Sick Day

Yesterday was a bad day.

F-5 Tornado - One REALLY MAD cloud!

Now before you start trying to "out-bad-day" me - mine was bad because I was sick. Stomach bug sick. You know, the kind that feels like there's an F-5 Tornado or Category 4 Hurricane in your gut doing everything in its power to get out. The kind that makes you ask God over and over again to just go ahead and "finish you off" - because clearly, the alien in your body is going to make it impossible for you to have anything left to live for.

That was yesterday.

Luckily, this week at work was going to be so overwhelming that I came in over the weekend to catch up and get a "jump start" on my projects. Guess who no longer is jump started? lol

Seriously, WHAT THE HELL?!

Today, I did what any stomach-bug fearing adult would do, I waited to eat. I waited so long that by the time lunch rolled around, I had a different type of hurricane in my belly. This is where the adult part of me left for the day and the starving beast took over. Chipotle. The very name has a zesty Mexican spice in the name. What the HELL was I thinking?

All in all, things ended happily - meaning no more dizzy, crying, vomiting trips to the toilet falling over myself just to make it. (Yes, I realize that was WAY more than should ever be shared online, but oh well!)

How has your week been?

I'm usually an "everyday is Friday" kind of gal - but this week I'm excited!

The Blazing Race

The Amazing Blazing Race - or at least that's how we do it where I work. 

The Slimsons BEFORE photo :)

Today, along with a couple of coworkers, I competed in a scavenger hunt of sorts all over the university where I'm employed.  In an effort to become less fat-tastic, I have tried to become more active - which goes really well with this Slimdown Competition work is hosting. Our team, The Slimsons, is working on getting into our skinny jeans and this race was part of the goal.

We chose the low impact route and DAMN I'm out of shape! (Like it was that big of a surprise!) 

As we went along though, I realized a couple of things:

1. When you're too fat, your back hurts BAD when you walk.
2. The more active you are, the better you feel. DUH
3. My coworkers are really fun people (I kind of already knew that...)
4. This campus is HUGE (and yes, I realize "That's what she said")
5. I don't care what that stupid piece of paper said - we walked more than 1.14 miles!

My encouragement to you today is to get out there and walk or run or bike or whatever you do to be active. Looking down at the scale and tipping it to the highest you've ever seen it with your two feet standing on top is not a happy place, friends! 

Remember: Fitness is FUN!

Nutrition Counseling

A couple of weeks ago my employer held a benefits fair. All sorts of banks, insurance companies  local businesses and doctors eagerly showed up to share with my fellow employees about how great and wonderful they are. I go for the free stuff. I'm not even trying to front. I usually get a couple of work toothbrushes, some fun crap giveaways and a bunch of business cards I don't want or need (it would be rude not to take them, right?!).

As I was going down the last aisle, I noticed a brochure for food intolerance testing. I have a good friend that did an elimination diet (and as seen all over Pinterest and Facebook) Ain't nobody got time for that! so a blood test seemed perfect for a lazy-ass like myself. A quick call and I was in the next week. 


This doctor claims he can cure everything that ails me (including a couple of auto-immune disorders) and get me off all of my prescription medications in 12 - 18 months. I'd be crazy if I didn't take him up on it, right? So here I go. Setting off on the journey of eliminating (probably) everything I've ever loved from my diet. BUT the prospect of feeling good (not even great) regularly is an enticing carrot. I can do anything for a year, right?

I will chronicle my journey on my other blog: jennewilson.wordpress.com

Come on over and see how I'm holding up!

Vegan-Cookathon 2013

Since I can't stay with my parents throughout my Mom's recovery, the next best thing I can do is to make sure that Mom doesn't have to cook for Dad. In the last several years, Dad has become vegan - which is amazing because he's pretty much cured himself of all the bad things that required him to take medicine (including diabetes). Now, all he has is one little thyroid pill daily.

Anyway, I digress to share that since Mom has broken her hip/femur, she can't stand in the kitchen for an hour to cook. My sister doesn't cook (she bakes). Dad thinks that he should be cooked for - or he won't eat. So here I am. I pinned a crapload of vegan recipes and went shopping. I mean shopping. 

This is what I came up with... 

15 Bean Soup

This is round one and Dad has already cleared out space in the garage freezer for more. I think he's surprised and awestruck by the amount of food I'm cooking. 

I'll post the links to the recipes tomorrow, but for now - these are my munchkins building a can city while I was cooking.

Jimmy my John

Sandwiches!
Sandwiches!
Sandwiches!

Did I mention, sandwiches?

This week's stint at the hospital gave me a chance to test the advertising promise of Jimmy John's Sandwich Shop. I must say - I wasn't disappointed. You know how they are super speedy on the commercial... I shit you not - within 10 minutes of me placing an order, I had my sandwich. 

Now for those of you that don't live in NYC or some other major metropolitan downtown area that delivers everything - let me share the amazingness that is this idea in the suburbs of Houston. 

Until 10 p.m. 
To a hospital room. 
During the week. 

I lived on Jimmy Johns sandwiches this week and for that - I'd like to thank them.

Fortunes of fortune

Went to lunch with Dad today after Mom's surgery. She did GREAT!

After our meal, we got these fortunes, which I felt were really appropriate. 

Dad's is the top and mine is the bottom. I plan on not letting any water in my ship this year. Seriously!

Fat, Fatty, Fat Fat

It should come as no surprise that one of my goals for 2013 (as every year) is to get my fat ass moving so as to make it less fat and more ass-tastic. 2013 is off to an extremely slow start.

New Years Day found me in the lobby of Care Now waiting to be told that I had strep throat and an upper respiratory infection (no big surprise) in the wake of the worst flu season North Texas has seen in several years. So needless to say, I spent a lot of time sitting on the sofa, sleeping, and eating (because you're supposed to feed a cold, right?!?).  Boy did I feed it!

To continue my food obsession while creating (new) healthy habits,  (read: tracking my food intake) I reviewed the stuff I fed to my cold. 

There's no way I'm going to show you my actual food journal!

WOW!

I mean, really!! What the hell was I thinking?!? I'm pretty sure the old saying wasn't put into place to justify me feeding my cold graham crackers with frosting. Although it might be amazeballs - frosting is not found on the road to happy, healthy and ass-tastic. Promise.

Here I sit, 19 days into 2013 probably about 3 pounds heavier than I started the year. But I refuse to beat myself up about it. All I can do is start on the right track again today, make the best (and right decision) every time I'm hungry (or think I'm hungry), and get out there and be active. 

I found some inspiration in a couple of blogs that may help you too (if you're looking to get healthier)

Paleo/NonPaleo
KTJ Weighing In 
Mama Laughlin

Cinnamon Rolls

When my alarm went off this morning, not only was I dreaming of yummy ooey-gooey cinnamon rolls - I could taste them... yes you read that right. 

Taste them!

Does this take my food obsession to an unhealthy level?

Let me digress for a moment (like you have a choice). Over the weekend I was watching a local food show and there was this bakery featured that had the most amazing-looking cinnamon rolls, scones and bread. I was basically drooling while watching the spot. Come to find out the shop was right around the corner - literally, from my house. The Black Rooster Bakery, I must've passed this restaurant oh... 150 million times! How could something so wonderful and beautiful be so close to my house without me knowing?!?!


Now I'm stuck. I'm trying to be good and eat right, but how can I be expected to be good when there are amazing cinnamon rolls (my ultimate weakness) less than a quarter-mile away?!? (I don't care who's diet you're following - NO ONE condones cinnamon rolls like this!)


So I'm going to leave it up to you. Should I go try one of their cinnamon rolls or just continue on my good streak and admire them from afar?


On the up side, this is totally distracting me from the car situation that I still haven't heard back on...

Obsessed with food

Yep, that's me!


I have another blog (that admittedly I've seriously neglected) called Discover Dinner dedicated to (good & healthy) recipes, ideas for dinner, menu planning, pantry staples, basically FOOD. Food Network, Cooking Channel, Iron Chef, Diners Drive-ins & Dives - I can't stop watching. Cooking for others is a passion of mine. (And I'm pretty good at it too!)

My TOTAL dream job!

BUT I'VE GOT TO STOP!


I'm what you would call a yo-yo dieter. My weight fluxuiates like nobody's business and last week I had to buy new pants.

NEW PANTS!

If only these *were* my new pants!

Maybe I should mention, the reason I had to buy new pants is that the ones I was wearing to work that day were too tight for my comfort. (NEW PANTS!) I feel the opposite of that Progresso Soup commercial where the women are all calling in and saying they fit into their skinny jeans. (I just realized, seriously, that maybe I should try that Progresso Soup diet!)


I see a new workout regimen in my future. Especially if I'm going to continue to be obsessed with food to this level.

Beer jelly - from www.onescrewloose.com SO YUMMY!

Did I mention I went to ZestFest yesterday? Welcome to my new obsession(s)!