Squash!

We received quite a few squashes the other week, and so Amy has decided that we need more squash in our lives.  Personally, I don't mind squash.  I think it can be quite delicious depending on how it's cooked.  One of my favorite was to consume the gourd is by marinading it, grilling it, and rolling it in Parmesan cheese.

So, needless to say, we have been eating lots of squash lately.  I'm going on three days in a row.  That's a lot for me.  We never ate it growing up.  I remember the first time I ever ate squash (knowingly). We were on vacation, and my Uncle Brian cooked up a bunch of green and yellow.  My brothers and I had never had it before.  (I think I was about seven.)  They tried it and immediately decided it was the most disgusting vegetable on the planet.  That doesn't say mush as the only vegetables they really ate were corn and cucumbers.

I, on the other hand, was tipped of by my cousins Pete and Jed that tons of butter made them palatable.  They were right.  And that's still the way I eat squash most of the time.  Since then I don't recall having squash at home until the past few years.  The kids ate it out of baby food jars, but we didn't.  It smelled too awful.  Plus, I didn't know how to cook it.  The only time I seemed to eat it was when we (occasionally) went out and it was served with the entree or when we went to a buffet.  Now (Amy and) I can serve it up many ways.

So today, I'm coming out to say publicly that I like squash. And if anyone has any awesome recipes for squash, I'm game.

P.S.  Lunch is a beef and squash (with peppers, onions, and tomatoes) casserole.  Mmmmmmmm!

I Can Do Portions!

Today, I'm bragging about my portion control over the weekend.  Despite multiple opportunities to pig out, I was able to reign in the cravings and fend off the frontal attack on my taste buds.  Saturday I had a bowl of cereal for breakfast, one sandwich for lunch and a bag of popcorn for dinner (with not very much snacking in-between.  Amy asked if I was sick.  No, just Sam.  It's probnably a goo dhting I didn't go to the Halloween party.

Sunday found me salivating over a new recipe: honey sesame pork loin.  Whoa!  I limited myself to one plate, which also included roasted potatoes, a beautiful green salad (rabbit food), fruit, and a slab of Amy's homemade bread.

Perhaps the most difficult challenge came when Dad pulled his asphalt pie from the freezer.  Yes, I know, or at least I can guess how bad it is for me--and no, I don't count calories--yet I resisted the urge to consume more than one piece.  I challenge anyone else to try that.

For those who know me better than others, my portions were not my standard portions (three times as large as a "normal" person).  The descriptions here would be approved by any health board or restaurant oversight commission. (Chuckle.)

Free Advice

Monday (yesterday) was the beginning of Red Ribbon Week at our school.  The National Junior Honor Society has been put in charge of activities and they have a pretty good program lined up for the week.  Today they had a few guest speakers to address alcohol and tobacco and other substance abuse.  Yesterday was supposed to highlight bad eating habits to stay away from...and so, naturally, they held a pie eating contest.  Of course, right?  It makes perfect sense.

Students were able to put their names in a drawing to participate alongside two teachers for each lunch period.  My self-conscious self and I decided to stay away once the announcements started coming out.  However, nobody else really wanted to do it either.  The students, mostly mine came begging for me to participate.

And, yes, predictably, I took one for the team.  I went down and gobbled an entire double-crusted, store-bought apple pie.  I took my time, but yes, I killed it.  There was no contest.  I was done before the others had hit the half-way point...and I wasn't even hurrying.

It wasn't until later that day that I got my prize: a nice stomach ache that lasted until today.  I mean, it was so bad I only had carrots and celery and pea pods for dinner.

So, I guess you want the advice (if you've kept with me this far).  When engaging in a pie eating contest, do not eat lunch before or after the event.  Also, make sure the pies are of the cream variety so they go down easier (and don't come back with any sort of vengeance).

Talk about Self Control

Today I did not go back and devour the jalapeno and cheddar Cheetos that have been calling my name from the faculty room vending machine.  Take that, waistline.  I didn't eat part of my lunch.  Just because part of it went bad (expired yogurt) doesn't mean that I can't exercise self control.  I didn't even have a snack after 8:00 last night.  The fact that I ate too much Chinese for dinner is beside the point.

We're taking the whole famn damily out tonight.  Maybe if I plan now, I won't gobble everything like a wolf after three little pigs tonight.  I have no idea where we're going, but I should order small and then attempt to keep all the rules on my chart (still located at the bottom of the page).  Either that or I can tell myself that leftovers will taste even better tomorrow.

Two Bits

No, this is not in response to "Shave and a Haircut," nor does it equal a quarter dollar, but I'll take it.  I'm just posting two items of decent news.

First, after two weeks or so of doing "nothing" toward losing the flab, I got on the scale and weighed 4.5 pounds less than the last time.  So the tub-o-lard is down to a measly 285.9.  We'll see how long that lasts.  Heh heh.

Second, I just heard from my friend, who herd on NPR (so it has to be true), that weight gain can be linked to lack of sleep.  THAT'S where I went wrong.  I haven't slept regularly, or even enough, since oh...um...(elevator music)...uh...probably junior high.  In college I prided myself in being able to fully function on an average of two to three hours of rest.  I could really accomplish a lot without closing my eyes.  I guess my waistline did, too.  Hey! Hey! Hey!

Still, I subscribe to the cliched adage:  In college you strive for good grades, a meaningful social life, and enough sleep.  However, you're only allowed to choose two.

So instead of working out more, I'll just take a nap instead.

Misleading Good News

I was just thinking about Bugs Bunny and Yosemite Sam.  For some of you, this next announcement might seem like the end of the world, and you better "Say yer prayers, Rabbit!"

Yesterday, I went to my parents' house and I turned down bacon.  Gasp. Shock Horror.

Those who don't know me very well might not think this is such a big deal.  You are so uninformed! (That last sentence was spoken like a 7th grade girl who knows everything.)

Bacon is one of my few weaknesses, along with @#%&* and !@$#%&|~.  (You actually thought I'd actually let you in on how to destroy my awesome Sithness? Ha!)

So, yeah. I didn't eat the bacon I was offered.  I was hungry, but I didn't eat the bacon.  I repeat: I did not eat the bacon...

...at that moment.  I had already consumed bacon earlier that morning.  So, yeah.  I was limiting my pork product intake.  Self regulation and all that.  Mind over matter.

Oh, yes.  I misread my body fat measurement (from the last post).  I'm only 34.9% fat.  See that's 5% less than I originally thought.  Something to smile about.

Wanna Good Workout?

Last night, due to some car troubles and bordering-insanity scheduling with the kids' parent-teacher conferences and my need to be with my scouts, I had to do some inventive running.  Hefting Sam up and down hills and across busy highways (with two others in-tow) really works your body.  My muscles woke up this morning screaming to go back to bed.  It also didn't help getting a shot in each arm and playing basketball after scouts.  Sam is small enough to carry, but large enough to weigh you down and really feel it.

It still doesn't validate my dinner tonight: McDonald's.  Blech!  I just wanted an orange drink...one of those cravings that escaped childhood.

I also went to our district health fair--where I got shot.  It was interesting to see the results of the partial panels they took of my blood.  When I see my normal doc, my blood results show high cholesterol and healthy blood pressure.  Yesterday, I was told that my cholesterol was amazingly healthy and I had high blood pressure (Smoke pouring from the hood of my car might have been a factor, but who am I to say?).  Kinda weird.

Oh, yeah, and I'm 39% fat. Hmmm....

And then I stayed up late reading a book with a subplot about a high school senior who lost weight to impress a girl.  Payback Time by Carl Deuker is a good read.  (Check out my goodreads.com review.)  Think I can do it?