I'm a foodie

So I've made it through another weekend without over-eating. Hurrah! (Gotta celebrate the little things).

Here's the sitch: I'm going to sunny Mexico for a wedding in March. It's a friend's wedding, so several of my friends will be going as well. Which means I'm very, very excited for the good times we'll all have in the sun and the sand and the surf.

However, despite the anticipation of good times, there's this little voice in the back of my head that calls out to me: "YOUR FRIENDS ARE GOING TO SEE YOU IN A BATHING SUIT?!?? REALLY?!?"

So, yeah. This would be the reason why I've joined Weight Watchers online. And I know I sound like one of the MANY that jumps on the January band-wagon and falls off by the beginning of Feb... but this time, I'm really serious. Seriously.

Actually, as much as I hate "diets" and the diet mentality and the obsession that comes along with it, I've learned something new this time around on Weight Watchers. I've got a whole new awareness. Of how much I eat. How much I drink. Whether I'm really hungry or just bored.It's pretty interesting.

I mean, I'm a total foodie. I LOVE food. (As I'm sure you're all aware, since I write about food quite often). So, I can't diet. It just doesn't work for me. However, this time around, I'm still enjoying all the foods I love, but in smaller doses. Normal-people doses. Which means it doesn't necessarily feel like a "diet" to me.

So even when the trip is over in March, I'll most likely still be conscious of what I'm eating. And I'm thinking that before I know it... I'll be looking pretty darn hot.

(Or at the very least, I'll be my ideal weight.)

And I've already eaten all the chocolates in my advent calendar

I was looking over my past "status updates" on Facebook (yes, I was bored) and I realized that I have somewhat of an unnatural obsession with food. A lot of those status updates were food related. I mean... a lot.

And then I realized that a lot of my blogs are about food, too. And you know what? This one's no different.

A very thorough list of the mass quantities of food I have consumed thus far this holiday season:

• Mom's raisin cookies
• My own raisin cookies (they pale in comparison)
• Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
• Rice salad (the only slightly healthy thing eaten this season)
• Sausage rolls
• Festive Special from Swiss Chalet (not once... not twice... but thrice!)
• Turkey and stuffing (an early dinner at the hubby's grandfather's house)
• A selection of Spanish tapas
• Butter tarts
• Beer and wine

In addition to this, I've wisely eaten until it hurts each time we've had any type of a holiday gathering. So yeah... the fat pants? Even THEY'RE getting tight now.

Chicken and stuffing and chocolates... oh my!

I'm off my soapbox and ready for another insallment of "Fun Hezzie" blogs.

Last night, I kicked off the holiday season with my family in one of our favourite Christmas traditions of all time. Yes, that's right. I'm talking about the Festive Special at Swiss Chalet.

It happens but once a year. This fine dining establishment comes out with its delightful meal in November, but my family waits. Oh, we wait. Until December 1st (or the closest date to it in which we can all make it), to truly celebrate the holiday season.

Last night, we indulged in the perfectly formed ice-cream scoop shape of stuffing. And the jiggly, gelatin-like cranberry sauce. With the chicken and fries. And then topped it off with a whole house-full of chocolates. (I'm still bitter that they took away the toblerone bar, mind you).

So now, it's official. The holiday season has started. And I couldn't be more excited. It's the most wonderful time of the year, after all.

Food. Again. (Seems I'm always talking about food).

Last week at my Wednesday night running clinic, a nutritionist came to talk to us. She gave some really good advice, including: everyone should keep a food journal.

Now, I've long despised the idea of keeping a food journal because I thought it would lead to an obsessive, calorie-counting lifestyle. A lifestyle I just can't deal with because, for me, it eventually leads to low self-esteem, bad body image and slight depression. Just ain't worth it. "Besides," I thought, "I already know how to eat well. And, I eat my meals at 2-3 hour intervals throughout the day."

So, I'm not quite sure why I actually decided to keep a food journal this time around. But I did. And the result? Is pretty interesting.

I pride myself on eating well. But, I'm learning that I'm not getting enough veggies in my diet (at all!), I'm consuming more sugar than I thought, and that dreaded alcohol? Yeah, it's being consumed at least 3-4 days a week by me. Not so great.

Turns out that this journal is good for me. I'm not obsessive... just keeping track and watching patterns. And, it's funny, but the whole "writing it down" thing makes me more accountable. There's a certain amount of shame I feel as I scribble down "chicken wings, fries and gravy and 2 bottles of beer" for dinner on Friday night.

And since I'm not down with self-inflicted shame spirals - here's to a healthier me.

Burnt tongues and other things that have happened to me

After the whole mullet-debacle, I spent the weekend eating and drinking in excess.

Now that I'm reading that sentence back, I realize it sounds like being told I had a mullet sent me into a shame-spiral in which the only relief was to drown my sorrows in beer and nacho dip (by the way, thanks Emily... it was deelish!)

Anyway, in reality, the two subjects in that sentence are actually unrelated. I was on the unfortunate end of the mullet debacle - and also - I ate and drank a lot this weekend.

And, as it often happens to me on Mondays, I'm a little grossed out by myself right now. I mean - I woke up with an acid reflux feeling in my throat on Sunday morning. Ew. That ain't right!

As a result, I'm eating only organic cereal, fruit and soup today. And I was so hungry from my "punishment" breakfast this morn, that I could hardly wait for my lunchtime soup to cool before eating it. Hence, the burnt tongue.

I'm such a smart cookie, aren't I? Mmmm... cookie.

Damn it all to heck.

Turkey for me and a turkey for you

Turkeyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!

Sorry. I'm a wee bit excited for the Thanksgiving long weekend. This has got to be one of my all-time favourite holidays. And why is that? Well, because it's an eating holiday, of course. The whole thing is designed around eating. There's no other purpose. You get together and eat.

And I'm going to be stuffing my face not once, but twice, this weekend. Bliss! (So it's probably a good thing that I'm going for a run with Momsie Sunday morning... hopefully it will make me feel a little less guilty about gluttony.)

Anywho... bring on the turkey and taters and stuffing and gravy. I'm ready.

Oh, and... Happy Thanksgiving to One and All!