink a pepsi or eat some candy it is just a part of life it isn't like I do it everyday okay yeah the pepsi thing has been daily but meh bite me. I don't need to hear someone say "You can't out run a bad diet" well guess what @$$hat my diet hasn't really changed since I started losing weight and I have lost 200 pounds so, I guess that means I am doing what you say isn't possible. It just pisses me off instead of them trying to teach moderation and healthier choices for the things you love they are like "Drop it like a hot potato or you suck at life" No, you do not suck at life if you eat out or drink a soda or eat a bag of sour patch kids in 2.5 seconds. You are human and as long as you are not gorging yourself on crap food and you are making good choices those things can still be a part of your life. Also please remember most of these people don't have a degree in nutrition whereas my Dad's endocrinology nutritionist does as does his other general nutritionist and BOTH said "Everything in moderation if you want to have a beer on Friday night and a slice of pizza eat well the whole day make sure you don't exceed your calorie intake and workout a little longer everything you eat should be thought of as fuel for your machine but, sometimes we all need something bad to make us remember we are alive."

Rant Over if I upset you put on your big girl/boy panties and move on.

I quit sugar

I have been alluding to my new diet for a few days or weeks here. No, this is not it this is the E-book that I downloaded for $9.99 on amazon with a free gift card I had been given. I kept hearing people talk about this book on facebook and I was curious about it and since my new diet is low glycemic, high fiber, high protein, low gluten/no gluten. I figured I would get it with my gift card. It is very simple to read and I like the way it is an 8 week program just to get sugar out of your system and you can slowly add tiny amounts of good sugars back into your diet like fruit. Which I will never be able to give up for forever because I LOVE FRUIT!

Feed me Seymour

Just cause I feel like Audrey II when I want to eat everything

Hunger was my biggest struggle when I first started on this journey and it still is some days. I don't like to feel hungry. I don't think anyone enjoys that to be honest but, sometimes it just happens. Today was one of those days for me and I did not eat as well as I should but, oh well if you read the post before this I have been sick which means no eating really so, I am good lol. Anyway when these days normally hit me I do something crazy and I eat as much food as it takes to fill me up with as much water as I can take in

Yes, you just read that right I give into temptation and eat like the fat kid I am but, unlike a fat kid I don't gorge myself on cake. I pick healthy choices like carrots, apples, celery, salad, etc. That really makes the difference. I typically still stay within my daily calorie intake and all of my other goals for the day. I also drink at least 2 glasses of water before I will fix myself a meal just to make sure I am not overly thirsty.

At the end of my "Feed me" days I normally don't feel very good because I have consumed so, much food but, I am not longer hungry which makes me happy. I also don't beat myself up over them because I do tend to make sure and eat healthy foods on my binge like eating kicks. I also understand that my body does this because it is needing something that it hasn't been getting so, I try and figure out what I have been lacking. I also as a woman look at what time of the month it is because believe me that does play a role in everything you do.

In the end on a "Feed me" day all you can do is try and make the best choices possible and try to not make a habit out of them. Figure out what your body is lacking that is making you feel so ravenous and fix the problem. =)

I hate life...

Yep, you read that right. Now here is why. I am allergic to shellfish and someone yesterday gave me an egg roll I asked "What's in it?" they replied "Meat and veggies" I asked "Any shellfish?" They replied "No" So, I ate said egg roll and then started feeling quite off only to find out that yes indeed it did have crab in it. Thank GOD it was a small amount so, no hospital visit for me just two days of my whole body being pissed off at the world.

I am always so careful about eating other peoples food that I know to those who know me this incident comes as a shock. I mean I have the rule if I can't see inside of it I don't eat it unless I am the one who made it or I watched it being made. Anyways I apparently decided to be too nice yesterday and I am paying for it. I have hives in weird places food is the devil everything hurts. I just want to cry.

Also before anyone asks yes, I am among the few that an epipen can actually kill instead of save because it sends my heart rate through the roof. What can I say my body likes being difficult.

All this sickness means is that I will not be working out for about a week and God only knows what I am going to find to eat and keep down until I can get my body back on track. So, I will do updates not on what I am doing this week but, on just information that I have learned through out my new journey.

Moral of the story here is if someone asks you about something they are most likely allergic so be up front and honest about the food on their plate. Of course the moral could also be trust no one. lol Happy days to you all =)

Heat exhaustion

Today I did some volunteer work which is normally no big deal but, where I was working today was hot and we had no fan in our part of the warehouse. It sucked and I started feeling really crummy. By the time my shift was over I realized I was suffering from Heat exhaustion. I am really susceptible to this condition because of my body being as weird as it is and not sweating properly. I swear with as many weird issues as I have with my body it is a wonder I am still alive lol. Anyways I was slamming back water like crazy while volunteering and on the way home. When I got home I slammed some more water and made me a glass of Coconut water. Why coconut water and not Gatorade you ask? Well I can't drink Gatorade remember how I keep saying my body is a very "picky temple" well I have a lot of chemical allergies which means I found out by trial and error that Gatorade wants to kill me as do most of the other sports drinks out there. So, why coconut water? Well it is a natural Gatorade even though you can read a ton of articles saying it isn't as good as sports drinks because of it's low sodium content well I just ate some potato chips with my Coconut water and water. I finally started feeling better after I nursed my Coconut water down. I really like the flavor of it and since it does perk me up after losing so much water I will continue to use it over the artificial crap in sports drinks.

Yeah, I didn't workout today but, I did work my tail off moving boxes and running stuff for 6 hours straight so I think I am good on that count lol.

Stay hydrated everyone on these hot summer days to come. =)

Recipes: Awesome Breakfast burrito

Last night I talked about one of my favorite breakfasts. The reason it is one of my favorite breakfasts is because I can make it ahead of time wrap it in foil throw it in the fridge then when I am ready to eat it throw it in the toaster oven foil and all. Quick and easy right?  Another cool thing about this recipe is you can make it in bulk and freeze then just reheat the same way just takes a bit longer. Like I have said before I am a college student with little to no time most always. Also this meal is really quite healthy and it is only 175 calories when I make it exactly right lol. Anyway here it is my Awesome Breakfast Burrito recipe.

AWESOME BREAKFAST BURRITO

6 Table Spoons Egg whites I use All whites (50 calories)
1 Teaspoon Salsa I typically use La Victoria (3 calories) but I prefer homemade.
1 Teaspoon Bacon bits real bacon bits  (13 Calories) sometimes I use half a piece of really crispy bacon turkey or normal
.25 ounces of cheese I use Kraft - 2% Mexican Style Cheddar Jack Shredded Cheese since that is what seems to always be in the fridge lol (10 Calories)
1 Whole Wheat Tortilla I use Romeros brand (99 calories)

1. Measure out your egg whites, bacon bits, Salsa, and Cheese and mix in a bowl.
2. Dump egg mixture into a pan and scramble until done.
3. Let the eggs sit for a minute while you heat up your tortilla until it has a slight crisp but it still nice and bendy.
4. Place your tortilla on a plate and place your eggs onto the tortilla.
5. Fold in two sides of your tortilla this will be the bottom and the top now roll it up like a burrito.
6 eat or wrap with foil and throw in the fridge or freezer.

I know I probably didn't have to put 6 steps for the recipe but, I am anal about being thorough. Now if you are anything like my mom at the site of egg whites only you have turned up your nose. I was like that too but, really they are quite yummy. This recipe is exactly what I use when the burrito equals 175 calories. Now there are times where I want a little more meat and I add in some turkey sausage instead of the bacon. I also love Monterrey Jack cheese which I will use instead at times too. When I make my own Salsa it equals about the same amount of calories because it is the same thing really tomato, onion, and peppers. I mean really this is a versatile breakfast. I just like to keep the calories low on it because I am a coffee drinker and I like flavorful creamers like chocolate caramel creamer which adds about 70 calories to my meal making it 245 calories in total when I make it exactly as I laid it out in the recipe above.

Yes, I know it sounds a bit spastic to keep my calories at certain amounts for my meals but, it is what works for me. I make sure to eat between 200 and 300 calories at my meals because I like to have the option of desert at the end of the day and still keep my calories close to 1200 calories. Funny thing is when I write out my food diary on days where I eat properly all day I have a TON of food because I do eat mostly fruits and veggies which are low in calories and high in nutrients.

Yes, at first all of this was hard on me too I still wanted to eat a ton of food because I thought I needed lots of food at each meal but, I really didn't and I don't. I eat believe me I eat but, I eat better and smarter than I ever did before. I started out just making little changes first eating the foods I always ate just eating the portion size. After that I changed out french fries for apples or carrots and celery. I kept going like that until I started trying new foods like olives. I tried them as a kid and I hated them so, I never ate them again well last Thursday I was given a plate of food with a 7 layer dip I didn't want to be rude so, I tried it with them in it and you know what I liked them.

So my advice for tonight get out their and try new foods you never know you might just like them =)

I Love Food

Well... I actually don't love food I love good food. I was brought up eating really balanced meals and have always been in love with fruits and veggies. I mean I was the kid who if you offered her a whole cantaloupe or a whole gallon of ice cream would pick the cantaloupe every time. "Wait then how did you get up to 380 pounds?" Well... um... yeah long story short I ate A LOT of crap food when I was with my ex-husband. When I say crap food I mean mostly Taco Bell and Mc Donalds. Again I am going to repeat I am not going to ever say you can't have something because I am a F-I-R-M believer in moderation and your dietary choices are between you and your own doctor. Now that I have that out of the way I am going to say how I typically eat.

Like I said before I grew up eating "healthy" low-fat, low-sodium, low-sugar, high-fiber, etc. I used to and still do get upset when my food is too salty or too greasy. Now however, they call how I eat something new and different they call it "Clean Eating" which basically means you eat food like God made it. Fruits, veggies, lean meats, etc. However, with clean eating they don't want you eating anything processed meaning no convenience foods. Well as it says in my about me section I am a college student I don't make a lot of money and there are days that between work and school I don't have time to eat everything fresh so, I eat some processed foods. I know shame on me promoting a healthy lifestyle and not being completely at one with the latest fad lol.

I do like eating clean though I am happier and I feel better when I eat fresh foods. I also don't really eat sugar I feel like death when I eat too much sugar my body is a very picky temple to say the least. I don't really like white bread or white flour so, I use a lot of wheat flour and eat multi-grain or whole wheat bread. Like I said before I love good food which means I want to eat something that has flavor to it. I am constantly teased by my friends because they have watched me have a mouth orgasm over a fresh fruit salad. There was also the day that I stood in the kitchen eating an awesome Monterrey jack cheese sandwhich on a slice of whole wheat french bread; my eyes rolled back slightly. I was also just reminded about the day that I made an egg white breakfast burrito where I slammed my hand down on the counter and made "yummy noises". That was a  good burrito.

Anyways I need to move on because now I am getting hungry lol. I eat healthy foods I add flavor without adding fat or tons of sodium. I buy cheeses with a good flavor to them breads that have flavor and I use herbs to help flavor my foods. Seriously people your spice cabinet will be your best friend. I always have garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder on hand because they give good flavor to foods. If you don't like those use other flavors you enjoy. Always remember fresh herbs and veggies always taste better than freeze dried they also give more flavor. =)