Food Matters

I have been really sick this past week.  Like really, really sick.  Fever, chills, aches, cough, congestion, puking...you name it.  The upside is that I feel very svelte, the downside is I feel like crap.  The moral of this story is that I had a lot of time to sit at home and watch TV in between naps.  One of the things that I watched was Food Matters.  It's a documentary about nutrition and how it can affect our health.  It was amazing, and I highly suggest that you watch it.  To sum it up, food is best for you in its freshest form, and 51% of your diet should be raw.  Also taking vitamins is very good for you and can help prevent and cure disease.  So for October I am OVER processed foods.

For the next month I am going to eat everything in the freshest form I can.  When I cook I'm going to use olive oil, butter, etc., because regardless of how high in calories it is, it's not made from chemicals that your body can't process.  This makes a lot of sense to me because when I look around at my friends that are healthier versus my friends that aren't as healthy, it's really the amount of processed foods they're eating.  So I'm going to make food for myself and really cleanse out my system.  Also I'm going to snack on raw fruits and vegetables and I think that I'm going to feel better.  Taking Vit. D so changed my life that I have real faith that by changing my nutrition and increasing my vitamin intake I'm going to see real changes in how I feel, and that's what's most important.

So hopefully definitely next month will be chock full of some really delicious recipes.  Starting with the Three Stones/They Call Me Hypo Asian Food Night!  It will be fresh, it will be delicious, it will be awesome.  I'm very excited about this turn and I'm really looking forward to listening to my body and seeing how changing what goes in it will change how I feel.  You are what you eat and I'm tired of being things that I can't pronounce!

Hi My Name Is Bree...

And I'm an addict.

I am addicted to food.  It's the only way I can explain why I have to eat, even when I'm not that hungry.  I will eat and eat and eat, and its negatively affecting my health.  The biggest issue between being addicted to food and being addicted to something else is that you can't quite food cold turkey.  You have to eat, or you die, this makes it hard to regulate.  I wish I could go cold turkey, but that would be considered anorexia and not approved by any medical professional.

The diet I've been on this month I would give myself a D.  I have had beef and pork (two times each) this month, which is a dramatic decrease for me.  The one thing I am most proud of is that I haven't had any fast food this month.  That has been hard and I realize that I only have a couple of days left in the month and I'm going to make it!  I'm already formulating what I'm going to next month and I'm excited about it, but that's for my next post.

I didn't do the best with exercise, but I did sign up for Yoga and Abs through HR at work.  They are intense and I'm really enjoying them.  I'm also going back to bellydance, which I'm very excited about.  So while I haven't worked out everyday, I have done some things to increase my physical activity.  There is still a lot of work for me to do toward my goal, but I have hope.

This weekend marks the second Three Stones/They Call Me Hypo cooking extravaganza.  Look forward to some good pictures!  Also next month there will (hopefully) be a lot more recipes and pretty pictures to share with everyone.

Current Weight:  210.5

La Cucina Mexicana

I had a great weekend!  This weekend marked the first week of (hopefully) a new tradition!  I got together with my friend over at They Call Me Hypo to have a super healthy mexican food night, that followed all of our various dieting rules.  I made tequila, lime, garlic marinaded chicken and some yummy baked onion rings!  Also we made a healthy version of a strawberry margarita that I can't wait to share!  Here are the recipes:

The Skinny Margarita

1. 1 shot of tequila
2. 1 cup frozen strawberries
3. 1/2 cup diet sprite
4. A squeeze of lime juice
5. A dash of orange extract
6. Ice to taste
7. Blend that shit!

It is delicious and counts the same as a shot of tequila! I use the frozen strawberries more instead of ice, gives it a really good flavor.  You can see it does come out a little foamy from the sprite, but it is delicious!

Also I wanted to point out how funny it is that I posted the drink first.  Obviously I have my priorities straight.  Here is a mouthwatering picture of the main course!

(Chicken, onions, pico de gallo, and cottage cheese enchiladas with an amazing cilantro pesto!)

Tequila, Garlic, Lime Marinade

1. 1 cup garlic sliced
2. 1/2 cup cilantro chopped
3. 1 jalapeno diced
4. 1 serrano pepper diced
5. 1 cup lime juice
6. 1/2 cup tequila
7. 1/3 cup soy sauce
8. 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast cut as desired
9. Throw everything in a bag and marinate overnight.
10. Grill on the bbq, grill pan (if you like char) or bake in the oven until done.

The onions:

1. Slice onion (sweet onions come out the best) and pop out the rings
2. Put on a baking dish and drizzle with left over marinade
3. Put under the broiler until soft and done

The Pico de Gallo

1. Chop some tomatoes (take the seeds out)
2. Do the same with red onion, jalapeno, and cilantro
3. Mix in a bowl and enjoy!

If you want the recipe for the delicious enchiladas, go check out They Call Me Hypo!  She always has amazing recipes that are low in calories and high in flavor.  She'll be posting this recipe soon.  Also, I'm already looking forward to next month when we concur Asian cuisine!

Making a Decision

So I've been at this for a few weeks and I'm not succeeding.  I am really frustrated, but when I look at what I'm doing on a daily basis, I shouldn't be loosing weight.  I'm not making the choices I need to take.  I need to make a decision.  I am deciding this is something that I want.  This is not a game, this is something that I have to commit myself to.

So I'm coming up with some rules for myself.  It is September 1st and while it will be too late for me to use these rules today, I will follow them for the rest of the month and see how I do.

1.  No more cheat days.  I've always told myself that I get one day a week to eat what I want, I have been taking that too far lately.  Also it opens the door for further justification.  So this month there will be no cheat days.

2.  No take out/fast food/pre-made food. I will prepare all of my food so that I know what's in it, how many calories are in it, and how much I am eating (the only note to this is that I may take a business trip to Canada, in which case I will eat the freshest thing I can find)

3.  No red meat or pork.  This one will be HARD, but in the end I think that it will improve my system.

4.  No junk food, candy, baked goods, anything that should be considered a 'treat'.  The goal is to eat fresh, and detox my body.

5.  Limited amounts of carbs.  I'm not going to give them up, however they will have to fit into my daily limits and be either whole grain or high in fiber, and only one in a meal.  So no corn with potatoes and pasta.  I must pick one.

6.  I will record everything that I eat.  I have a subscription to weight watchers and dammit I'm going to use it.  Nothing will go past my lips without being recorded.

7,  I will exercise everyday.  Even if its only some sets of abs, I will not go a day without doing something.

And...that's all I've got.  I think that will be enough for now.  Next post I'll let you know how I'm a huge boozer...only not ;).  Also I promise there will be some excellent recipes coming out, with delicious looking pictures!