Dinner Last Night

Last night I made my usual side salad, quinoa and a sweet potato and for protein I decided to try something new. I had 1/2 cup of edemame and it was delicious! And really easy to make.

End of Halloween Weekend...time to get back on track!

Sooo Halloween weekend has officially come to an end, at least for my friends and I who aren't planning on going out tonight or on actual Halloween night. 

 It was a really fun weekend filled with parties, drinking and candy. I just couldn't help myself to a few too many Halloween treats and now it's time to get back on track.

This week I'm going to be extra conscious of what I eat. I feel a little low energy so I'm going to try to have a lot of fruits and vegetables and water and just SLEEP! 

Hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween on Monday! 

 

Haaaaapppy Halloween!

Last night was the first night of Halloween for college students LOL. My friends and I decided to dress up and go out! 
 
I knew I'd be having a little to drink so I had a nice dinner. I made 3/4 cup of whole wheat pasta with a few spoonfuls of kidney beans, a side salad and a sweet potato. It was deliciousss. 

Then, we all got ready to go out. Getting ready is such a process, with the hair, makeup, and trying on a million and one outfits but it's always well worth it in the end. 

So I guess I can reveal my costume now! As some may know, I'm obsessed with Lil Wayne. I love rap music and his songs are amazing. The best time I've had was going to his and Nicki Minaj's concert with Michelle in March. Anyway, he has a video for a song called "Mrs. Officer" (one of my favorite songs) and the officer is gorgeously sexy so I got inspiration from her to be my own version of "Mrs. Officer." 

What do you guys think? Too sexy? HAHA 

See the  Mrs. Officer video here! weeee ooohh weee oooh weee, like a cop car ;)

Food as Comfort

So I came home and at around 8 PM I had my cup of tea, Greek Yogurt and an apple to hold me over for the night. I painted my nails then got kinda tired and took a 30 minute power nap. I woke up at around 10:15 PM kind of down because of a boy issue (I know, lame) and immediately headed to the fridge. I didn't do any major damage: I had some veggies with hummus then a small apple, but nonetheless, I ate even though I wasn't hungry.

I'm not upset at myself but I definitely recognize an ongoing issue of mine. When I get upset, I eat. If I feel anxiety or sadness coming on, I notice this habit, but in the moment I give in. I've developed this habit in middle school, coping with bullies. If someone made a mean comment, I would come home and try to forget about it with food. Sadly, it works because food (especially carbs) helps produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter that provides a calming "happy effect" in our brains. Thus, many of us use food as a way to comfort or reward ourselves. 

When do you guys find yourselves using food the most? It could be for celebration (ie- after finishing a tough week of work) or it could be for comfort. Take a minute to reflect and look for patterns between eating and emotional state. After all, recognition is half the battle. 

After recognizing this, it's important to come up with a plan of action to combat the habit. I try to find other things to calm myself, like drinking tea because it's satisfying and I have learned to associate it with relaxation. Also, I blog. It takes my mind off of what's bothering me and it's therapeutic to write down thoughts and feelings, whatever they may be. Happiness, sadness, anxiety, depression, anger, fear, overwhelm, joy,  ANYTHING. Write it down, even if  it's on a napkin! 

Afternoon & Early Dinner

After I got out of class at 3:15 PM, I had an appointment with my academic advisor to confirm my schedule for next semester and basically plan out my future. She told me that I am officially able to graduate a year early! I knew with all of my AP credits that it was something to think about but now that it's possible, I'm really excited. Don't get me wrong, I love school, but I want to get right into the workforce. Work experience has much more of a value to me than anything I can learn in a classroom. Also, I'd be saving over $60,000, which is always nice. I have to discuss it with my parents first but I could be a part of the New York University Class of 2013 (weird!).

I had to work 5-7 PM and instead of running home for 15 minutes and then have to walk to work again, I stayed on campus and went to work. A coworker swiped me for a meal in the dining hall and I made sure to stick to healthy choices. I knew this would be my lunch/dinner combined so I got a spinach salad with tomatoes, red peppers, string beans, broccoli, black beans and chickpeas. I also got a vegetable mix with tofu, squash, garlic cloves and mushrooms. It was soooo good, I can't believe it but I actually miss dining hall food. But I know cooking is better for me because I can choose exactly which ingredients go into my food.

When I get home I'll probably have a little snack (greek yogurt & apple with tea), paint my nails for Halloween and then go to bed early since I didn't sleep very well last night.

Day 9

As you may know, tomorrow is the last day of my 10 day pledge to not eat any processed food. I have succeeded thus far and it definitely wasn't as hard as I imagined it to be. Sure, there was temptation but instead of thinking about the immediate satisfaction of eating a cookie, I thought about the long term and how disappointed I'd be the next morning if I gave in.


I have been thinking about what I am going to do after the 10 days is up and I have decided to make long term changes to my diet as a result. For example, I will permanently cut out artificial sugar from my diet such as Splenda. I don't need it anymore. Also, I will avoid drinking sodas including diet because of the aspartame in it. For the most part, I will try to rely on natural snacks to satisfy my hunger instead of boxed chips or crackers. An apple or some almonds are much more satisfying than 15 crackers (the serving size). Because who really eats ONE serving of anything nowadays?


This isn't to say I will deprive myself though. If I want a piece of Halloween candy, I will limit myself to 1 or 2 every other day. A big part of eating is enjoyment and I don't want to make it a punishment like I have in the past because that just leads to bingeing.


Finally, I'll conclude with some exciting news. Today I stepped on the scale and I am the lowest weight I've been in 5 years. I am 143! I feel amazing and have lost a total of 65 pounds. My ultimate goal is 135 but the number isn't as important to me as how I feel. I love the way my clothes fit and how I look in them. I am definitely more interested in fashion and dressing myself nicely because I finally am taking care of myself. My skin is still clear, I'm more energized, more adventurous and overall I wake up happy in the morning.


My weight and confidence has by far been the biggest struggle of my life and I finally feel like I'm on my way to conquering the struggle.


With that said, I will continue this blog to discuss what I eat on a daily basis, how I am feeling and just anything in my life that I want to share and write down.


Thanks to those who read this and support me, it is with your kind words that I am encouraged to continue this journey to a healthier me.

HALLOWEEN!!

In the past, I have always had a love-hate relationship with Halloween. I loved the candy and treats but I hated the fact that I had to get dressed up. I remember several years in a row coming home weeks after Halloween and eating 20 Reeses and Kit Kats easily (my favorites). No, I'm not joking. I knew my parents would be mad if they found out so sometimes I would hide the wrappers or sneak them into the bathroom, scarfing them down like it was nothing. Never thinking twice about it. Then I would wonder why I couldn't wear the costumes I wanted. 


I remember all of my friends so excited to wear their costumes but I never felt comfortable enough to join them. The costumes I wanted to wear (I am a teenager after all), never looked good on me. I would always throw together an impromptu costume containing the least fun accessories I could find. I would envy the models on the costume bags and how perfect they looked while I felt discouraged, ugly and fat, to be honest.


This year, I walked into Party City a little nervous, because I am not yet at the place where I want to be with my body, but I'm getting there. I'm not going to reveal my costume just yet (don't worry, I'll post pictures on Halloween), but I FINALLY feel sexy! And comfortable. And relieved. And proud of myself. And just overall really emotional about how far I've come. 


This year, I am EXCITED to go out for Halloween in NEW YORK CITY!