This Chick Eats

Yummy gluten free waffles at your local grocery store

2013-07-31T09:07:00.001-07:00

So Ralph's has line that used to say Krogers and now it is called Simple Truth, the equivalent to Costco's Kirkland brand. I purchased a lot of the Simple Truth products from frozen fruit to pastas. Their Simple Truth organic coffee is amazing by the way. It blows Starbucks out of the water! Sorry Starbucks.

Back to the gluten free vegan portion of my post... Yesterday while walking down the frozen food aisle at Ralph's I spotted these waffles. They are much cheaper than the waffles I would buy at Whole Foods foods and a quite delicious. I highly a recommend trying these out. Whether you are gliten fee or vegan or not, these waffles or something everyone can enjoy. I got the blueberry ones because I love blueberries!

If you're a butter pecan ice cream fan... Here's it vegan and gluten free!

2013-01-31T16:08:00.003-08:00

One thing I miss dearly after becoming a vegan are my favorite ice cream flavors. It has been a good 2 1/2 years since my last real, made-with-milk, butter pecan ice cream adventure. Sometimes, I have cravings for foods from the past that are non-vegan...I am human, after all. I don't eat them, but yes, I do crave, miss, and occasionally think about how tasty they were.

Last night, as I was trailing the aisles of my neighborhood Ralphs, I spotted a carton of Purely Decadent Turtle Trails soy ice cream on sale for $4.29.

The caramel looked so delicious for a midnight snack, so I took this little baby home with me. No bowl, spoon in hand, I dug in hoping for the best. As you may know after trying soy or coconut milk ice creams, many of them are not up to par with their dairy counterparts. Yum! I was so pleased with the creamy consistency, the pecan crunchiness, caramel and chocolate-y goey goodness, that I found this ice cream better than regular butter pecan! It's an upgraded butter pecan. So try Turtle Trails for your next craving and you may be Decadent-ly surprised.

Ice cream = happiness. ;-) Mmmm. Yes.

Vegan and Gluten Free Food in LA

2012-04-18T12:35:00.003-07:00

I love Vegan Glory! They have all kinds of vegan choices from tacos to pad thai. Vegan Glory also delivers for free if you live nearby. I'm sitting on my couch, watching Limitless on Netflix, waiting for my mango sticky rice and pad thai noodles to be delivered. Oh it pays to be lazy some days! No...it doesn't literally pay. I need to get off my butt and go to work for that, but I feel rewarded today by being lazy.

I follow a gluten free diet, so I love how easy it is to modify my orders to meet my dietary needs. For example, pad thai noodles usually have soy sauce in them, which has wheat (wheat contains gluten). They don't have tamari soy sauce, but they have Bragg Liquid Amino - 32 oz - Liquid at Vegan Glory, which is a liquid protein concentrate with 16 amino acids made from soybeans. I often use it as a low sodium, gluten-free, and high nutritional substitute for soy sauce. I like the spray bottle Bragg's for daily use, and I can refill it with the larger bottle as needed. This is the spray I keep in my refrigerator at all times to spray on salads, sushi, nuts, rice, and everything:

At Vegan Glory, I call and ask them to substitute Bragg's for soy sauce and it's done, just like that! Easy and delicious.

I really love Vegan Glory. Here's a link to their menu:

http://www.veganglory.com/menu.html

Their prices are great for LA too! Oh! My food's already here. Gotta go...Peace!

Insomnia un-struck!

2012-04-16T00:18:00.000-07:00

Everyone who knows me knows about my sleeping problems. A couple of weeks ago I told my friend I'd do a 5K with her. The 5K is for a good cause and committing to a race would motivate me to workout. I hadn't run a mile since high school, which meant I needed to start moving if I wanted to be ready for April 29th. Little by little, each day, I've been running a bit more and more. Not only are my abs getting flatter, but I'm getting sleepy earlier and falling asleep easier. Although I did other cardio workouts before, running is really helping me feel a difference. I'm starting to understand why people love running. I'm surprised because I never thought I'd be one of those people who enjoy running.

If anyone's interested, here's a link to the site with the charity and run information:

http://www.ccrf-kids.org/RunWalk12/runwalk2012.html

Doctors have put me on all kinds of sleep medications before, and I have used them when my insomnia is unbearable. Even though it's only been a couple of weeks, I've seen huge improvements from running. Not only does running improve my mood throughout the day, but it also helps me feel less stressed, which must be part of why I can fall asleep more peacefully. We'll see where this journey takes me by placing one foot in front of the other, continuously, in the direction of my dreams.

FEAR. Are you scared or what?

2012-04-03T15:54:00.001-07:00

What's in a word? That which we call fear by any other name, would it smell as frightening? Would we react the same way? Would our cells change in how they react to things we are afraid of simply by changing the meaning of the word fear? What are you afraid of? Think about what you are afraid of and then try this acronym for fear:

F alse
E vidence
A ppearing
R eal

As soon as I looked at my fears as false evidences appearing real, they weren't as scary. I found fallacies in my judgement and my evaluation of what was causing me fear. I realized most of my fears were exaggerated and made up in my own mind. Indeed, fear is mostly all in our minds.

What does fear have to do with my blog about a chick eating? Well, I was afraid. I took a professional writing class and was told by the teacher and several people in class to NEVER write for free. Blogging = writing for free = foolish for professional writers. The teacher said it's stupid to blog because you are writing for free. He instructed us to print what we write, get it copyrighted and get it published in magazines, newspapers, and books. He said people will steal your writing if you post online. As a newbie writer without much guidance, this class was my first introduction to the world of writing. This instilled a fear of writing on my blog. I let this marinate for months and what did the fear lead to? Unhappiness. I really wanted to write in my blog and I didn't because of what this one teacher told me.

Suddenly I asked myself, why am I afraid to blog? I was afraid of pouring my heart out in my blog only to have it amount to nothing. Maybe I'd never get any followers. Maybe it is a waste of my creative energy to write for free. Maybe this and maybe that...Maybe I was being a chicken...Well, this chick eats; this chick writes, and this chick is not going to be afraid of writing in her blog anymore!

Writing makes me feel good, and the fact that it gets posted online and is immediately available for others to read makes me feel even better! People reading my writing and finding it useful makes me feel purposeful, which makes me happy. We all like to connect with other people and blogging allows immediate feedback, connection, and sharing. I'm going to say "poo poo" to my "fears" because they are false. I choose to do what makes me feel happy and allows me to share meaningful things with others on an individual and mass level.

Please stay tuned because I look forward to continuously and consistently posting on my blog. F*** the other four letter word; F*** fear and feel empowered. Feel love for yourself by overcoming your fears. What we choose to see is our reality. Feel freedom the moment you realize fears are merely false evidences appearing real.

Accidentally ate gluten and passed out immediately

2011-04-18T12:39:00.000-07:00

Sports bra and leggings on, healthy breakfast of oatmeal in my belly, ready for the gym, and crash. I sat on my bed to answer a text message at 9:30 a.m., and the next thing I knew I woke up at noon. I felt uncontrollably sleepy within five minutes of finishing my breakfast. I thought oats were gluten free like quinoa, but this particular package doesn't specify it is gluten free, and obviously it wasn't because of how my body reacted.

Being gluten-free is new for me. With today as an example, I'll be practicing some trial and error in the process. I did find an extensive list online of foods to avoid. I'm going to email it to my phone and save the list to have it on me at all times. It seems like there are so many foods I CAN'T eat now! The only thing I can do is try to look on the bright side and find out all the foods that I CAN eat. :)

Here's the list:
Abyssinian Hard (Wheat triticum durum)
Alcohol (Spirits - Specific Types)
Barley Grass (can contain seeds)
Barley Hordeum vulgare
Barley Malt
Beer
Bleached Flour
Blue Cheese (made with bread)
Bran
Bread Flour
Brewer's Yeast
Brown Flour
Bulgur (Bulgar Wheat/Nuts)
Bulgur Wheat
Cereal Binding
Chilton
Club Wheat (Triticum aestivum subspecies compactum)
Coloring
Common Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Couscous
Dextrimaltose
Durum wheat (Triticum durum)
Edible Starch
Einkorn (Triticum monococcum)
Emmer (Triticum dicoccon)
Farina Graham
Filler
Food Starch
Fu (dried wheat gluten)
Germ
Graham Flour
Granary Flour
Gravy Cubes4
Groats (barley, wheat)
Ground Spices4
Gum Base
Hard Wheat
Kamut (Pasta wheat)
Malt
Malt Extract
Malt Syrup
Malt Flavoring
Malt Vinegar
Miso4
Macha Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Matzo Semolina
Mustard Powder 4
Oriental Wheat (Triticum turanicum)
Pasta
Pearl Barley
Persian Wheat (Triticum carthlicum)
Poulard Wheat (Triticum turgidum)
Polish Wheat (Triticum polonicum)
Rice Malt (contains barley or Koji)
Rye
Seitan
Semolina
Semolina Triticum
Shot Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Shoyu (soy sauce)4 Small Spelt
Soba Noodles4
Soy Sauce
Spirits (Specific Types)
Spelt (Triticum spelta)
Sprouted Wheat or Barley
Stock Cubes4
Strong Flour
Suet in Packets
Tabbouleh
Teriyaki Sauce
Textured Vegetable Protein - TVP
Timopheevi Wheat (Triticum timopheevii)
Triticale X triticosecale
Udon (wheat noodles)
Vavilovi Wheat (Triticum aestivum)
Vegetable Starch
Vitamins4
Wheat Triticum aestivum
Wheat Nuts
Wheat, Abyssinian Hard triticum durum
Wheat, Bulgur
Wheat Durum Triticum
Wheat Triticum Monococcum
Wheat Germ (oil)
Wheat Grass (can contain seeds)
Whole-Meal Flour
Wild Einkorn (Triticum boeotictim)
Wild Emmer (Triticum dicoccoides)The following items may or may not contain gluten depending on where and how they are made, and it is sometimes necessary to check with the manufacturer to find out:

Artificial Color4
Artificial Flavoring6
Caramel Color1, 3
Dextrins1,7
Flavoring6 Hydrolyzed Plant Protein4
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein4
Maltodextrin8
Modified Food Starch1, 4
Modified Starch1, 4 Mono and Diglycerides1
Monosodium Glutimate (MSG)1, 4
Natural Flavoring6
Starch1, 4
Wheat Starch

* 1) If this ingredient is made in North America it is likely to be gluten-free.
* 2) Mono and diglycerides can contain a wheat carrier in the USA. While they are derivatives of fats, carbohydrate chains may be used as a binding substance in their preparation, which are usually corn or wheat, so this needs to be checked out with the manufacturer.
* 3) The problem with caramel color is it may or may not contain gluten depending on how it is manufactured. In the USA caramel color must conform with the FDA standard of identity from 21CFR CH.1. This statute says: "the color additive caramel is the dark-brown liquid or solid material resulting from the carefully controlled heat treatment of the following food-grade carbohydrates: Dextrose (corn sugar), invert sugar, lactose (milk sugar), malt syrup (usually from barley malt), molasses (from cane), starch hydrolysates and fractions thereof (can include wheat), sucrose (cane or beet)." Also, acids, alkalis and salts are listed as additives which may be employed to assist the caramelization process.
* 4) Can utilize a gluten-containing grain or by-product in the manufacturing process, or as an ingredient.
* 5) Most celiac organizations in the USA and Canada do not believe that wheat starch is safe for celiacs. In Europe, however, Codex Alimentarius Quality wheat starch is considered acceptable in the celiac diet by most doctors and celiac organizations. This is a higher quality of wheat starch than is generally available in the USA or Canada.
* 6) According to 21 C.F.R. S 101,22(a)(3): "[t]he terns 'natural flavor' or 'natural flavoring' means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof. Whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional."
* 7) Dextrin is an incompletely hydrolyzed starch. It is prepared by dry heating corn, waxy maize, waxy milo, potato, arrowroot, WHEAT, rice, tapioca, or sago starches, or by dry heating the starches after: (1) Treatment with safe and suitable alkalis, acids, or pH control agents and (2) drying the acid or alkali treated starch. (1) Therefore, unless you know the source, you must avoid dextrin.

May 1997 Sprue-Nik News.
(1) Federal Register (4-1-96 Edition) 21CFR Ch.1, Section 184.12277.
(2) Federal Register (4-1-96) 21 CFR. Ch.1, Section 184.1444

* 8) Maltodextrin is prepared as a white powder or concentrated solution by partial hydrolysis of corn starch or potato starch with safe and suitable acids and enzymes. (1) Maltodextrin, when listed on food sold in the USA, must be (per FDA regulation) made from corn or potato. This rule does NOT apply to vitamin or mineral supplements and medications. (2) Donald Kasarda Ph.D., a research chemist specializing on grain proteins, of the United States Department of Agriculture, found that all maltodextrins in the USA are made from corn starch, using enzymes that are NOT derived from wheat, rye, barley, or oats. On that basis he believes that celiacs need not be too concerned about maltodextrins, though he cautions that there is no guarantee that a manufacturer won't change their process to use wheat starch or a gluten-based enzyme in the future. (3) - May 1997 Sprue-Nik News
1. Federal Register (4-1-96) 21 CFR. Ch.1, Section 184.1444
2."Additives Alert", an information sheet from the Greater Philadelphia Celiac Support Group, updated early in 1997. This specific information comes from Nancy Patin Falini, the dietitian advisor for the group and a speaker at a national celiac conferences in the past few years.
3. From the CELLIAC Listserv archives, on the Internet, Donald D. Kasarda, posted November 6, 1996.Read more at http://www.healthboards.com/boards/archive/index.php/t-179237.html?ktrack=kcplink

Possible wheat allergy/gluten sensitivity

2011-04-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

Wow. That was interesting. After I ate the ice cream, I wanted to eat some blueberry muffins. I made them without eggs or dairy, and I had a few. The next thing I knew, I felt tired, laid in my bed, and I was passed out from before 9pm until midnight. I woke up to wash my face, brush my teeth, and change for bed. My body was sore and my head felt stuffy. I hadn't eaten any baked goods or flour products in a couple of weeks, so I'm wondering if I was having a reaction to the wheat flour in the muffins. I'm kind of afraid to eat wheat now, after I experienced the instant effects of sugar and wheat together. It literally knocked me out! I feel like I have a hangover today, when I didn't have a lick of alcohol. I continued to sleep from midnight until 9am today. I slept a total of 12 hours! My lower belly is extra bloated and I can see it in my face too. No more wheat for me. That's it!! I'm on strike!!!!

Sugar attack - Rapid heartbeat

2011-04-14T19:39:00.000-07:00

I haven't been eating much sugar lately, but today, I wanted to have some ice cream. I bought a Good Karma (non-dairy) ice cream, and after I ate it, my heart began to beat rapidly. This must be the "drug" feeling some people say sugar gives them. I've never felt it before because sugar had always been part of my normal diet. Now that I took a break from sugar and ate some refined sugar, I can see why sugar is addictive. This firsthand experience will leave me reexamining my sugar consumption from here on out. I don't feel so good right now. I feel sort of numb, actually. I never thought I'd face a day when sugar made me feel sick.

What is a Minneola???

2011-04-03T13:33:00.000-07:00

I went to Trader Joe's to buy naval oranges, when I saw the label minneolas under what I thought were oranges. Hmmmm...What are minneolas? I bought one and ate it in the car. It peeled more easily than an orange, and it tasted a lot like a mandarin or tangerine; it's in the tangelo family. Mine was seedless. I wonder if all minneolas are. The name minneola reminded me of the professional boxer Manny Pacquiao, and they both pack a punch. I recommend adding this juicy fruit to your food repertoire, if you see them at your local market. Enjoy!

Wall-E but No more Coff-E

2011-03-31T08:58:00.000-07:00

Half asleep this morning, I spoon a few tablespoons of coffee grinds into my coffeemaker as Wall-E is playing on my TV. I turn the coffeemaker on, and weird hissing and puffing noises erupt. In the background, I hear Wall-E make a fizzing-out-technology sound: zrrrooomp vzzzzzzzzzzddd. Then poof! My coffee maker dies. You were a great coffee maker and friend. You helped me get through some tough times in my life.

You will be missed. RIP.

Eat more of this and lose more fat

2010-05-07T11:59:00.000-07:00

Wrap it around sushi, eat it alone, with rice, or in salad. Eat seaweed and you won't have to walk a single step for up to 75% of the fat from your meal to pass right through your body.

Researchers in Newcastle, England have discovered a fiber in seaweed that reduces fat absorbed in the body better than most anti-obesity drugs. The article has been published on BBC's website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/tyne/8579472.stm.

I love seaweed roasted with sesame oil and salt. I eat it like I'd eat a bag of Doritos. Simply open the package and crunch. I buy seaweed from Asian markets because there's a wider selection, but many people find it more convenient to go to a natural food store like Whole Foods.

This is a package of seaweed I recently bought from a Korean market:

Another great way to eat seaweed is in salad. I'm starting to like seaweed salads, but for the longest time, I hated the texture. I have found that certain restaurants use dressings delicious enough for me to swallow the slimy strands of seaweed. I'm sure the more I eat it, the more I'll like it.

Well, now that I know seaweed is not only tasty, but also makes fat from my meal disappear, I better update my shopping list. I just ate my last package.

New Shoes & a New Ass?

2010-05-02T03:07:00.000-07:00

I keep seeing ads for shoes claiming to tone your legs and help you lose weight. Are they saying we can not only get a new pair of shoes, but also get a new ass? Two wows in one. Part of me remains a skeptic. I'm all for bargains, and this one is too good to pass up, if it's true.

I won't believe it, until I try for myself. The main contenders are Reebok EasyTones and Sketchers Shape-Ups. Although they're a little pricey, I need a new pair of decent tennis shoes. Shall I try one of these fancy-smancy shoes?

It's worth a shot. Non..?

...Oui!

What time is it? Time to go shopping.

One Sweet Lady & A Dirty Girl

2010-04-26T00:49:00.000-07:00

"Wash Me!" Yes, someone actually wrote that on my car window, so I decided to get a carwash. I bought the works, which included interior shampooing. They did a great job. My 2003 car almost feels brand new again. I vowed to refrain from eating inside my car anymore. No more french fries stuck in between the seat cracks. No more sunflower seed shells under the carpets. My car's clean, and I'm going to keep it that way!

Hah! Fat chance. Why? Because this chick eats, and what did I eat today? Oh, just some of Sweet Lady Jane's red velvet cake.

This cake's so good it would make a monkey squeak. I told myself I'd wait till I got home to eat the cake, but I couldn't help myself. As soon as I sat in my car, I pulled out a plastic fork and devoured an entire piece. I'm pretty proud of myself because I managed to eat the cake sans making a mess. It was too delicious to waste even a crumb.

Are you a blogger too?

2010-04-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

Alicia Keys is looking for a head blogger for her new website. The details are here:

http://www.iamasuperwoman.com

Apply by May 3rd. ¡Buena suerte!

Should I get this?

2010-04-24T13:00:00.001-07:00

This Wii fitness game has received positive reviews, and the price dropped. Should I give it a try? It might give me a reason to set up my Wii at the new apartment.

Happy Earth Day :-)

2010-04-22T16:18:00.000-07:00

Happy Earth Day! Lately, I see more and more people recycling, planting trees, and buying organic goods. There are lots of things we can do to help Mother Earth. If everyone did one thing everyday to help preserve the Earth, like pick up a piece of trash, or recycle newspapers, we could save the world. Honestly. Awareness and action are the foundation for progress. So, Let's get up, get out, go somewhere, and do something.

In honor of my desire to be more "green," and preserve the Earth for my unborn children and grandchildren, I'm going to research and find out as many ways as I can to be more environmentally friendly. Little by little, as I discover more ways to help the Earth, I'll see what fits into my lifestyle and what I'd like to do in a perfect world, but may not be able to do today.

In honor of Earth Day, instead of going to the closest major supermarket to buy my groceries, I'm going to head to the local farmers market, and load my canvas shopping bag with fresh produce and goodies. If the farmers market was closer to my apartment, I could even walk there, but it's not. Okay, off I go to shop.

I'm Growing Herbs

2010-04-19T06:26:00.000-07:00

Although I love the show Weeds, the herbs I'm growing won't get you high.

In my old apartment I started an herb garden with a Chia Gourmet Herb Garden kit. When I moved, the plants died, so I'm starting from scratch. I went to Home Depot and bought basil and mint seeds. I planted the seeds this morning, and placed the pots on a windowsill, in my kitchen. I used organic soil because I don't want pesticides or fertilizers in my homegrown herbs.

Well, until my herbs are ready, I'll watch Mary-Louise Parker and her Weeds grow.

Change of tastes

2010-04-17T09:31:00.000-07:00

Growing up, the only way I'd eat tomatoes is with ketchup and fries. I detested broccoli, spinach, and especially, asparagus. Fast forward to today, tomatoes and those abhorred vegetables have become a few of my favorite foods.

Another example of how my taste buds have changed is beer. I wondered what the great mystery of beer was because everyone from my father to Homer Simpson fully enjoyed this beverage. They seemed to like beer even more than I loved apple juice. They're the same color, they're both in the refrigerator, and they're both served in a glass. "I must try it. I bet it tastes better than apple juice, since my daddy likes it" I thought. One day, my dad let me take a sip. Yuck. Dreadfully disgusting.

That horrible taste took me to age 23, without ever having a desire to take another sip of beer. One happy-hour, I went out with my friends, tried a Blue Moon with orange slices, and beer became my friend. Lately, I have found myself saying, "Ahhhh. A beer sounds so refreshing right now." When did that happen, how, and why?

On Thursday night, I needed time to decompress and catch up with a girlfriend. She suggested we go to Sparadise, a new spa in Los Angeles, to get Thai massages. A massage? YES! How did she know I had a million knots in my back? A massage and girl-talk is just what the doctor ordered.

We updated each other on the latest and the greatest, and we found a new common denominator: an appreciation for reading. She said she has found herself enjoying the things she used to hate such as reading and running. During the last few months, instead of going partying after work, often, she stays home and reads. On Saturday mornings, she enjoys jogging along Santa Monica's boardwalk, then eating fresh seafood nearby.

I find myself enjoying many things I used to loathe, as well. Although I doubt I'll ever like the smell of asparagus-parfumed pee, I willingly eat asparagus sans holding my breath. I haven't found an appreciation for jogging yet, but I have been thinking about signing up for a charitable 5K to motivate me to start a jogging regimen.

There's a song I love that sums up how I feel by Lina called "Change." Listening to this song always lifts my spirits:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHDHyPVLRuY&feature=related

I hope you like her song as much as I do.

Many of my changes stemmed from a desire to grow. I told myself last year that I needed to incorporate more vegetables into my life for better health. It took several variations of dishes to find vegetables I liked and methods of preparing them to suit my taste buds.

I'm a constant work in progress. I want to become a better person, and yes, every day, in every way, I keep getting better and better. Like Lina attests, "Change is a good thing."

Does coffee do this to anyone else?

2010-04-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

Whenever I drink coffee, I want to eat something sweet. Even if I wasn't in the mood for a madeline or scone, as soon as I swallow my first sip of coffee, my tongue feels dry and I want one.

I'm reading a book by Jack Challem called The Food-Mood Solution. Challem claims the mood swings accompanying caffeine consumption contributes to psychological mood disorders. According to his studies, proper rest, food, exercise, and supplements can banish the need for caffeine and improve overall wellness.

How ideal it would be to be free from dependency on any stimulants. Should I give coffee up?

My health is like the IRS

2010-04-09T23:42:00.000-07:00

Needs, schmeeds. Who needs rest and nutrition when you've got a new apartment, coffee, Red Bull, and donuts? When we're under extreme stress, proper health and nutrition is often one of the first things we throw out the window. We may skip exercise, eat more, sleep less, and maybe even add cigarettes and booze to help cope.

I haven't moved in five years, and I forgot how taxing the whole process is. Lack of sleep, packing, unpacking, clutter, and every other luxury that comes along with moving, has turned me into a sugar-seeking, caffeine fueled, unhealthy little stress bomb who's about to explode or die. I need to take my health back into my own hands.

This morning, while putting my 1099s together to file my taxes, a lightbulb went off in my head. My health is just like income taxes. Whether I move, change jobs, get sick, or turn into a vegetable, my intake and expenditures are all accounted for in the end. I cannot cheat the system; therefore, I must be both fiscally and physically responsible.

Wanna be a Pussycat Doll?

2010-04-09T22:57:00.000-07:00

Although she may not look like it, she eats.

I saw Nicole Scherzinger eating dinner at Sushi Roku in Hollywood tonight. Looking stunning, she made healthy choices like sashimi and edamame. Another thing I noticed, once she had her full, she spent most of the evening walking around the restaurant carrying an adorable baby. Holding the baby kept her from stuffing her face, while simultaneously toning her arms. What a smart Pussycat.

Wii Waste.

2010-02-26T13:07:00.000-08:00

I bought myself a Wii about 3 years ago, and justified spending the money, because not only can a Wii help you lose weight, but it's fun. I played with my Wii for about 3 weeks, then I forgot about it.

For my birthday in 2009, I asked for the Wii Fit because I thought I'd use it all the time, renewing my purpose for purchasing a Wii. I'd use the Wii Fit to exercise, and it would not seem like exercise, because I'm playing a video game. I asked for the Wii Fit, and I was ecstatic when someone gave me one for my birthday.

Well, my birthday is February 21st, and it is now 2010. Another birthday has passed, and along with another year, I have gained another dress size. I was hoping for a fit mii, but I neglected that goal, and became plain old lazy. I think I should give my Wii another chance. Don't you?

Wii Waste changed to Wii Use

My waist, I shall lose!

Are you on a diet? OMG you must be hungry!

2010-02-18T10:22:00.000-08:00

What's the term people refer to when women are grumpy??? Oh right. I guess you could say, when I'm hungry I become a (insert the B word here). I wouldn't call myself a b*tch, but society has deemed that word appropriate for usage whenever a woman acts unhappy, bossy, stern, confrontational, or especially, grumpy. Anytime we try to eat healthy or control our weight, we are on a "diet." When someone sees me order a salad with chicken, even if that salad is bacon and crouton filled with full fat ranch dressing and 1000 calories, often the response is, "Are you on a diet?"

I loathe the word "diet." When I hear "diet," I think of deprivation. I think of how hungry I feel all day, when I am on a diet!! No one likes a hungry girl (especially the hungry girl herself).

Finding a balance between our cravings, lifestyle, dress sizes, and blue jeans is a process, and from personal experience, I know how difficult this process can be. This is my log of daily successes, failures, insights, and private thoughts shared with you. I hope you can relate and add to my experiences because the more we share, the closer we are to figuring out how to have the body we want without feeling deprived. From now on, no more diets! Kiss that word goodbye.