RainDropsOnMyA/C

So here we go, testing this out, I absolutely love to write and they say that people who journal on a regular basis are less likely to overeat and will have a higher success rate in losing weight.

Today was not such a good day. Seems like I have about two of those days every week, days when I feel the need to eat everything in sight, even though I'm not physically hungry. Today it was a tray of spanakopita from Trader Joes' (okay, before you start judging me, it was only 720 calories total) which I managed to finish in two sittings.  I think I'm discovering I can't eat anything baked, fried, sweetened, or with cheese on top.

I'm also discovering the importance of a healthy breakfast. It's true what the expects say, it really does set the tone for the rest of your day. Unfortunately I was in a rush this morning and ended up grabbing a colby jack cheese stick (my one failing, oh wait, cheddar cheese is my other failing), a granola bar, a bag of almonds, and a mini applesauce. The applesauce smelled funny, which shouldn't be a surprise since who knows when that apple was mushed into sauce anyway and it's been stored in plastic ever since, so after a couple of spoonfuls I threw it in the trash. I ate the cheese stick and granola bar (200 calories total) at 8:00 and a handful of almonds at 11:30 when my stomach refused to stop grumbling.

Then came lunch. While rummaging about for something to eat (that's another thing I'm learning, you really do have to have a plan and be deliberate about it, otherwise whatever looks good may not be the best choice), I came across my tray of frozen spanakopita. I decided to pop the entire tray in the oven when I noticed the pastry was half defrosted, thanks to my mini-fridge freezer that ices the bottom half of frozen goods and thaws the top half. One Marilyn Milian and two Judge Alex court shows later, I had polished off 8 of the 12 triangular pastries. (note to self, if eating and watching TV at the same time, plate all food and do not go back for seconds. also, do not keep extra containers of food items close at hand for mindless eating.)

Oh, that wasn't all I had for lunch. My first course consisted of leftover 3-bean salad from my ambitious shopping trip to Costco (seriously, now, what does a 29-year old single woman who's trying to lose 30 pounds doing shopping in Costco? and don't tell me it's for the good deal on mini chocolate brownies!). My second course included leftover spanish rice that "needed to be finished." (yet another fallacy. why can't I just learn to throw food away before stuffing myself silly?) Needless to say, I spent most of my afternoon with an aching stomach, sitting on my bed, too lazy to move (all my energy was going towards digesting that mountain of food I'd shovelled down at lunch!). Of course, having the heat at 82 degrees didn't help either!

I religiously decided that since I'd OD'd on food at lunch, I would skip supper. Brilliant idea, right? Especiallly after skipping breakfast! Which is why I found myself staring into the depths (about two feet deep) of my mini-fridge at 10 pm, wondering what I could eat to still a demanding stomach and dismissing the carrot sticks and hummous. It was just a little late to digest fiber that had to be crunched first, even if they were mini carrot sticks. A cup of spanish rice (I hadn't finished it all at lunch!) and the final 4 spanakopitas later, my stomach was satiated and I tried not to think about the total number of calories I had ingested today. At least I'll be able to sleep tonight (I hope!).

Lesson learned. Always take the time to prepare and eat a healthy breakfast that includes a minimum of 350 calories (and two yogurts don't count!).

Oh yes, in answer to your question, I'm addicted to arugula. Stir-fried, as a salad base, or stuffed in a rosemary baguette, arugula is the most delicious green leafy vegetable I've ever tasted. Try it sometime! You'll love it!