What I do Best: Rambling

Just some Ramblings while I WWIE (watch what I eat, because I do not diet!). It's what I do best. Ramble.

First of all and perhaps my most important and honest declaration: MUST GET OFF BUTT!! Seriously. I have not done my daily walk or ride in days. I will admit that I got quite the work out preparing for Hurricane Irene. Like dirty, disgusting, grimy, sweaty work out. Cleaning a garage out to make room for the outdoor stuff is nasty work. And moving the outdoor stuff from yard to garage is even nastier work. I was sweaty, filthy, bitten up by mosquitoes, feared for my life in case I saw a snake, and at one point I'm pretty sure I touched a slug. That's enough to get the cardiac system going.

But now there is no more excuses. I MUST WALK! I MUST BIKE!! Plus, I got this really cool twisty thingy....it looks like a Frisbee. You stand on it and twist. I'll be twisting...twisting...twisting the night awaaaaaayyyyyy. Hey, remember Rod Stewart sang that for the movie "Innerspace"? Martin Short is in the video. He's hilarious. Every time I hear that song Twisting the Night Away, I think of Martin Short and Innerspace. And then I think of Dennis Quaid. Because I looooooove Dennis Quaid. He's on my list. And yes, it's laminated.

Wow...that was a ramble within a ramble!

Next Ramble:

I love cheese. I really love cheese. And cheese can be a good thing when I WWIE. It goes with the whole dairy is good for you, no carb kinda way of thinking. But I tried Weight Watchers brand cheeses for little snacks. I must say...not bad at all. It ain't no gourmet, yummy, upper class, rich cheese. But it hits that cheese craving spot. Their string cheese is actually stringier than other brands. I especially like the smoked mozzarella one. It not only hits the cheese crave spot, but there's something about the smokiness that reminds me a bit of eating a good grilled piece of meat in a Pub.

But my favorite is the sliced Weight Watchers cheese. I put two slices on one side of a low fat tortilla and pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Fold the tortilla over and I got a quesadilla. It's a great easey-peasey, no muss no fuss lunch that completely satisfies the grilled cheese monster in me.

Another Ramble. I admit, I miss things when I watch what I eat. I admit, it takes a ton of will power to say no to buttery pop corn when we have "Universal Family Movie Night" in preparation for our Universal Studios vacation. And things that I would never find appetizing are suddenly looking or smelling real good to me.

For example, here's a conversation from me and my husband last week:

I'm in the den, watching Jeopardy. I hear him rummaging around in the kitchen. Then a delicious scent wanders into the den. Something meaty and savory.

Me: What's you making in there?

Him: Nothing.

Me: No, really. What is it. It smells really good.

Him: Really. I'm not making anything.

Me: You're cooking something!!! What is it? I can smell it.

Him: Not cooking anything. Just...feeding...the dogs!

Yes, ladies and gents...dog food now smells awesome to me. Which is good to know because if I ever have to survive on a island with a volleyball and a Fed Ex crate of dog food....I'm good.

Final Rambling (and shameless plug):

The kids and I made these Cool Whip Cookies the other day. YUM!! You can read about it here: www.themoviejunkiecooks.blogspot.com . But here's something I didn't mention in that blog: I used Lite Cool Whip. It works. I think you can even use Fat Free. I'm gonna try that next time. So you can have your cookie and eat it too!!

Now, go and youtube Rod Stewart's Twisting the Night Away video and laugh at Martin Short dancing. And I guarantee you the song will be stuck in your head for days. I know it's already planted in mine.

Stress Eating

Thursdays are my own personal "weigh-in" days. So, last Thursday I was pretty happy. I was down another pound, making it a total of 20 pounds gone for the year. A slow process, mainly because I have not been faithful to WWIE, but still!! I am 20 lbs lighter than I was 8 months ago. So, that's a positive!!

Now, the negative: stress eating. I never really believed in that term "stress eating". I always felt it was a cop-out. But after going through Hurricane Irene, I will openly and honestly admit that potato chips, Milky Ways, Froot Loops, and a big ol' bottle of Prosecco was at the top of my "food for survival in a disaster" shopping list. And I ate those long hours of wind and rain away. I even ate Sour Patch Kids, which I really don't like, so if that's not stress eating, I don't know what is.

And when Hurricane Irene finally came and went, I opened the Prosecco and did some "stress relieving". Prosecco....YUM!!

But, today the sun is shining and we were some of the lucky ones. No down trees or power outage. Just a small flood in the basement. And a massive stomach ache and slight head ache from stress eating and stress relieving. Today is a new day. Back to WWIE and thinking and acting healthy.

I'm off to make one of my favorite appetite depressants: unsweetened Iced Tea with a lemon twist. Seriously, just take like 4-5 bags of tea, boil it in about 2 cups of water. Load up a 32 ounce over size water bottle or mug or jug or whatever with ice, the tea (minus the bags) and a slice of squeezed lemon. I LOVE THIS!!! The caffeine gives me energy. It hydrates me. It keeps me from going into STARVATION mode when I WWIE. And it's refreshing. Oh..and it makes me pee. A LOT!! (not that anyone needs to know this..but hey, we are talking about being fit and weight loss!)

Food Hangover

Is it possible to have a Food Hangover? I'm beginning to think it is. It's happened to me twice now, ever since I started watching what I eat. (Since I won't say the "d-word" and seem to say "Watching What I Eat" a lot, can I just trademark it? Call it WWIE? I think I will.)

So, since I am WWIEing and I do allow myself to indulge from time to time, when I over do it, I wake up the next morning with a Food Hangover. I feel sluggish, I have a head ache. My stomach is all kinds of messed up, and I just want to lay on the couch watching movie marathons and keep the curtains closed and the sunlight out.

Has this happened to anyone else who WWUE? (see what I did there?)

A couple of weeks ago, Hubby and I had a date night. Stopped at a local pub for a bite to eat. I tried to convince myself that I was good by eating a Chicken Caeser Salad instead of a big, greasy pub burger and fries...but who am I kidding? Those salads are not exactly healthy eating either. Plus, I shared a plate of fried calamari with Hubby. (Hey, it's sea food!! Sea Food=Healthy, no?)

Then, we went home. Watched some t.v. and around midnight got the stupid urge to pretend we are 18 again and order Domino's. First off, Domino's does not taste like it did back in the day. So, either their pizza making skills have become sucky over the past 20 years or I'm just getting older and they always sucked but I was too young (and stoned?) to realize it back in the day.

So, the pizza sucked. The boneless wings, which were really just breaded chunks of Chicken Ass and you had to put your own sauce on it, sucked. But...I went into carb and fat and calorie overload and wolfed it down anyway.

And the next morning? Oh, I was not in good shape. I did manage do to my daily walk on the treadmill...but that was all I did. All day. Food Hangover struck for the first time.

I told my hubby I had a Food Hangover. He told me there is no such thing and that I was crazy.

This past Sunday, I went to my BFF's house to help her celebrate her Great Aunt's 89th birthday. Very inspirational. This Birthday Lady is still on top of her game. Very spry. Still lives on her own. Still drives. Still in good shape for 89. Crap, she's in better shape than ME. I have no doubt she could out-run me.

And at this small, intimate dinner for this Lovely, Inspirational Lady who is someone we should all model ourselves after and thrive to be (healthy at almost 90), I ate. And ate. And ate some more.

I wanted to WWIE. I really did. I went there with the whole healthy mind frame. I even lugged a big ole' bottle of Poland Spring for the hour car ride there, telling myself over and over to fill up on the water so I won't eat as much.

I walked in and avoided the bowls of Doritos. So many times, I found myself inching towards the bowl, but I reminded myself that I was WWIE!!

The apps came out. Shrimp cocktail with this amazing cocktail sauce that the Birthday Lady made. I ate that because...hey! It's sea food!! Healthy!!

Stuffed Mushrooms that I made (you can find the recipe at my other blog: www.themoviejunkiecooks.blogspot.com. just look in the archives). Lots of butter and breadcrumbs and olive oil in those things. But I was good girl and didn't eat one. Ok...I don't eat mushrooms ever, so it really wasn't about being good.

Cherry tomatoes and mini mozzarella balls in a vinaigrette dressing. Good Lord I LOVE fresh mozzarella, but I actually amazed myself by not eating any. I filled myself up by eating some of the shrimp and drinking lots of wine. So proud of myself. What? Wine passes right through you. Plus it's made from grapes. It's a FRUIT when you think of it. (see how I convince myself of these things?)

Then dinner. Here's where it all falls apart for me.

First of all, I made Chicken Cutlet Parm at the Birthday Lady's request. And they were BIG cutlets. Breaded, fried, and smothered with slices of Mozzarella Cheese. I asked my hubby to please split a Cutlet with me and he said no, he wanted his own piece. Greedy bastard. So, I ate a whole HUGE Cutlet. At least my Marinara Sauce was low in fat and healthy.

And then there was my BFF's meal. An Amazing Pot Roast. Different Veggies on the side. Biscuits. And her Potato Pancakes. All at the request of her Great Aunt.

Let's talk about those Potato Pancakes. As Amazing as her other stuff was (the pot roast!!! YUM!!), I was in Carb Overload with the Potato Pancakes. I went into Carb Overdose with the Potato Pancakes. They were so awesome! Fluffy and Oniony and Potato-y. Just good, good, good!!

And of course, I bought some home with me and continued snacking on them while watching True Blood.

And the next day? Yep. Food Hangover. Strikes again.

(and this is where I stopped blogging because I thought I was getting dizzy, only to notice my pool water getting choppy, my dogs suddenly perky, and my lights swaying...EARTHQUAKE!!! Haven't felt an Earthquake since the 80's!!! This just doesn't happen here!!!)

Diet is a Four Letter Word

I hate the word "Diet". It sounds so...final. No Good Food Ever!! No Eating Because You Enjoy It Ever!!!

Bleh. When I hear the word "Diet" I envision a long walk down a cold hallway with a priest reciting prayers behind me as I walk to my doom which is to spend all of eternity eating nothing but bland, no carb, no sugar, no salt, no fat, no flavor foods.

To say you are on a "Diet" seems so shameful. If someone offers you a big, honking piece of Ice Cream cake at a child's birthday party and you say "Oh no thank you, I'm on a diet" it just kind of marks you. Makes everyone know "Oh look! She's admitting she's fat! She's on a DIET! Well good for her, but we all know she's gonna fail." Funny how diet and shame seem to go hand in hand for me...but Fat and Shame do not.

My Dad called last night. After some small talk, I told him I had lost a tiny bit of weight, I'm exercising daily, and pretty much feel better about myself. And then he asked "Are you on a diet?"

Ugh. I almost groaned. That dirty, dirty, filthy, no good word.

But I just responded "No. I'm just watching what I eat."

And it's the truth. Because I'm not on a diet. I do not fill my days and my belly with bland, tasteless food. I'm just more aware of what I'm eating. And let's be honest, if you go to your favorite restaurant because they serve the best burgers ever, you are not going to order a salad. You are going to get the burger.

And of course I have my cheat day. Thursday was my cheat day. I had lost four pounds for the week, so I celebrated. With pizza. And corn pops. And oreos. And an ice cream sandwich. I seriously doubt anyone would call that a Diet.

But yesterday, I was back to "watching what I eat." And this included one of my favorite new snacks. Reduced Fat Peanut Butter sandwiched between two slices of Fiber One Multi-Grain Bread. I LOVE this!! And for some reason it really satisfies my love for sweet peanut butter treats like chocolate ice cream with melted peanut butter or Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. The bread is slightly sweet and I love the texture. And I can't tell the difference between the Reduced Fat Peanut Butter and the normal one. So...YUM!!

I also had a Turkey-Swiss Burger last night that was really good! Grilled up the Turkey Burger, smeared one of those little triangles of Laughing Cow Swiss Cheese on a slice of Arnold's Thin Bread/Bun thingies, a dab of ketchup...and it was really good!! Tasted just like a good fast food burger. Totally satisfied that craving for a crappy McWhopper.

So, not actually giving in to my cravings. But I'm not on a Diet either.

A Little Auto-Biography

If you know me or have read my other blogs (ramblings of a movie junkie or the movie junkie cooks), then you know two major things about me: I like to watch movies. I like to cook. Wait...no...I LOVE to watch movies and I LOVE to cook.

I'm also an unpublished writer (aren't we all?) and a Mom of two. Also have a zoo in my house (three dogs, two turtles, one cat, and a partridge in a pear tree).

So, those are the things that define me:

Mom

Wife

Animal Lover

Writer

Cook

Movie Junkie

So, let's get to the Movie Junkie and Cook part...because that is what ultimately led me to this point in my life...and this blog. You see, when all you do is pretty much sit around and watch movies and cook as hobbies, well...by the time you reach my age, let's face it...you're gonna get fat.

And that's where I am. I am 39 years old and fat. I'm fat because I sit around a lot. I love to watch movies and t.v. I love to read. I love to browse the Internet.

I am fat because I love to cook. And, not to toot my own horn...ok, I will toot my own horn: I'm a pretty damn good cook for the most part. And good food means good eating.

Movies+Food=FAT

When January rolled around, I decided I needed to control my life and health more. How fat am I? Well, in height, I'm Snooki-sized. A tiny little thing. But weight wise, I could stand to lose a good 80 lbs.

So, I started the New Year with all these goals and resolutions just like the rest of the country. And fell off the bandwagon and climbed back on, only to fall off again. We've all been there. Back and forth. Eating healthy one day only to cram fat and calories and alcohol down our throats the next. No? Just me?

Then I turned 39 and it just kept nagging me that I am just NOT healthy. My back is going. My hips are going. My knees are starting to bother me. And it's not age. It's weight.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I made a quick decision that we are going to Universal Studios in October. And that bought me back to our Disney trip in 2009. I remembered how much pain I was in by the end of each day with my feet, my back, my hips. And I just don't want that again.

So, here I am. As of August 1st, I made some new rules for myself. Now, I KNOW I'm not going to lose a ton of weight before our trip, but I just want to feel better about myself. Every pound will help. Every pound I lose is one less pound I have to lug around the theme parks.

I've been eating better. MUCH better. I do allow myself a cheat day. I'm laying off the wine and margaritas (grudgingly). And I'm exercising. 1 mile walking. 1.5 mile biking.

Results so far?

Down 7 pounds since August 1st.

Down 4 pounds this past week.

Down 19 pounds total since January.

Not too bad. By blogging, I hope to share some tips that get me through this process. And maybe you'll leave some tips in the comments section too...if anyone is out there.

And I hope that some one can relate with the struggle. I didn't think I'd be this heavy at 35. Never thought I would be this heavy at 39. I don't want to be this heavy and out of shape at 40.

Also...does anyone really like exercising? I LOATHE it!!! So BOR-RING!!!