DUCK!

So over the past two weeks I have discovered a multitude of different foods - foods even people who aren't by definition usually picky may not even try!  I was on a roll!!

Since I have so many tales to tell, I am going to break it up into sections.  The first, well titled, blog is DUCK!

And yes I ate me some duck!  

There's more than duck on this plate obviously and I did try it all, but to be honest, the duck and the roll were the only good things.

Here's what I got served:

• Nasty peach like jelly crap
• Pumpkin Soup 
• A wheat roll
• Couscous
• Duck

The jelly was probably for the duck but it wasn't for me.  First of all, I had no idea that the duck and the couscous would be served cold--like really chilled cold food.  So at first it was a bit off putting.  I never did learn to like that couscous - it had pieces of dried fruit or something in it.  Yuck!  The duck however totally grew on me.  It literally tastes like the turkey from Thanksgiving that we get served to make sandwiches the next day.  It was delicious!  THe fat layer was odd, so I cut that off having no idea if I was supposed to eat it or not.  Luckily, I conferred with others and they cut it off too.  Whew!  I did it right! 

The pumpkin soup....well....I don't really know how to describe it.  It was warm and kinda sweet, yet I could tell an effort had been made to make it not so sweet.  Needless to say I tried it a couple of times, but couldn't stomach it.  It was almost like eating cinnamon roll soup with snot all over it - you'd think it tastes good but the texture and snot totally ruin it.  

So that was my first big adventure in food when I went to Germany.  It was the first meal I got served on the plane.  Whatever happened to giving someone some chips and salsa or mozzarella sticks?  Do all people who fly business class really eat up this shit?  If so, guess I'm just too much of a 'salt of the Earth' kinda gal.  Note to self - bring snacks next time I fly, which hopefully won't be until I go to Rome in September.

Stay tuned for my next story!  I even got to take home the 'things' home...hint hint!

The Plateau

250 - Woot!
252 - Dammit!
250 - Woot!!
252 - Dammit!!!
250 - Okay, is this scale right?
252 - I hate you!!!!

For the past month, I have been going up and down with my weight - basically maintaining.  I hit my first plateau at the end of May and struggled throughout June.  FRUSTRATING is an understatement.

But as much as I wanted to blame medicine, stress, and other external factors (McDonald's puts something in their food to be addictive!!!! I swear!), I realized that I needed to take a close look at my eating again.  Somewhere in my journey, I veered off to the left and I need to get back on track.

Was I eating a lot of fast food?  Not really, but I did have a few breakfast sandwiches in the morning and the weekends seemed to lead to eating out in some way.

Was I binge eating at home?  Again, not really, but one time I ate two Skinny Cows in one night.

So what went wrong?  Ugh, a lot and a few things - sounds stupid, well it was!

My working out regime changed.  Jake and I used to go on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.  Then toward the end of May when Jake started school Saturday's became hard to go to.  We skipped two in a row, so switched to working out Monday, Wednesday and Friday, which means I no longer am kickboxing, only boxing.  I am much, MUCH more coordinated with boxing, so my workouts are more intense, or at least I am pushing myself a lot harder than normal.

Secondly, a few important work and personal events happened during June.  I had to eat out twice with work, which is always hard to do when watching what I eat.  Since Jake was going to school and errands still had to get done on Saturday, we would sometimes plan very poorly thus we would get stuck eating out.  Even if it was Jimmy Jones and healthier, smaller choices on the menu, it was still eating out and our bodies weren't used to it.  And I turned 30 and I swear for 3 days straight I ate crap.  Utterly, disgustingly good crap.  But while I was eating, I just kept thinking, wow this isn't as good as it  used to be.  Only exception being Cheetos Puffs - damn I love them!!!

Thirdly, I stopped really looking at my serving sizes and carb intake.  Non-sugar free Kool-Aid has 8 servings, with 1 cup of sugar added.  Just 1 cup of sugar means that for each serving size there is TWO FREAKING CARBS!  That's half a potato!  Half a potato sound like a small amount to you?  Not to me!  Hell I could be eating two freaking Blue Bunny skinny cones!  So I felt a little duped, but the Kool-Aid man of all things - damn him and his smile!!!  And I also found myself snacking at work.  It's so so sooooo tempting to just sneak in some pretzels, a small slice of cake, a bagel, whatever the hell is lying around.

So, after my 30th B-Day blowout, I recommitted to my food plan and began to closely monitor my food choices again.  Just after 4 days, I am back to 250.  I am really hoping to break this plateau!!!  I feel like if I can get into the 240's, I've got it beat and I'll begin to see my numbers drop again.  I'm just so scared of quitting, but it's really not an option that I give myself.

I will say that I did have some 'Ah Ha!' moments during the last month.  One of the best was when I got a small serving size at Wendy's and felt fulfilled - minus the tiny ass cup of water mainly filled with ice.  I was parched dammit!  Don't skip on the liquid!  And at my party, I had a plate of food, no seconds, a slice of cake and that was it.  Old Sarah would have had another slice of cake and would have been constantly eating chips.  It felt good that because I felt full and was used to eating smaller, more appropriate portions, I didn't immediately revert back to old me.  Small victory, but still need to win the war!

Oh and by the way, I am heading to Germany in a couple weeks, so check back after the middle of July for some food blogs!  I actually tried roasted peppers from the grill a while back and requested them again.  I was surprised how much I actually liked them.  Fingers crossed I discover some new German food!  Yum!  (or EEK!)

Building Mussel

I admit, I have been bad about trying new things lately.  I got in this comfort zone and didn't want to leave it.  I was used to eating salad, broccoli, cauliflower and carrots and I just didn't want to try anything new.

Then I went out to dinner with my boss and well... madness ensued!!!

We got to the restaurant unbelievable early for a work dinner.  I was already nervous about dinner because there were things on the menu I hadn't even heard of...so when my boss asked what kind of appetizer I wanted, I was desperately hoping that Cheese Sticks had found their way on the menu.

They hadn't of course, so I was stuck with things like Calamari (which believe it or not, I will eat!), Crab Cakes, Shrimp, Gnocchi, and then mostly things I hadn't heard of or refused to try.

She asked me wanted I wanted and I instantly said the Shrimp - it's a super safe bet - I mean how can they fuck up Shrimp?  <---more about that later!

And then she asked for me to choose another one and I just looked at her, mouth open, speechless because nothing really looked good other than the Shrimp.  I mean the freaking Crab Cakes had strawberries in them--who does that?!?!  Yuck!!

So I tried to weasel out of the situation and make her pick, but no such luck.  She caught on quick that I was a picky eater and told me to try something new, after all I wasn't paying.  With a deep breath, I said I would try the steamed mussels with tomato and fresh herbs.  SCARY!!!

EEK!  I'm going to eat that?!?!

It's laughing at me!!

And there you have it - the Mussels!!  They look like they are all laughing at me cause they know I will be too chicken to actually eat them.  Well, the jokes on them cause I ate not just one but FIVE.  

It's salty and definitely reminds me of swimming in the ocean.  It was nice to dip it in the tomato sauce to give a little acid.  I also liked the sweetness of the Mussel too - salty and sweet and everything nice :o)

One thing I will say is that they do not look yummy tearing them out of their little home.  It's kinda gross but I just tried my damnedest to not think about it and not look at them too much.  Just pop it in my mouth and go about my business.  

Later on, I also got to try some Gnocchi.  It was pretty good too, but the Gnocchi itself seems kinda flavorless - I guess it has to be sautéed with something else to get some flavor?!  Regardless, I liked the creamy inside and the golden brown sides that had bits of herbs on it.  If I get to try some Gnocchi when I go to Italy, I will definitely give it a whirl.  I mean who doesn't like potatoes, or at least potato based food.  

So overall, it was a great night - I tried new things and ended a food drought that seemed to keep going on and on.  It's like I got stuck and now that I tried new things, I want to keep trying!  Woot!!  Here's to building on Mussels!

Extra Large and in Charge

If any of my readers have ever been Plus Size, they will know exactly what I am talking about in this blog!!

So, I can't tell you the last time I actually shopped in a Misses section for a top.  The last time I lost weight, nearly 5 years ago, I didn't lose any weight in my boobs - they seemed to just get bigger, which for some might be great, but for me....eh, not so much.  However, I almost fit my butt into a pair of size 16 MISSES pants!!!

But then I met Jake, got lazy and packed on the pounds.  Ugh!  Men!  Actually more like LOVE!  Anyway....

Honestly, I can't tell you how traumatizing shopping can be for a person who is not average weight or doesn't fit into Misses clothing.  And I cannot tell you what it does to a person's confidence - if you don't like what you are wearing, you aren't going to be waltzing into a meeting with uber-esteem.

I remember when I was in Elementary school and I had to start shopping in the Misses department way before any of my classmates (or at least that's how I felt).  I tried on jean after jean, only to find out that I was already a size freaking 12!!!  I didn't even start out in the single digits--DAMMIT!  True, I was the tallest girl in my class, sprouted boobs in the 3rd grade, and had begun to get my hips in the 5th grade.  Still--it was a shock to the system.  Side note - I had no idea I had boobs until my mom made me wear a bra before starting Junior High (I was a bit of a Tom Girl) and surprise!  I was already a B cup heading toward C-ville.

Anyway, so back to shopping in Misses department.  Every time I go into JCPenney, I oogle over the clothes I want to wear that I can't fit into.

But a funny thing happened a month ago....

I tried on an XL, teal polo shirt and I'll be damned if it didn't fit.  True, you can see my fat roll, but I'm not one for baggy shirts.  To me, baggy clothes just makes the person look 15 lbs heavier.  But the best thing about it was that my boobs fit!  THEY FIT!  Like not in a "I'm about to say peek-a-boo" way, but in a wow, I actually don't look disgusting in this shirt.  And over Mother's Day weekend, I bought myself another XL shirt - this one is red with black detailing on the top by the neckline.  It's just so exhilarating to be able to shop in a whole new world that has been off limits for such a very long time.  Not everything fits still, but it's nice to have the possible option.  Why is this such a big deal?  Well if you are asking that you must be a skinny bitch.  HAHA!  Just teasing....sort of....

Clearly not model potential, but OMG wearing a Misses XL shirt!  Fuck yeah!!!

It's a big deal because apparently if you make clothes for fat people or pleasantly plump or voluptuous as some like to say....it must mean that you think big people want to wear insanely bright colors, big loud prints, or Grandma clothes.  OOH!  And who can forget the ooooh so slendering vertical stripes.  Here's some examples for your viewing enjoyment.

HI!  I'm insecure about my weight so let's wear bright orange AND stripes!!

Apparently 20-somethings like to role play as a retiree in Florida

Dude - I know for a fact that this model is probably a size 8 or 10 but this dress makes her look like a size 20 and you want me to WEAR THAT?  WTF?!?!  I'd look like the fucking Goodyear Blimp!

Vertical Stripes - Need I say more....

These are a few of my favorite things....

I did it.

I ate freaking McDonald's again.

I soooo didn't want to tell Jake because I knew he'd make a face and be disappointed with me.  But you know what, I ate McDonald's, thought 'Eh, that was pretty good, but not amazing', and I still went to work out tonight AND I didn't fuck up my dinner just cause I sucked it up today at lunch.

The old Sarah would have told herself 'Well, shit--you already ate McD's so what's a little ice cream, chocolate and some yummy Pantera's pizza gonna hurt?'.  Today I was like, 'Oh crap!  Oh crap!  Oh crap!!  I can't believe I let myself down so now I must eat veggies, lean pork and some salad tonight'.  I'm a good girl, I'm just bad sometimes.

It's funny, in a not so ha-ha way, that I didn't follow my meal plan today because I was just talking to one of my best friends, Kate (Hi Kate!), who has also embarked on her own weight loss journey recently, about all the bad shit I used to eat and why I didn't want to eat it any more.  I think I jinxed myself.

Anyway....why don't I want to eat all the bad stuff any more?  Well for starters it made me super fat.

How fat you ask?  So fat that I was seriously inching toward 300 lbs.

300 POUNDS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  FUCK!!

So yeah, I was scared and started to pay attention and investigate how I got to that weight.

Well let's take a look at the old diet which consisted of eating out .... a lot .... majorly a lot.  

These are a few of my favorite things....

• Olive Garden - 
• Five Cheese Ziti - 1050 Calories
• Don't forget the Salad - 290 Calories
• Oh and at least 1 breadstick - 150 Calories
• Can you believe that the BREAD was less than the salad?  Shocker!
• McDonalds - 
• 10 Piece Chicken Nuggets - 500 Calories
• Large Fry - 470 Calories
• Large Coke - 310 Calories
• Pizza - 
• Sausage and Mushroom Baby!  Yum! - 1350 Calories
• Let's face it, I could down nearly a whole pizza.  Ugh...depressing to admit.
• Ben & Jerry's
• Pint O Ice Cream - 1050 Calories
• Qdoba
• Ground Sirloin Nacho's - 1285 Calories
• I had no freaking idea it was this much!!!  I used to eat this at lunch at least once a week!!  AHHH!  Why did I not know this!?!?!
• Red Robin
• Crispy Chicken Sandwich with Fries - 1103 Calories

So let's say it's Friday and I went out to Qdoba for lunch and had Nacho's, a Coke, and then went to Red Robin for Dinner and got Ben and Jerry's for dessert, I would have consumed.....

OVER 3500 CALORIES IN ONE DAY!!

I mean, that doesn't even count breakfast or any in-between snacking/drinking I may have done.  Damn...

Gee, I guess that's how I got to be 287 lbs.  Yup, I said my starting weight - I can't believe I was brave enough to tell the world, but there it is in black and white.  2 8 7 .... as Joey would say 'Whoa!'

What was my weight this morning?  2 5 6!  Oh yeah!  Broke my 10% weight loss goal and down 31 lbs.  Hot dog!!  I am feeling good!

For those that follow me and read my blog, what were some of your fave foods and their calorie counts?  Anything surprise you?  

Tell me a little bit about yourself...

Ever been to a job interview or a team building meeting and you were asked to tell a little bit about yourself?

It's quite possibly the worse question ever.  

What the heck do you share?  

HI!  I'm Sarah and I'm a 29 year old addicted to food, who will throw her applesauce away if it 'looks weird', who won't keep most foods past 1 week (cause in my head everything expires in one week), and is still somewhat of a picky eater--but I'm hey getting better cause I like salad.  

Wouldn't friend me on Facebook?  Yeah, neither would I.

So instead, I usually say something like...

HI!  I'm Sarah, recently married, I have 2 of the cutest dogs in the world, a cat who won't stop freaking meowing, and I love to be outdoors--camping, fishing, hiking, and I'm really easy to get along with.  Oh, and I smile a lot and annoy people with my constant chipper attitude.

More or less that's what I say when people ask me to define or talk about myself.

Is it true though?  Do I really have super cute dogs?  

Lena looking at me for a treat

Jack and his everyday face

Yup!!  That's 100% true - I mean my dogs just have the freaking cutest faces ever and I tell them that every day.  

Sorry, I had to somehow show off my dogs.

Back to truths--Do I really like being outdoors?

Let's see, I sunburn at the drop of a hat, I get overheated when I'm out in the sun and it's above 80 degrees, I don't like getting dirty for the most part, sweating is just wrong and oh yeah, I am afraid of bugs and very, very afraid of spiders--they jump!!

But yet...I think I always wanted it to be a truth.  I really am inspired by the outdoors and Missouri's natural beauty.  I actually count my blessings that I get up early enough and I'm in my car watching the sun rise.  It's beautiful and yes, I know being in my car is not really outside (but yet the car is outside...eh, eh?  Still doesn't count?  Darn....)

In all seriousness, I really do want to be an outdoors girl, but my weight restricts me.  I can't tell you what a difference a loss of just over 25lbs has done to me.  When Missouri got crazy hot in March, it didn't bother me the way heat normally does (heat usually means me vomiting my guts out and migraines).  As the weight comes off, I am gravitating to being outdoors more and more.  This weekend Jake and I stumbled upon the Tartan Days (Celtic celebration) and typically I would have been like "Eh, let's just go to the shop we came for and leave," but this time I was like 'OH!  Bagpipes and men in kilts!".

Think they are wearing underwear?

Jake and I ended up walking for over 2 hours without even trying!  It was great and it made me feel great!  

So, maybe I'm not the most outdoorsy girl in the world, but I'm getting there.  Every weekend I find myself taking more walks, doing more yard work (willingly too!), and most of all, truly enjoying what Mother Nature continues to unfold this Spring.  It's amazing how my food journey is turning into another journey of really discovering myself and my likes and dislikes.   

So, I had to include this ridiculously horrible picture of Jake and I.  What the hell is up with my head?!?!  It's freaking HUUUUGGEE!  It makes Jake look like someone suffering from shrunken head disease.  Oh and I am having the worst hair day ever--it looked so good before we left and then yuck.  Maybe one day I'll figure out how to have perfect hair.  I doubt it thought....  

Being the Bad Guy....

My husband is the bad guy....

He tells me no.

A lot sometimes.

More than I'd like to admit....

I don't know what came over me, but Monday and Tuesday all I wanted was a basket of deep fried, crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside Chicken Fingers with a plate of steaming hot, perfectly salted, crisp French Fries.  Oh and can't forget the ginormous thing of Heinz Ketchup on the side.

Yes, yes, come into my mouth little ones.....nom, nom, nom, nom....

Thankfully, my husband is most excellent at being the 'bad' guy and tells me no.  Where would I be without him?  Probably hunched over a McDonald's dumpster caressing fries saying "My Preccccioussssss"---that's where I'd be without him.

Seriously though, I owe him a huge thanks for helping me with my food issues.  I get to repay him by making him work out with me between going boxing.

These cravings come and go, but for the life of me I can't figure out what triggers them.  Is it hormones?  Another food I'm eating?  Just plain ole boredom?  

Life will be great--all fresh veggies and lean meat--and then........POW!  SLAP!  OUCH!  

CRRRAAVVINNNGGSS!!!  

HORRIBLE EAT YOURSELF INTO A COMA, OMG, I WANT SOME MCD's NUGGETS IN MY MOUTH RIGHT NOWWWWWWWWW kinda cravings.  It's bad, I know....

But, as nearly as quick as they come, the cravings go and I don't want to even look at something fried and the smell of it makes me want to vomit in a bucket of 10-piece KFC chicken.  

What's up with this--is it my will power that jumps back into overdrive?  Or, do I just realize that I don't really want it, it's more of just a comfort food I naturally turn to when I'm feeling down or insecure.

I have a feeling it's the latter of the two, or maybe a little bit of both.  There's chocolate galore at work and amazingly I'm able to keep my chocolate nibbling's down to just a few pieces and some days I make it a point to pass it up.  Writing this now makes me want to completely stop nibbling on chocolate...

Anyway, to my readers out there, do you have cravings?  If you've lost weight before, did you or do you still run into these days where no matter what you do you just want to stuff yourself silly with bad food you used to eat?

I'm hoping that by making a menu for the upcoming week, I can use foods that I love that are on my meal plan to offset any potential negative cravings.  I do have good cravings sometimes--like I crave water a lot now and sometimes all I want is a salad with my favorite dressing and croutons.  I'll let you know how it goes :o)  

Oh and follow my blog dang it!!  I had no followers and now I have one and she's just lonely.  She needs a follower friend.  

The Before....

So I am going to take the leap and post my before picture....

It's not a really good picture by any means--it was taken with my cell phone, kinda dark and I was wearing black pants....but nonetheless here it is...25 lbs ago...

Ugh--looks at how puffy my hands are!! EEK!

A few things I notice that are different right off the bat -
1.  Way longer hair now!  Hooray!
2.  That shirt was about to NOT fit and now it totally fits!!  
3.  My boobs aren't that big any more--thank goodness!  Now I don't fall over constantly...haha, joke.

So here's some pictures of me today - both are taken outside of Title Boxing (Love it!!!)

I'm totally sweaty and gross right here but I feel amazing!  Two fabulous workouts this week at the gym--my best yet!



I just don't seem so puffy in general, but I remember the first time I was able to take off my 3 rings, which had been stuck on my fingers for what seemed like eternity.  I had gotten so big that I just could not get them off and I just kept thinking, oh shit!  What if I go to the hospital and have to have surgery, will they cut my rings off?  Aren't you like not supposed to wear jewelry going under the knife?  Why I thought this when I have no intention or plans of going to the hospital is beyond me, but it was this nagging thought in the back of my head.

Now the nagging thought in the back of my head is "Don't fuck up now!!  You've just got things going in the right direction!!  Don't fuck it all up!!!!  Finish what you started!"  Yeah, my brain totally curses like a sailor.

Anyway, those are my pictures.  Embarrassed?  Eh, maybe a bit because I am showing the world just how much I didn't give a shit about me, but I am changing that and continuing to learn from my mistakes. Here's to 3 more months of eating on plan and continuing to work out.  2012 - - It's all about me and my food this year.  If I can open myself up to more foods, I'll only be setting myself up for success!

Where were you on December 19, 2011?

I know exactly where I was and what I did that day.  I went bowling with my husband's family (well, I guess my family, but you know what I mean) and then we were off to Imo's for pizza.  I was pumped!!  I love me some STL thin crust pizza.  So good!  I splurged and got us some ravioli and some cheese, garlic bread too.  Ah fried meat, cheese and pizza all in one meal.  But the real star was the beverage of choice--Pepsi.

My parents should have bought me stock in Pepsi when I was born cause I alone probably drank enough to keep the New Haven, MO Pepsi plant up and running.  Pepsi just has this bite about it--I freaking love it!!!!!!!!!!!  Coke is just too sweet for me, but I will say that McD's had the best tasting Coca-Cola ever.  But if you know me, you know that I think McD's puts some additive in everything so people get addicted to it--oh wait, that's been proven right--lots of sugar and that yummy pink slime in their meat.  Yuck!

But that's a whole other addiction that I have now curbed, but back to Pepsi aka Wonder Beverage!

So in December, I knew that I needed to make some changes to my diet and nutrition.  In 2007, I gave up soda and had the WORST MIGRAINES KNOWN TO MAN!  I would be at work and BAM--I would be horribly sick and couldn't function.  I would have to leave to drive to my apartment in excruciating pain and hope that I made it to the bedroom without throwing up first.  It was horrifying to go through caffeine withdrawal.  It was also a great wakeup call.  After roughly two weeks of no soda and sparingly popping Excedrin (which is a caffeine pill by the way), I was able to live life without soda.  It didn't last too long though.  I was on a diet that wasn't giving me enough calories so I craved food a lot, like a lot a lot.  So eventually, I began to allow myself one soda a day, which became three sodas and then a free for all on all the food I wasn't eating and I gained back all my weight in roughly a year and a half (but as always I gained even MORE back!  UGH!).  When December rolled around, I just kept dreading the horrible migraines I was expecting to go through again.

Luckily, my brilliant and very supporting husband who also experienced migraines (due to drinking soda though) suggested that I just start cutting back so when I did go cold turkey it wasn't the worse thing in the world.  He also told me to not take Excedrin because that didn't really help me in the caffeine department.  I slowly cut back and stopped buying soda at work and decided, well shit, I guess it's now or never.

December 19th, 2011 at Imo's is the last, very last time I had Pepsi.

Do I still crave it?  Sometimes, especially when I'm whacked out on hormones (us crazy girls and our hormones!), but something inside me doesn't give in.

Did I have the horrible migraines?  Nope, but I did have headaches that made me want to punch someone in the face.  This time I learned from my previous mistakes and took ibuprofen which was enough to at least dull the headaches.  I also learned to keep myself busy.

So what do I drink now?  Water and water and sometimes water.  Seriously--I love water.  I crave water.  It's all I ever want.  This week I went out to lunch with some co-workers and I seriously drank almost 5 glasses of water in 1 hour.  I had to pee like a mo-fo by the time we got back to the office.  That's the only downside to water is I pee like a race horse.  Too much information--quite possibly :o)  Sometimes I will drink Kool-Aid, but it's sugar free and only 1 glass worth.

What about diet soda?  Yuck--okay, if you drink diet soda, I'm sorry, but it's gross.  What exactly are you drinking other than brown water with a bunch of chemicals--especially if it's caffeine free diet soda.  Just can't bring myself to do it.  I even tried to convince myself that Diet Dr. Pepper tasted like normal Dr. Pepper and it just doesn't.

I am almost 4 months soda free and I can't wait to make it to a year!  It has been a very big change in my life for the better and I really hope I keep it up.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time

So most of you know that Jake and I have embarked on a new way of eating this year.  I am down 25 lbs and Jake is down around 33 lbs (probably more since men seem to blink and lose weight!).

We've been counting our carb servings almost like a diabetic would although we aren't quite as stringent because we are not diabetic.  We've been watching our serving sizes and even when we have to go off plan, we really try to not over eat as we would have in the past.  It's funny to look back and realize just how insane our portions were before.  Did you know that one of those Ben & Jerry's pints had like over 1000 calories!  Shit!!  No wonder I got fat.  Yes, I got fat--real fat and don't sit there and go "Oh she wasn't that big."  I saw the pictures - I was big, bigger, biggest I'd ever been at the end of 2011.  In just three months I weigh what I did in 2009 and I'm smaller than I was when I got married.  Proof is in the pictures - the double chin is like 1.5 chins now.  Woot!

Anyway, so for the last 90 days or so, I've cruised through breakfast thanks to a dietitian's suggestion to eat Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches.

Yes - I eat bread - 2 slices nonetheless in the morning!  And I eat Jelly with sugar in it.  And I eat Peanut Butter that !GASP! has fat in it.  And you know what--it works.  It keeps me full for nearly 5 hours.  I usually eat it around 730am and around 11 to 1130am I begin to get hungry.  If I were to eat a bowl of all grain, whole wheat, bran, wheat germ cereal, I'd be hungry in about 2 hours after eating it.  It just doesn't hold me over and really stick with me.  I have so much energy in the morning thanks to the wonderful protein in the Peanut Butter and the sugar in the Jelly gives me an instant boost to start my work day.  The whole grain bread continues to keep me full for hours.  It's a miracle meal.

I used to start my morning with either a McDonald's Sausage Egg and Biscuit or donut or a SlimFast Shake.  The biscuit would hold me over for quite awhile, but it also made me want to go to sleep and hibernate for about a week.  The donut made me want more sugar.  The SlimFast was actually pretty good, but again, never held me over.  I didn't believe that a PB&J sandwich would even be tasty early in the morning, let alone help me lose weight, but by golly it has!  I have started to eat eggs and a piece of toast in the morning on the weekends, just to give myself a bit of variety, but honestly, the sandwich really hits the spot.

I know, this is a lame blog about a sandwich that everyone probably eats, but eating it for breakfast is just so fascinating to me.  If you struggle with weight and being hungry in the morning, I urge you to try it for a week and see if you notice any difference.  Of course you still have to follow the serving size on the jars, so no cheating by putting globs of Jelly or Peanut Butter on the bread.

Oh and by the way, I sorta lost steam with trying new things, although I still am.  It's just hard to write about making yuck faces all the time.  So, I am going to continue writing about my food oddities, keep trying new things and making note of it, but I am also going to use this as a catalyst to keep me motivated in my weight loss journey.  I'm excited and determined.  Maybe I will even post some before - after pictures  or some photo's of my boxing class.  Although, I look like a sweaty mess after working out--it might deeply traumatize you to post those pictures.  We'll see and thanks for reading!

Little India

Wow!  It's  been forever since I have blogged.

Unfortunately, for those not in Missouri reading this, the good ole Show-Me state has been battling some major icky sickness.  I think I was sick in November, then got it again in January and couldn't kick the dang flu/cold/bug/whatever it was until late February.  Jake and I both feel a million times better.  I also learned that when you don't go to the doctor for two years, they won't call a prescription in for you and force you to go visit them only to prescribe the same thing I requested over the phone....sigh.

Anyway, back to food!

So in February when Jake and I were feeling poopy I thought I would give some Indian food a try.  I know right--that's a pretty big leap for me considering that I couldn't eat Brussels Sprouts without a major yuck face.  But, technically, I've had Indian food before.

Roughly 2 years ago, I won a contest by changing the words to Baby Got Back to align with the SkyTeam Alliance (travel jargon) and the Thistle-Gouman Hotel group.  After doing my little rap with my friend Jenny, we found out we rocked the hizzouse and I got picked to go to London.  I think every single friend and family member was concerned that I might actually starve to death during my time abroad.  I obviously wasn't one to try things, so they were frightened that I would be wondering around the streets of London late at night looking for a McDonald's and get slashed by Jack the Ripper IV.  Luckily for me, I put my mind to it that I was NOT going to be a rude guest and would accept whatever offerings I was given.  It all went pretty well up until the last night when I was told I was in for a real treat--real Indian food.  I did a big gulp, but replied back--Great!  Can't wait!  Of course in my head I was like "Holy shit--what am I going to do?  I can't eat Indian food!!!".

But I did.

And I enjoyed it.

I got to try lamb for the first time and a bunch of other things that I honestly don't know what they were to this day.  Either way--it was good.  The only thing I didn't try was this nasty, greenish blob of crap they said was the best thing since chocolate cake.  I highly doubt it was because if that statement were true, there would be greenish blob cakes--and well, we all know there aren't.

So that brings me to a week or so ago--I asked Jake to try some Indian food :o)

I think it's called Tikka Masala, but not 100% sure.  Whatever it is, it's yummy!  Just the right amount of spice to give your tongue a zing.  I pared this with rice and flatbread and it's almost like an Indian Taco the way I eat it.  Unfortunately, we didn't make enough rice so at times the sauce tasted a little tomatoey, but I think with more rice and more chicken, it'd be perfect.  It's just hard to cook for two people.

So score one for Indian food!  It was easy to make, tasted great and best of all, it's on my eating plan.  I'm excited to try the next new thing.  I'm open to suggestions by the way :o)

He's one Fungi

So, I have this crazy love affair that's been going on since I was a teenager.

Anytime I go out, I try to get him to join me.

I daydream about him while at work.

I think about the next time I can get him close to my mouth.

Sometimes, I have to hide my deep love from my husband so he doesn't get jealous.

Thankfully, my husband doesn't have the same affair with him as I do--in fact, Jake thinks he stinks.

Who's this guy that has captured my heart??

Anyone who's ever ordered a pizza with me, know's it's fungi aka mushrooms.

I LOOOOVE MUSHROOMS!  I love them fried (who doesn't love fried!!), I love them sauteed, I love them on burgers, I love them on top of chicken,  I love them smothered with cheese, and I love that they are on my meal plan.

This is what I've been eating pretty regularly at night:

They are so good!  I swear I could become a vegetarian and substitute Mushrooms for Meat.  SOO GOOD!!  I will say, I don't like them raw--texture is off and they just don't taste the same.

I am hoping to take advice from a co-worker and grill some big, fat Portobello's and stuff them with cheese.  Cheese + Mushrooms = One Happy Lady!  :o)

Something fishy is going on here...

FINALLY!  I'm not sick any more!! I feel like I have been sick for a month--oh that's right--I have been!!

I'm finally feeling almost like my rock-star self, so I figured I better get back on my journey and try something new.  As a reminder, a few weeks ago you, the readers, voted for me to try Brussels Sprouts and Tilapia.  So Brussels Sprouts was a big, fat failure, so I finally got around to eating some Tilapia.

First of all, anyone that says that Tilapia isn't fishy is a little looney.  Fish is a fish and it's fishy.  The end.

But wait!  It's not necessarily a bad thing.

So here's how it went...

Two weeks ago, I actually bought fresh Tilapia at the fish counter.  My friends said just put it in the oven or saute pan and cook with lemon, butter, salt, and pepper.  However, I didn't eat the fish right away and one morning I woke to a smell that wasn't too pleasant (okay, so my house smelled like a bad vagina).  The smell kind of made me not want to try Tilapia and just pretend like I never was going to try it, but....I'm an honest gal and pretty determined to discover new foods that I like.

Last weekend when I was grocery shopping I passed by the fresh fish counter and went to the frozen food section and chose what I was hoping would be a tasty, frozen alternative to fresh fish.  It had spices and the dude on the box seemed friendly--like "Hey, I caught you a nice little fishy just for you!"  So, I figured, what the heck, let's go for it.  The box went in my cart, I checked out, went home and kind of forgot about it.  Then, Wednesday night came and my husband asked me the dreaded question, "What are we having for dinner tomorrow?"  My stomach did a little flip, but I pressed on and answered, "Tilapia" in my most pathetic voice.

Thursday night came and my husband kept me on plan by making the Tilapia.

But right away I knew something was wrong...

The fish was.....

Well--it was square.  Not like kinda square, but like bonafide square.  Hmmm....

Yeah, the box is deceiving!  It looks like a quasi-real fish fillet!  ARGH!  

But we still cooked it and ate it.

What were the results?

Not bad!  Was it the most delicious thing ever?  Not really, but it was decent.  The texture was actually very good--light, tender and moist.  My first bite was surprisingly pleasant--but the after-taste was somewhat off putting.  I ate the whole fillet and I am thoroughly convinced that I liked the fish, but not the coating of spices.  The spice wasn't fresh--that's about the best way to describe it.  Fresh herbs would have probably been a huge improvement.  

I will eat Tilapia again that's for sure--and in all honesty, it made fish seem not so scary.  I will happily try another fish in the future.  However, next time I think I'll pass up the square fish in the rectangular box.  

This and That

It's been a while since I've posted, so I wanted to share a few things about my food journey thus far.

I still need my old standbys.  One of the most important things for me is to keep foods near me that I really like and enjoy while I try to add new foods that may not be as tasty as say Chocolate Cake or Fried Chicken.  Every day at lunch I try to bring a comfort food that I really enjoy.  Lately it's been chili--there's something about the starchy beans that I put in it, with the heat and the crunchy oyster crackers.  It's like a treat, but at the same time it's like Fiber-Dome 2000!!!!  Waiting to try new fruits and veggies at home let's me be myself while I pick at things and debate whether or not I actually want to fork it into my mouth.

Another thing I have learned is that foods that don't smell that appealing can really grow on you.  If I would have told my family members that I would request salad before or after a meal as a "treat" Well......let's just say they would have laughed at my face and probably bet against me.  Even my husband told me today that he was so proud I am eating a full bowl of salad!  Woot!  Granted I haven't ventured very far into Salad-ville, but I am at least on my way.  Not too long ago I was convinced that iceberg lettuce was pretty up there on the nasty scale--probably nearing oatmeal.  But now I enjoy the crunchiness and have really found a great dressing that wakes up my taste buds.

Oh!  And I totally forgot to mention that I tried a teeny, tiny bit of Guacamole at a Mexican restaurant this weekend.  It had red onions mixed in with it (they might actually surpass oatmeal in my list of "omg get that out of my mouth before I scream! foods) so I didn't like it.  It was smooth and creamy and other than the punch of red onion, I didn't get much out of it.  Do you like Guacamole?  Jake said it had to grow on him--do you think he's right?

Here's to Thursday--Tilapia night!  Everyone says that I will like this fish since it's not hard to screw up cooking and it's got a light taste.  I'm looking forward to it, but Jake has problems with the textures of fish.  We'll see how it goes!

Sprouting Up!

Well, tonight was THE night I planned to try the dreaded brussels sprouts.  Actually, I wasn't really dreading them, but as the week went a long, it seemed they were every where I went!!  I couldn't get away from them!

AH!  Invading my plate!

I kept thinking of all the Thanksgiving cooking shows I watched this past year and nearly every single one of them made some delicious version of the sprouts.  I was getting kind of excited that this cabbage cousin might be my new best friend.  So, here's how tonight went...

I chopped up my sprouts into quarters and coated lightly in some olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper.

I cooked some broccoli and cauliflower as Plan B.

I stuck them in the oven for roughly 15 minutes, stirring every so often.  The smell wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either.  They look pretty appetizing!

Oooh, golden goodness.....hopefully!

After all the pieces looked well roasted and had some color on them, I decided it was time for the big bite!  My husband, Jake, actually went first.  I told him to not give me a "Yea" or "Nay" because I wanted to develop my own opinion, but he did tell me it was texturally different than other vegetables he was used to eating.  I was a little leery, but I knew from my experience with cauliflower that a mushy, roasted vegetable didn't bother me so I was hoping it would be similar.

Well, here goes!!

My first bite of Brussels Sprouts

Yeah, so I didn't like them.  And believe it or not, I continued to eat them because I thought for sure my opinion would change.  But....a definitely NO to Brussels Sprouts!  ICK!  It wasn't really the texture that bothered me, although it was different than what I expected, it was the taste.  At first it seemed bland, but as I chewed it became bitter and had an odd after taste.  The layers between the leaves (I guess that is what you would call them) was a little off-putting texturally, but it wasn't the worst thing I've ever had---that's right Oatmeal, you are still the worst texture ever!!!  It just was not delicious whatsoever.  I just so thought they would taste buttery or like a golden nugget in my mouth, but it was more like sticking some bad, limp lettuce in my mouth.  Not something I want to really eat again, but hey--at least I tried!

Next week---Tilapia!!!  I am like 99% sure I will like it because everyone tells me it's a very mild, not-so-fishy fish.  But then again, I convinced myself I would like the sprouts and that didn't go very well at all.   :o(

And the winner is....

Brussels Sprouts!  

Actually, Tilapia won too, so I will give that a whirl next week. 

Here's the final vote tally:

• Brussels Sprouts - 4 Votes
• Tilapia - 4 Votes
• Eggplant - 2 Vote
• Oranges - 1 Vote   **Clearly someone felt pity for me ;o)

I must say, I was pretty pumped about the voting and letting my readers decide, but as it got closer to Friday, the more nervous I got.  It's all fun and games until I have to do it!  I think I just have some anxiety about preparing the recipe I chose (see below) and dreading the fact that I may actually hate everything about these mini-cabbages.  I am preparing them on Wednesday so check back to see if I liked, loved, or hated them.  I'm hoping to take pics of the entire process---especially my face during my first bite.  

Here's the recipe I have chosen to go with:  Ina Garten's Roasted Brussels Sprouts  

It's simple (an idiot really could make it) and the reviews were great.  On a side note, anyone else incorrectly call them Brussel Sprouts?  Apparently it's BrusselS Sprouts.  Who knew!?!

Uh, did you wash that glass out?

If you were to ask my husband to name one habit of mine he'd love to change, I know exactly what he would say--If she could just use ONE glass for the day!

I cannot stand to use my Kool-Aid glass for water.  I cannot stand to use my water glass for soda.  I cannot stand to use my soda glass for ANYTHING!

Luckily for my husband, I gave up soda on December 19, 2011.  Yeah, that's right, I know the exact date and where I consumed my last taste of Pepsi--Imo's pizza.  Mmm, mmm, good.  Actually, I don't really miss the Pepsi because I've learned everything tastes better when it's not drowning in Pepsi.  The only time I miss soda is during that 3pm, afternoon slump when a nice shot of caffeine sounds so good.

Anyway, back to my glasses...

It just grosses me out to see my drinks contaminated by other people drinking out of my glass (other than my husband--he's on the safe list) and past drinks leaving residue behind to ruin my new drink.  I just can't stand cross-contamination of my drinks.  A nice, clean, fresh glass is the only way to go.  This weekend Jake used his tea glass for water and he didn't rinse it out--YUUUCK!  So the water was light yellow--totally reminded me of pee.  How could he drink that?  Didn't it taste awful--uber-duber watered down tea.  Blechk!!

I think this is part of my "picky" syndrome with food.  I get something in my mind and it's very hard for me to move past what I pictured in my head.

It's like when I eat the clementines....  I have to seriously concentrate on not noticing the fuzzy pith on the wedges.  If I look down and start to overanalyze the fruit, I feel a little sick to my stomach and my gag-reflex comes roaring to life.  I'm hoping that this will lessen and maybe even go away as I continue my food journey.  I really struggle with "contamination" of food and drinks, but here's to hoping that one day I can actually rinse out a glass instead of getting a new one for every drink I have throughout the day.  My husband will have to find a new bad habit of mine to wish away.... :o)

Roasted!!

If someone would have told me that I would be eating roasted broccoli and cauliflower once or twice a week, I would have laughed all the way to my chicken nuggets and fries at McDonald's.  Speaking of which, I haven't had McDonald's in over three weeks!

I'm lazy and bought pre-cut florets at Shop N Save.

Luckily, about two weeks ago, I took a chance on the popular vegetables everyone seemed to rave about.  I got my cookie sheet out, olive oil, salt, pepper, and the poor mans spice, Mrs. Dash and mixed up my veggies.

Tossing my veggies!! (in my PJ's)

Roughly, 15 minutes later, out popped my nicely charred broccoli and cauliflower.  I really like the look of the darkened broccoli florets and the browned cauliflower pieces--it actually looks appealing, which was a real surprise to me.  The smell--eh...kinda not so yummy, but it's not too bad.

Panko Chicken, Home-Fries, and Roasted Broccoli & Cauliflower

The broccoli is slightly crunchy with just a hint of charred taste.  The cauliflower is actually creamy and  is actually a great compliment for the charred broccoli.  So far, my favorite thing to eat it with is chicken.  Something about the juicy chicken and the veggies really make me feel healthy, but it's filling and delicious.  I still can't believe I like it!!  I'd like to try to steam them, but I'm a little afraid they will get mushy or have no taste.  For right now, I am content with roasting them, but it's a goal of mine to try to steam more veggies.  I have a freaking steamer and have used it once to steam sweet potatoes for a pie......that I had one bite of.....cause I put nuts on it and I don't care for nuts (or so I've told myself).  

On a side note, I'm really shocked that I'm looking forward to trying new things.  I'm still a little leery, but since I've had success so far with a few things, it gives me confidence that I will continue to enjoy new foods.  Although, I know without a doubt one day I will make something and I am going to hate it.  Fun fun!

Tasty my ass!

Oatmeal is the most loathsome food out there!

YUCK!!!

I cannot tell you how many times I've heard that the best thing to eat for breakfast is a nice bowl of Oatmeal.  Put some bananas in it, sugar, maple syrup and it's soo good--if you are into the worst texture to put in your mouth in the entire world.  I can't even get the stuff far enough in my mouth to actually swallow!  My gag reflex is instantaneous and immediately my tongue rejects the oatmeal by forcing it back out of my mouth. 

It's not just the texture---it's the smell.  Is it glue?  Some weird paste?  Whatever the smell, it's not  yummy in my tummy!  No matter what I put in it, it's just completely unappealing.  The taste is just simply un-improvable.  Add sugar, honey or milk you say?  Yeah--so not happening.  Why make something to only add a crap ton of stuff to make it somewhat edible (if you like gravely dirt in your mouth with some sugar and berries).  

Roughly 4 years ago, I was convinced I was going to eat a bowl of oatmeal no matter how bad my reaction was to the disgusting pile of goo in front of me.  Surely I could learn to love it, right??  I patiently made it the old fashioned way and sat at the kitchen table convinced I could do it.  The first spoonful immediately came back up, but I thought, "I haven't had oatmeal in years, so I bet I just need some sugar or some fruit like they show on TV."  Yeah.....that didn't go so well either.  A few spoonfuls later that ended up in a napkin or in the trash can convinced me that oatmeal was never going to be for me.  No matter how many great things it has going for it (very filling, great nutrients), I just can't do it.  It's not for me and never will be.  So, fare the well oatmeal.  I hope someone out there adores you, but I quite frankly think you are D-I-S-G-U-S-T-I-N-G!

Wasting Away...

On any normal weekend when there's nothing on TV, I somehow end up watching the Food Network for the majority of the day.  I saw that a new show was challenging four chefs to find food in trash or wasting away in fields to feed 100 people.  One comment really hit close to home--the American public has been trained to expect flawless food.

Just about any time I eat a fresh vegetable, bet it a green bean or potato, I meticulously look it over for imperfections, blemishes or weird little spots.  If it's fruit, I'm looking for the same thing and to make sure it's not too mushy.  I realized that I'm not only picky when it comes to taste, I'm extremely picky about how my food looks.  Just last weekend I grabbed some fresh green beans at the store.  I made sure that I grabbed the brightest and healthiest green beans out of the bunch and even in the back of my head I was wondering just how many "bad" green beans I had in my bag.  Of course upon closer inspection, it was just tiny specs of dirt or normal imperfections, but I honestly had visions of throwing the entire green bean away simply for it's minor flaws.  What a waste!!  

I do the exact same thing with my fruit--except I'm even worse because I haven't quite opened my taste buds up to much in the fruit department.  I have a bowl of clementines and apples on my counter and sure enough, every morning I search for the least blemished, freshest and near perfection fruit I can get my hands on.  If it's the least bit squishy, I throw it away or "accidentally" forget it at work for 5 days to where it's actually no longer good to eat.  Why do I do this?  Because I have been trained to look for the best and brightest in the produce department.  

What's even worse, is that my parents go to a Farmer's Market with flawed food and people beg for more fresh food from them--yet here I am turning my nose up at it because of a few flaws that could either be avoided or cut out.  Heck---sometimes the flaw is on the outside and has nothing to do the good part of the fruit---it's all just superficial---just like me when it comes to produce.  

So I am adding on a new challenge to myself this year---Get over the flaws and just eat the damn thing!  Cut off the bad part and salvage the rest, don't discount the fruit because it has a tiny little bruise, and in general, just give it a chance because I know someone else is out there like me who won't be willing to...

Also, I wanted to share this article I read as well that found that the US lets nearly half of it's food supply go to waste: Half of US Food Wasted

Anyone else have this "Picky Produce" problem like me?  If so, let me know!

Voyeuristic Salad

I love salad.

Just not in the way you are probably thinking.

Salad, to me, can be pretty gross.  But it looks so pretty!  It looks tasty!  Crisp, crunchy, refreshing, healthy, and a bunch of other really great things.  It looks even better when they serve yummy chicken in it or those super cute tortilla chip strips.  However, when I eat it, I make a face--more specifically a "Yuck-Face".

It saddens me that I can't go to a restaurant and say "Yes, I'd like the awesomely delicious fiesta salad for dinner."  Instead, I become this creepy being that watches people enjoy their salads in envy!  I've even freaked Jake out by watching him so intently while he was eating his salad, he thought I was truly upset about something.  When in reality, all I was thinking was "I want your damn enjoyment of salads!  In my mouth!  ARGH!  Why not me?!?!".  I'm really not joking when I say, if you order a salad, chances are you will see me watching you eat it in pure jealousy.  I know, I know---I'm nuts, but I can't help it.

I remember on my 16th birthday, I wanted to eat salad so I asked my mom to prepare one with romaine and all sorts of veggies like carrots, radishes, mushrooms, etc.  I bought a bottle of Ranch dressing and a bag of croutons just for my special occasion.  I was absolutely convinced that I was going to force myself to eat the whole bowl of salad and magically I would love the taste.  Unfortunately, I had like 2 tiny bites and said screw that idea.  Where's the freaking birthday cake?

However, I have committed myself to trying new things in 2012 and opening my mouth up to new tastes and textures.  I am very happy to share some good news with you on the salad front.

Thanks to my Mom-in-Law, I have discovered that I like iceberg lettuce with slivers of grape tomatoes (1.5 to be exact), 10 croutons and Marzetti's Creamy Italian dressing.  I guess I have salad OCD.  Seriously, I will eat my whole bowl of salad if I am served exactly as I described above.  I will also eat Olive Garden salad--minus the olive, the pepper and any onions.  So...I guess I should say, I kind of eat Olive Garden salad.

Overall, I'm pretty proud of myself that in the last 2 weeks I've had more salad than I have had in my 29 years combined.  I will actually admit that last night, I really enjoyed my boring bowl of salad and did not make a face or push it into my mouth and wish it was pizza.  I'm so happy that I can say I like salad (at least my salad). Woot!!  

Being told no....

Being told no as a kid is hard enough, but being told no as an adult is just as hard, if not more so.

As a kid I was told no, you can't visit someone or no, you can't take the car.  As adult, I get the joy of being told no to food.  Since I am and have been a picky eater for nearly all my life, I've gotten into the nasty habit of having a meat and potatoes lifestyle.  And at times, mainly potatoes...

So now I have a challenge ahead of me of changing my eating habits and embracing a lot more veggies and fruits into my diet.  And in general, watching my potato addiction.  Why do potatoes have to taste so damn good?!?!?!  They taste even better with ketchup!  Damn them!

Anyway, I have to tell 'No' to myself and rely on the help of my husband.  It's very hard and somewhat depressing.  I'm looking to the future though and hoping that as I open my mind and my palate to new foods, I'll hopefully find a love affair with new veggies I've yet to discover and maybe learn to love a few I like right now.  Here's to trying new things and telling myself 'YES!' to new foods!

If any of my readers have any suggestions, feel free to message me on Facebook or leave a comment here.

Bologna and Ketchup....Mmmm, mmm, good

That's right--Bologna and Ketchup sandwiches!  I ate those for nearly most of my elementary school years.  I would bring my brown bag or new plastic lunch box, plop it down on the cafeteria table, and year a bunch of Yucks and Ewwws.  I don't know what it was about it, but it was just so dang tasty!  The tangy catchup, the savory meat (although now I don't think it's "savory", but give a kid a break!), and the fresh white bread--you couldn't beat it!!  Eventually I gave up the bologna and began using Velveeta.  So good!  Ketchup and Velveeta!! Mmm, mmm, good!  

   

It's so weird that I would eat a bologna and ketchup sandwich which I have to admit, never looked appetizing.  Yet I wouldn't eat a fresh tomato, salad, onions, squash, sour cream, any Mexican or any Chinese and a LOT more.  It's amazing to think that I would eat two pieces of mushy white bread slathered in ketchup with some bologna or Velveeta stuck inside.  Crazy!

Keep visiting my blog--Next week I am experimenting with Steamed Vegetables!  Wow...that's kind of sad that I am almost 30 and just now experimenting with food.  But the good thing is that I've already discovered a lot of new foods over the past 5 years that I love.  Can't wait to share it with you and other Picky Eaters.

Oh! My Clementine!!

Well, I did it!  I ate my first Clementine....and I liked it!  Except every time I touched that weird white stuff on it, I kind of wanted to barf.  Ugh...

Every wedge was great--super juicy, sweet, and best of all, satisfying.  Except for that damn pith.  It was kind of fuzzy looking, felt sticky in a weird, non-yummy-fruit way.  I just kept telling myself 'Don't think about the pith, Don't think about the pith."  Yet every time I popped a wedge in my mouth I couldn't help but look at it and go "Ew!  Why does it have to be fuzzy?!?!".  Honestly, I have to say it never felt fuzzy in my mouth and as soon as I sunk my teeth into it a wedge, the fresh sweetness totally downed out any of the bad parts.  

I will say the only down side was that I got a touch of heartburn afterward and my mouth/throat felt itchy.  I keep getting that feeling after I eat fruit, but it goes away quickly.  I think it's all in my head, but we'll see if it goes away the more I eat fruit and experiment with new things.  

But seriously, what's with that nasty pith?  Can't they make it less pithy by genetically engineering the fruit.  I am sure someone out there is fainting by the fact I want a genetically engineered less pithy clementine.  What can I say, I'm a picky eater!

Picky Eater - What's this blog about?

I'm a picky eater about to lay all my food phobia's, likes, dislikes, weirdness, etc out there for anyone to read.

Why would I do this?

To keep me accountable, to share my journey and let others know who are just like me that it is possible to like new things and it's okay if you don't!  I'm tired of being limited to meat and potatoes and want to eat the fruits and veggies everyone seems to love---aka I'm jealous dammit!  So, here goes...

Follow me over the next year as I try to eat new things, love things that I force myself to eat, and look back at all the odd crap I do eat.