I really just ate enough food to put "The Blob" to shame?

When one is going out to eat I am certain that the last thing they think of as there tummy is growling and their saliva glands erupting is : "Gosh golly I better make sure I only eat one portion and measure out my food"!

No, you eat what is given to you like your parents always ingrained in your brain , you eat EVERYTHING on your plate , even if you feel as if you may explode. And there of course is the famous "Are you gonna eat that"? You either hear it from someone you are with or say it yourself! It hardly matters if you are full, you just greedily reach for the kill. Of course it seems very practical to ask for a doggy bag, but if we had smaller portions would we really need to be asking in the first place?
Then comes dessert. As your stomach is in pains, bloated, grumbling and moaning, your waitress/waiter asks you if you'd like to see the dessert menu. How often do you find yourself saying " I'm sorry, I'm just too full" Or worse" Well I could split a dessert, I saved a little crack in my stomach for something sweet", when you are already full! If we were eating the correct portion sizes, these issues would not be arising. Then of course there is the ever-present doom of fast food chains. What was once a 1 ounce burger patty about 10 fries and a small soda, is now "BIGGIE SIZE ME"! The consumer is talked into doing this by hearing "Would you like to biggie size that, it is only .25 more"... The consumer thinks" Well .25 is nothing, and I AM pretty hungry", and afterwords has not stopped to think the following effects on their bodies:

McDonald's biggie Fries

Calories: 650
Fat 45 grams
Sodium 800mg
Carbs 80grams

Bet you wish you didn't know that right? I suggest watching "Super-size me" and you may never eat another french fry again.

Tip for portion controlling: If you must go out to eat, when you order your food immediately ask for a to go box,and wrap up half your food when you get it. This will prevent you from over eating when you feel tempted to eat all of what's on your plate. Also look for the "Lite options" or weight watcher options" on menus.Ask that your chicken be baked now fried, ask them to use pam instead of heavy oils if needed. Ask for steamed veggies instead of fries, ask for your butter and sour cream on the side of your potato, and your dressing on the side of your salad. Put no more that one tablespoon of dressing on your salad, ask if they have a light option.

All of these tips with a little exercise ill keep you healthy and lean.......................

Where did that muscle come from....

So I am on the 5th day of my diet, and after working out every day I am pretty sure I have muscles in places I did not know about...My friggin toes are sore! But if my payoff is hot toes, then hey I must be doing something right.

I had a headache in my eyeball( yes IN my eyeball) for three days because of eating no sugar which has finally went away.I am pleased to say that after 4 days I have lost 3 1/2 lbs. Now I know they say the weight comes off fast, then slower, so I am trying to find different workout routines than sticking with just one. One day i may do the elliptical, one day I may do a kickboxing video, and yesterday i did an aerobic workout video with some crazy happy guy who dressed like he was an 80's reject. But, he did give me sore toes so he must be good at something..........

The journey is so daunting

You ever watch those movies where someone is trekking across the desert , panting and sweating , ready to drop dead from exhaustion? Yes that is me when I exercise which is why I have avoided it for so long. Let me start back a little earlier: I grew up carefree and happy, no concern for food and what I ate (don't all kids?) and was skinny and lovely well into my teens. I will never forget being 17, 120lbs and slipping on my bikini to go to the river with my girlfriends. I had not a care in the world as I flaunted my flat tummy and thin thighs and scarfed down Doritos & gulped down coke and root-beer. Fast forward 15 years: I now pant when I walk up the stairs and struggle helplessly to fit into my "skinny jeans" I haven't worn a bikini in public since I was 17...well I take that back. Multiple trips to a Fiji resort I could not help but swim, but with so many old people there I hardly cared what they thought. I figured " I will never see you again so why does it matter if you see my thighs flap in the wind"?
Let's back track a little to the tender age of 27. I was married at the time and very overweight. I was depressed about how I looked and my self worth had diminished to such a low point I knew if I did not grasp it back it would be gone forever. I immediately cut all my bad eating habits" no fast food, no soda, and i stopped eating red meat or pork. I joined a womens gym called "Curves" and within 6 months I had lost 40 lbs. Fast forward to now: I am divorced and living with my wonderful, supportive boyfriend. Over the last 5 years I stopped exercising, but stuck with the food I had cut out. However my eating habits were not always so great. Large portions, ice cream 3 times a week...I figured since I cut the other stuff out "I deserved it". Well last week I met a friend for coffee, and after browsed the antique mall connected to the coffee shop.As I was browsing I came across it. yes it. the evil. the succubus.A scale. It sat there staring at me dauntingly " Come on Erin step on me, you KNOW you want to know your weight" After sweating it out for a few minutes I decided to climb aboard.Sigh. Let's just say the rest of the day was spent sobbing woefully about what I had gained back and how could I do this to myself....That's when I decided to buck up: "I am the boss of me" I thought; I am going to FIGHT THE DAMN SUCCUBUS! I am going to show it who's boss. I decided to cut sugar and bread out of my diet and exercise 5 days a week. I am keeping a food journal to track what I eat. I have a goal weight, and when I reach it I plan on buying a bikini and posting pics of me on face-book! I know SHAMELESS PLUG of myself! But I don't care ok!?!?! When I set out to do something i win....and I am shooting for the finish line. Stay tuned for daily posts of my progress! Ok, back to daydreaming of bagels and chocolate..........