Great News!! ^.^

Hey everybody, I have some fantastic news!!

So, you all know how I have started my mission of self-improvement to take back my life...right? Well, I am pleased to announce that I have already lost 2lbs since starting my mission. Now I know that to many of you, 2lbs doesn't seem like very much. However, as I had stated in previous posts... I do have a binge eating disorder. Therefore, it is a huge success for me to have lost 2lbs even with the struggle of the binge eating disorder. Losing this weight has certainly made me feel a little bit better about myself and has allowed me the opportunity to tell myself that losing weight isn't impossible. I will not lie when I say that it's extremely difficult to lose weight and I know that I have quite a challenge ahead of me. Creating this blog and keeping up with my posts has certainly helped me with staying on track and I'm thinking that each week I'm going to be doing a weigh-in. By doing this, it will help me to remain aware of any eating habits and how those habits affect me. This also helps me to understand the way my body works that much more. By keeping track of what you eat and how it affects your weight, this allows you to make alterations to what you take in. As an example, let's say that you're a big soda-pop drinker. You really like to drink soda-pop and your favorite drink is coca-cola. A 12oz can of Coke has 140 calories (12 oz can of Pepsi has 150) and as many of you know, soda-pop tends to swell you up. By keeping track of how much soda you drink (and the calories), you are able to see what one 12oz can of coke can do to your weight. Now it's very hard to completely cut yourself off from soda altogether, therefore it's a good idea to look at other carbonated beverages. So instead of drinking your usual coca-cola, you can switch to SanPellegrino sparkling water which has 0 calories or look at various carbonated flavored waters which will have less calories than coke will. Once you start drinking the waters versus soda-pop, you will notice a big difference in your weight patterns and your body will feel much better because you aren't swelling yourself up like Violet from Willy Wonka.

Well...That can't be good!

You're most certainly right! For once we actually agree on something, soda really isn't good at all for your body and can cause you to feel tired, bloated and have no motivation to do anything. So I would like to suggest an awesome app for you all to download, especially if you're trying to lose weight like I am. Go to your play store and look up "Calculator and Tracker for WWPP," this is a great app that is completely free. If you're looking for something that has a little bit more then I would suggest the "Weight Watchers Mobile" app but you do need an account to login to the app and the monthly standard plan costs $19.95. So, if you don't mind spending $20 bucks a month then this app is for you but if you are tight on cash and just want to track the points then go with the Calculator app. Another really great app that I'm starting to use is "MyFitnessPal," this also helps you keep track of what you eat for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. You're also able to log any work out that you've done for the day.

As I have said many times in my posts, please feel free to ask me any questions or leave a comment. I also encourage you to help any family and/or friends who are struggling to lose weight. It's always helpful when you have people close to you to give you support.

Ringing the Dinner Bell!

Ring... Ring... Ring...

Why are you asking!? She hasn't even served the food yet!?

Hey now! Don't be rude! Besides, he's so cute! Don't worry little kitten, you can has moar! ^.^ Push Over!! Woah, woah, woah! Don't insert yourself into my paragraphs! Your job is to do the captions (you're really not all that good at it though...) and I write the posts. Geez, I wouldn't have a problem with it if you were nice but you're just rude. Ignore Mr. Grumpy everyone... Anyway, the dinner bell is ringing and you know what that means! It's time I share a nice recipe or two with all of you! The first recipe is not something you eat but rather something you can make to quench your thirst! 

 Fresh Squeezed Lemonade

• 4 medium lemons
• 54 fl oz water
• 1/2 cup sugar

First you're going to need to squeeze the juice of 4 lemons (either large or medium), comes to about 8-10 oz. Next you'll want enough water to fill a 2 qt pitcher (~54 fl oz). Then add your lemon juice and a 1/2 cup sugar to the water. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

So, that wasn't really all that difficult... pretty self-explanatory but it's always good to have a recipe in case you ever forget. The next recipe is one you'll definitely want to try during the colder months of the year. The recipe I will be providing is for a nice creamy, sweet potato soup. The recipe is easy to double (or triple) and I think will definitely be a favorite next Thanksgiving.

Creamy Sweet Potato Soup

• 2 Tablespoons olive oil.
• 1 small onion, diced.
• 1 shallot, diced.
• 2 gloves garlic, chopped.
• 3-4 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in. cubes.
• 4 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock.
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon. 
• 1 tsp. paprika.
• 1-2 tsp. salt.
• Fresh ground pepper

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and shallot, season lightly with salt and pepper. Sweat the onions (cook them until translucent without allowing them to brown) for about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook two more minutes until fragrant. Stir in sweet potatoes, stock, cinnamon, and paprika. Bring mixture to a boil. Then, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes (sweet potatoes should be very tender.) Using a blender, stick blender, or food processor, puree the mixture (in batches, if necessary.) Return the pureed mixture to the pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with chopped parsley, if desired. Soup can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. The soup can also be frozen for up to a few months. But are you really going to wait that long? I don't think so. 

Well, the dinner bell has rung and now it's time to say goodbye...for now. I hope you all try these recipes out and that you enjoy them. If you're interested in finding some more good recipes, follow this link: Good Food That Will Keep YOU Good! This site has over 400 recipes that are affordable for anyone who is tight on money, and did I mention that it was GOOD!? ^.^ Please check out the site and share some recipes with your own friends and family!

 

It's Been A While...

Yeah... Where have you been!?

I know, I know... Haven't done any posts since Sunday but don't worry, I'm still dedicated to following through on my mission! So, I had a wonderful surprise after I got off work Sunday... My cousin Ally was hiding in the back of my mom's car when she came to pick me up! I was ecstatic to finally see her, it had been so long since I'd seen her last. An even bigger surprise, she was able to stay the night since I didn't work that following Monday. We had so much fun, Sunday night we all went to the drive-in and saw the movies "Inside/Out" and "Terminator: Genesis." Of course since Ally is only a little girl, she fell asleep by the time Terminator rolled around. That morning Ally and I had breakfast and went for a walk, since it was so hot and Ally had been so good...I bought her some ice-cream to have on the way home. Then we had our lunch and decided to look for a movie on Netflix together. I stopped at Dumbo, recalling how much I loved that movie when I was little. However, I had come to learn that Ally had never seen it. Therefore, it became my mission to have her sit with me and watch Dumbo together. Ally didn't seem to like the movie all too well, after all that "Pink Elephants" part is quite terrifying. That part always freaked me out when I was little, I remember how I always wanted to fast-forward it...I still do to this day. Well, the time for her dad to come pick her up was slowly approaching and Ally insisted that we needed to have our girl time. So, she ran upstairs to my room and informed me that we needed to do hair and make-up. I reluctantly agreed...only because her heart was set on it and she was just too darn sweet. And so...I let her do my hair and make-up.

I must admit that I looked quite fabulous! Look out world...here I come! Please, no pictures...I don't want to ruin my beautiful make-up! ^.^ Anyway, I did splurge a little bit since Ally and I were spending some time together but I'm not really worried.

I've decided to make it a goal to go to the gym on my days off as often as I can. By doing so, I will feel better about myself which will help me to be more positive. As a result, I won't be needing to seek comfort because of negative emotions. I won't be eating out of boredom nor will I be eating after I'm full of food. There will obviously be many positive outcomes as a result of going to the gym more often. First: I will be more positive and happy with myself. Second: I will begin to lose weight which will add to my feelings of positivity but also help my body feel better. Third: By losing weight, I will start sleeping better at night. Fourth: I will live a longer life because I have decreased any health risks that I may face. Fifth: Because I will live longer, I will have the chance to be a mother and live to see my children grow up. Sixth (the most important): By going to the gym, I have the ability to encourage my mom to go as well which will give her the chance to live to see her grandchildren.

The last couple of reasons that are listed above were the deciding factors in me wanting to lose weight. I want to feel better about myself, I want to live to see my children grow up and I also want my children to have the chance to know their grandmother.

I always try to make it a point in my posts to be encouraging to any individuals who are in my position as well. So, here it goes... I do strongly encourage anyone in my position to go to the gym, go for a hike at the metro parks, play some football or basketball with your brother, play tag with your kids, go swimming (you don't have to be alone), do something that's going to help you work up a sweat but is something that you love. If you love to swim, hike, run, etc, then it's not going to be as difficult for you to find the motivation to get up and work out.

If you do struggle with motivation for yourself then remember your parents, your children, any members in your family. No parent wants to outlive their baby, no child wants to grow up without a loving parent, a sibling's bond is strong...you shouldn't let something so precious weaken because you didn't care enough for your body, remember your grandparents; they're a bit of parent, teacher and friend, many grandparents think of their grandchildren as their own (the same goes for them as well, they shouldn't outlive their grandchildren either). Remember all your family and friends, your death affects them as well. You must also remember that your death may also affect future family members as well. So, please... if you're struggling with a binge eating disorder like I am, if you've gained weight because of the disorder, and have a hard time staying motivated as well as staying happy... remember your loved ones. Their happiness is the biggest motivation that you could ever have.

Well, that's pretty much it for this post! I will be publishing another post right after this one with today's recipe, enjoy your day and please be safe.

Ringing the Dinner Bell!

Hello once again, I know that I just posted only a couple of hours ago but I figured it was time I rang the dinner bell! After talking with a fellow employee, who thinks that my blog is great and has informed me that he also has a binge eating disorder, I have decided that I will be trying to do a post every evening called, "Ringing the Dinner Bell!" He informed me that he struggled with cooking meals that would be healthy and that it helped him out tremendously when other bloggers shared recipes that provided him with healthier options. He also told me that it was a great way to open up dialogue between the bloggers and their readers. So I decided that by making it a goal to post a recipe for each day that it would help me have more ideas for what to cook at home and would also keep me on track with my mission of self-improvement.

So the recipe that I will be sharing with you today is a fantastic option to have for dinner one night. This is a dinner great for those who love Italian cuisine (hence the gif above... mmmmm spaghetti!), and for anyone who is a member of weight watchers...this meal has a points value of 8.

Pasta with Meat Sauce
1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp chopped shallot
1 garlic clove, minced 
1/4 tsp ground oregano
1 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms
5 oz uncooked 99% fat-free ground turkey breast
1/2 cup canned tomato sauce
 1/2 cup cooked pasta
2 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese 

Heat oil in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Saute shallot and garlic until tender. Add oregano, mushrooms, and turkey, season to taste. Stir and saute until turkey is cooked through. Add tomato sauce and simmer. Serve over pasta with Parmesan cheese. You may also enjoy with a side salad tossed with fat-free dressing.

Hmmmmm....Should I include a nice recipe for breakfast and lunch?

Yeah! You're right...why not!?

 Tangy Tuna Sandwich with Side Salad 7 point value
3 oz canned chunky white tuna in water, drained
2 Tbsp fat-free mayo
2 Tbsp chopped red onion
2 Tbsp chopped sweet red pepper
1 pinch each, salt and black pepper
2 thin slices of bread
1 cup chopped red-leaf lettuce
1 cup chopped carrot, tomato, radish, or pepper
2 tsp vinegar
1 tsp olive oil

Make tuna salad with tuna, fat-free mayo, chopped red onion and pepper; season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve on toasted bread with a side salad tossed with vinegar and olive oil.

Breakfast Pizza 7 point value
1 light English muffin
1 large egg (scrambled in cooking spray)
4 slices fresh tomato
1/4 cup shredded fat-free hard or semi-soft cheese
8 fl oz sugar-free cappuccino, made with fat-free milk

Top open-face light English muffin with egg, tomato, and cheese. Broil until cheese warms and starts to melt. Enjoy with cappuccino.

Well, the dinner bell has rung and that's all the recipes for today. I hope this helps in providing some nice breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes for everybody. I will be back tomorrow with some new recipes and possibly another post.

 
  

Coming to Terms

Hello Everybody!

So, here I am once again with a new post which I'm hoping you all will enjoy reading. As you all know, yesterday was the 4th of July and boy was it fantastic!

Yeah, yeah... Happy Birthday I guess...

 Hey! No need to be so cranky Grumpy Cat! Anyway, I enjoyed spending quality time with my family on this wonderful holiday. My family and I decided that we would go to Silver Lake Park (in Alliance) to watch the Fireworks. Now let me tell you, those fireworks were gorgeous! We did so much yesterday! Before we left for Silver Lake, we stopped at Drugmart to get a few last minute items. That was when Kristin found this amazing game!

And boy let me tell you...there was quite a few dilemmas!

The way this game works is that you have one person start off reading a card (the card will have a scenario that may prove to be a moral dilemma), after the "card reader" finishes the other players will answer by placing a token face down in front of them (the tokens have Yes, Maybe, and No). The "card reader" will do the same, then it is up to the card reader to guess what the other player's answers will be. If they guess correctly, the "card reader" will get a point. Now the "card reader" also has the option to call "bullshit" on a player. So basically, if the card asks if I would pick up a tip at a restaurant that was meant for the waiter/waitress and you guess my answer would be no when I answered yes, you can call bullshit and argue that I wouldn't do that because I get upset at the fact that the waiter/waitress have to pay taxes on that whether they receive a tip or not. Then I would provide an argument for my answer and the other players vote for which argument they are in favor of. If my answer is switched then the "card reader" gets a point. That's basically the idea of this game, if you're interested I would definitely suggest you go and buy it. This game is a lot of fun and it opens up dialogue, I would definitely suggest you purchase this game if you have a family member who doesn't like to talk much.

Moving on, more activities that occurred were corn hole, football, gem mining and just dancing around like a fool.

Wow... you're really terrible!

Ummmm...yeah, I know! That's why I said, "dancing like a fool," gosh you're mean! Anyway, it was a really wonderful time and I'm happy I got to spend an entire day with my family. However, as many of you know...the holidays can be a difficult time when you're trying to do better about eating especially when you have a disorder. When I was going to see a counselor in school and discussing my eating habits with her and the emotions that correlate, she informed me that I have a binge eating disorder. For binge eaters, overeating is regular and uncontrollable. You use food to cope with stress and other negative emotions, even though afterwards you feel even worse. When I was told this by my counselor I refused to believe that I could have such a disorder. I felt that if I admitted to having this problem, people would only laugh at me and tell me how my overeating isn't a disorder... it's just cause you're fat and like to eat. Yes, I do like to cook and eat good food but I don't like overeating and stuffing myself with it. Then all that time and effort just goes to waste and the food isn't as appreciated. I hate that, so therefore...no, I don't overeat because I'm just fat and like eating food, it's because binge eating disorder is all too real and is difficult for someone to stop.

Some people, like myself, binge off and on all day long and will often eat when they're not hungry and even after they're full. People with binge eating disorder struggle with feelings of guilt, disgust, and depression. They worry about what the compulsive eating will do to their bodies and beat themselves up for their lack of self-control. They desperately want to stop binge eating but feel like they can't. Binge eating may be comforting for a brief moment but then reality sets back in, along with regret and self-loathing. Binge eating often leads to weight gain and obesity, which only reinforces compulsive eating. The worse a binge eater feels about their appearance, the more they use food to cope. It becomes a vicious cycle: eating to feel better, feeling even worse, then turning back to food for comfort.

People with binge eating disorder are embarrassed and ashamed of their eating habits, so they often try to hide their symptoms and eat in secret. Many binge eaters are obese or overweight, but there are some who are of normal weight. To help you better understand what someone with a binge eating disorder goes through, I will provide behavioral and emotional symptoms of binge eating.

 First off, Behavioral:

• Inability to stop eating or control what you're eating.
• Rapidly eating large amounts of food.
• Eating even when you're full.
• Hiding or stockpiling food to eat later in secret.
• Eating normally when you're around others but gorging when you're alone.
• Eating continuously throughout the day, with no planned meal times.

Second, Emotional: 

• Feeling stress or tension that is only relieved by eating.
• Embarrassment over how much you're eating.
• Feeling numb while you're bingeing- like you're not really there or you're on auto-pilot.
• Never feeling satisfied, no matter how much you eat.
• Feeling guilty, disgusted, or depressed after overeating.
• Desperation to control weight or eating habits.

Binge eating leads to a wide variety of physical, emotional and social problems. People with binge eating disorder report more health issues, stress, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts than those without an eating disorder. Depression, anxiety, and substance abuse are also common side effects. As I had said before, binge eating can lead to obesity which can thus lead to a wide variety of health issues such as: Diabetes, Gallbladder disease, Heart disease, High cholesterol and/or blood pressure, Osteoarthritis, Certain types of cancer, Gastrointestinal problems, and Sleep apnea.

I have to say that writing this post was extremely difficult for me because it means that I am finally coming to terms with my disorder. After doing my own research on binge eating disorder and looking back on my own experiences and feelings, it is EXTREMELY hard to stop binge eating. In fact, it was mentioned that having a support system (family, friends, or even joining a group) will definitely help you in achieving your goal to treat the disorder. Though I am coming to terms with the fact that I do have this disorder and need to treat this, I keep hearing the same words in the back of my mind. Your disorder is a joke, it's not serious enough to require treatment. However, the fact of the matter is...binge eating disorder is extremely dangerous and can be fatal due to the health issues it can cause.

If you read this and find that you have the same symptoms (behavioral and emotional) or maybe a loved one is demonstrating them, I encourage you to seek help or have your loved one seek out help. I also encourage you to research the disorder and look up ways in which you can help with treatment.

 If you follow this link: Binge Eating Disorder
  This website will provide information on the different kinds of treatments for binge eating disorder, it will also provide information on biological, social, and psychological causes of binge eating disorder. You will also find the above information that I provided in this post on their site as well. Other articles from HelpGuide.org related to the topic can be found at the bottom of the page.

Please don't hesitate to leave a comment or send an email, I encourage anyone who reads this post who finds themselves in the same situation or would like to speak to me about my own story to talk and express themselves.

I will be posting again soon and as always...See You Tomorrow!!

My mission of self-improvement begins!

Today is the day I vow to start my mission of self-improvement! Recently I have been told by my mother and grandmother that I have lost some weight. That is a very good thing, however looking at myself in the mirror I find myself hit with realization. I am obese and at the size I am now...that's after I have lost some weight. I am extremely disappointed with myself because I know I can do much better. 

 When I look in the mirror, I ask myself who that person is.

 I'm constantly telling myself that I'll never date, marry or have kids. I cry almost every day because I know I'm not desirable in anyway. It drives me crazy when skinny girls complain at how "fat they are" when I've almost hit the 300lb mark. When I stood on the scale I knew I had to take action and take back my life. This mission will not be easy, in fact it's extremely difficult. It's a lot harder to lose weight compared to gaining it. You work so hard to lose just 5lbs, then with just one or two meals...you've put it right back on. 

I feel that people who are in my similar situation do not find much support. So, I invite all who want to lose weight and eat better to join me on the mission to self-improvement. I hope that by writing these posts and talking to one another, the mission will not be as difficult. 

My goal is to lose 5% of my current body weight! Starting tomorrow, the food will be recorded and I'll be exercising everyday! I'll be writing again soon!

See You Tomorrow!