Eternal Sunshine

Often, especially a week preceding Mother Nature’s monthly visit, I get into this mode where I’m never not hungry and basically eat everything in sight.

I believe the biological explanation for this is that my ovulating body is preparing for a baby. Unfortunately (or fortunately, really) there will hopefully be no actual baby until I’m married. So I’m eating for two (or three or four or ten) when there’s only really one of me.

I have issues with impulse control and it’s especially bad when it comes to food. No amount of fitspo or mentions of prom and beach season will trump my love of food.

But then…

Alright…getting back on track tomorrow! 

1. I’ve stopped using salad dressing. Partly because I never have any but also because it’s very fattening.

2. I try to embrace the natural flavors and simple sugars that Mother Nature has bestowed upon the fruits and vegetables. When it starts tasting bad I just keep telling myself it’s good for me.

3. One way to make sure you’re eating salad all the time is to buy a ginormous bag of it and be the only one in your family who eats it. That way you’re under pressure to finish it before it all rots and goes to waste.

4. Since you have so much, you can change it up all the time with different themes and combinations and even name them, just like Taralynn from UndressedSkeleton does! 

5. If you feel it’s getting old, give it a different purpose! Like in a sandwich or soup!

Once in a while I like to buy something I don’t usually buy and experiment with it. This has included grapefruit and bell peppers. It’s usually something I hear wonderful raves about in terms of both nutritional value, versatility, and taste. A lot of times i search it right here in tumblr and lots of good recipes pop up! I’ve made grapefruit pancakes and stuffed peppers and of course just eating them fresh.

This week’s pick: avocado! To be honest…I don’t particularly like avocado or even guacamole but I think I can train myself to with a little experimentation. I’m excited about making…[photos are clickable links to recipe/photo source]

AVOCADO ALLLLLLLL THE THINGS!

Even saw this one person with an avocado tattoo…

This seems like an ideal (fruit?) for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacking, and even dessert (ice cream and froyo apparently). 

In the works: Banana Appreciation Post, cheeses (feta, mozzarella, etc), soups, burgers, etc.

Does anyone have any other things you want me to try or uses for the magical avocado?

This has been a frequent motto of mine this year, among many others that you may have noticed. But this is more than just justification for slothful behavior, it’s also a tribute to efficiency.

I give you exhibit A:

1.

Problem: I need to heat the sauce but I don’t want to use another pot and do more dishes…

Quick Solution: Add desired amount of sauce on plate, microwave, and add pasta on top. Looks gourmet ;] 

2.

Problem: I need protein

Quick Solution: Add rich protein sources such as beans and egg.

3. 

Problem: Now it’s just carbs and proteins! I need fruits and veggies!

Quick Solution: Add something that can be added raw and fresh such as tomato or cucumber. In addition, the world will forever debate their status as fruit or vegetable but they are delicious and nutritious nonetheless! Not to mention easy to prepare!

4. 

Problem: I think it’s missing something…

Quick Solution: Add cheese! Cheese solves most problems. 

5. 

Problem: I don’t want to get fat!

Quick Solution: Exercise portion control. My eyes are ALWAYS bigger than my stomach and I hate wasting food; so I always eat until my heaping plate/bowl/cup/pot (yes, sloth and gluttony to the max)/napkin is empty, which is a BIG problem. I grabbed a small fistful of pasta and called my mom over, “Hey mom, do you think this is enough?” She nodded, “Yes, that’s enough.” I was skeptical and when it finished cooking it did look like an extremely small amount. However, with all the other stuff it was perfectly filling and I didn’t feel guilty about over eating.

Also, eat healthily. By this I don’t mean just counting carbs and calories and starving yourself. I mean eat things that will do good things for your body, items with high nutritional value and natural qualities. An 100 Calorie Pack and Gatorade might seem like a perfectly good choice but how bout some fresh fruits/veggies/nuts and a bottle of water instead? 

You might think it’s a hassle and it’s easier to just grab a bag of something but if you prepare the food say, the night before, it’ll be just as easy and infinitely more beneficial! Because especially when it comes to our bodies, it’s not just “whatever gets the job done” but “whatever gets the job done best!” 

I need to start getting fit and with bikini/beach season coming up, I’m sure I’m not alone. My last “project” was giving up meat for Lent but I didn’t do a very good job with those updates towards the end. So I’m going to start keeping a food journal and figure out how to use this MyFitnessPal app I’ve had on my phone since forever ago. 

So yesterday I timed myself for 1.5 miles and had a surprising amount of energy and although my time wasn’t fantastic, it was well clear of 15 minutes and that’s all that matters for the first time I’ve run that distance without stopping (weak, I know…). Then we did all the bleacher stairs on both home and away side.

Today I ran/walked almost 5 miles on a trail by a local lake. It’s frustrating not knowing exactly what distance I’ve traveled and how much time has elapsed (no watch or phone). I need to find a way to run at least 1.5 miles every day…it’s so awkward when Steph and I drive around to the different schools to use the track but they’re always occupied haha. 

When I got home I timed myself doing crunches for two minutes where I also cleared the minimum but it burned wayyyy more than it should have/usually does. Then I did some push ups. I hate push ups. I need to find me a pull-up bar too so I can practice the flexed-arm hang. By then I couldn’t stop thinking about food so I just stopped. 

As for food today I was super stressed so I pretty much ate everything that looked at me I saw.

On second thought this is embarrassing and no one even cares…but I’ll try to start posting food and stuff like that again. Feel free to shoot me a message and let me know if there’s anything specific you’re interested in seeing!