The Complex World of Healthy Eating

So as you've probably gathered from previous blog posts, I'm trying (at least most days) to eat healthier.  I'll confess this partially stems from wanting to look good on my wedding day, but even before I was engaged, I was trying to make better choices when it came to food.  At a doctor's appointment several years ago, my doctor told me I was overweight.  She said I wasn't a lot overweight, but technically I was overweight.  It was a good wake up call, but I love sweets.  It's hard to undo a life time of sweet treats and bad eating habits in a short period of time--okay, maybe for some people it's not, but I've definitely had my ups and downs.  Anyway, as I've tried to eat healthier, I'd researched various diets, plans, methods, whatever, and talked to a bunch of people.  There are very few things all of these websites, people, plans, etc. agree one.  You can see why people get frustrated and confused!  I experienced some confusion myself recently.  Bear with me, this may be a long one.  Many "experts" agree that exercise is important as is drinking lots of water.   I do both of those things and that makes sense to me anyway.  Beyond that the only food anyone seems to agree on is vegetables, but they don't all share the same views on which veggies are best.  I've never done any of those diets where you have to order special foods/drinks.  I did Weight Watchers a while ago (the on-line version) and it wasn't horrible.  I can see why people like it and I have a friends and a relative who have had success with WW.  However, I found an app on my phone that does similar things to what I was doing with the WW on-line and it was FREE, whereas WW costs money.  So when my membership expired, I didn't renew it.  I did The Biggest Loser with friends a few years ago and I did quite well with that.  The fact that I was saving for a wedding and the winner won money helped.  I'm not a big meat eater so no Atkins for me (that is the one where you have to eat a lot of meat, right?  Maybe I have my diets mixed up).  I tried the vegan thing and I like my dairy too much.  A workshop and two friends are all about organic food to help with better eating/lifestyle choices.  After researching that I was scared to eat anything--clearly, that didn't last long as I still like to eat, but yikes.  I would like to tell you I was convinced to eat all organic stuff, but I can't.  Organic is expensive.  I suppose you could argue that isn't it worth it in the long run?  Probably, but if it comes to buying all organic or saving for a trip to Europe, I'm sorry, I'm buying the bad stuff and going to Europe.  Anyway, I did switch a few things to organic--milk, spinach, and some snacks.  Two people told me that if you ate organic and tried to go back to non-organic, you wouldn't like it.  I tried it after a week or two and had no problem, HOWEVER, I was trying to find organic spinach a couple of weeks ago and the grocery store was out.  My fiancé went to another store and they were out too so he bought me the regular stuff.  OMG, it tasted awful!  I guess you really do get used to organic once you eat it for a few months.  Finally, a friend of mine and a few co-workers of mine have done the Whole 30 food plan.   I was reading up on this a few days ago.  They make a pretty convincing argument, and OMG, how many foods have chemicals in them?!?!  It's as scary as the non-organic food stuff my friend showed me, but again, you all know I like my dairy. 
So my point in rambling about all this is one day you read meat is good, the next it's bad, the next drink more milk, the next don't drink milk. Fruit is good, fruit is bad.  Diet soda is worse than regular soda (I don't drink soda so that one actually doesn't bother me).  Eat low fat, eat no fat, eat only the fat.  I don't know that society will ever agree on a "best food" plan so I guess you just have to do what works for you--and in my case eat fewer sweets.  :)       After all that rambling, I do believe I've lost the point of my blog. So for now, I'm off to drink water, lift some weights, and maybe eat some spinach.  :)  Stay healthy all. 

I used to like to shop...

Usually I like shopping.  There are two types of shopping, I almost NEVER enjoy.  One is going to a certain store to buy things on baby registries.  The problem is I can never find anything.  It says aisle three and I go to aisle three and there it is NOT.  Despite this, if I ever decide I can handle having a child, I will probably register at this store because there are only so many baby stores close by.  The other type of shopping I do not like is bathing suit shopping.  Shopping for clothes is usually fun, same with Christmas shopping, book shopping, even grocery shopping is fine (except on weekends, I learned that the hard way).  Anyway, my bachelorette party is this weekend.  I am nervous and excited.  I was told I needed a bathing suit.  I had a bathing suit I did not hate. I bought it two years ago, but at the end of last summer the clasp broke.  So last week, I went to the store to find one.  Bathing suit shopping is painful.  Some of my friends equate it to a mild form of torture.  First you have to find one that fits.  Then you need one with a little support.  As my godmother would say, I'm not as "gifted" in that area as some people, but you want to stay in place.  I don't do bikinis so that rules out half the suits.  I just want a decent tankini or a one piece that doesn't break the bank account.  You'd think that would be easy enough, right?  WRONG!  If you want to feel bad about the way you look (which really I can do without help ha ha), just go bathing suit shopping.  When did my arms get so fat?  Why aren't these exercise to reduce armpit fat working?  Why does half a tankini cost $35?    Why does this suit make me look fat?  Well, you get the idea.  I did finally buy one.  It didn't work any miracles, but the good thing abut burning so easily is I can usually hide under a t-shirt.  I'm not sure I can get away with that at the indoor pool this weekend.  I hope if you have to go bathing suit shopping any time soon, it goes much better and happier for you.  So while I am looking forward to this weekend, if anyone takes a picture of me in a new bathing suit, you will NOT be seeing it on here or hopefully, anywhere.  My friend told me to bring a camera this weekend and take lots of pics.  I plan to, but if anyone takes a pic of me in my new suit, we are no longer friends.  ha ha.  :-p  Have a fabulous weekend!      

Let's Talk Make Up

Okay, I'll be honest, I don't wear make up that often.  I mean I probably should, but I'm lazy, yes, lazy.  No, not even so much lazy as I don't like getting up early.  I get up for work at 6:30am and that is early enough for me thank you very much.  If I were to wear make up to work each day, I'd have to get up earlier than 6:30 and 6:30 is early enough.  I wear make up to work approximately 11 days a year.  I'm totally serious on that number.  If you really wanted to know, I could even tell you which 11 days I usually wear it.  This year I will wear it 12 days because my job is throwing me a bridal shower so I will likely get up a few minutes early and put make up on that day. By the way, when I say make up I mean like foundation and lipstick/gloss.  That's it.  I can't stand having stuff put on my eyes.  I'm weird, I know.  Aside from the 11 (or in the case of this year 12) days I wear make up to work, I will also wear it for weddings, parties, and other special events.  Oh, and I do dance so during the years when I participate in the yearly show, I am required to wear make up.  That's amusing.  A lady in my class tried to do my eyes once and I was in a back bend, I didn't even know I could do a back bend, but every time she came near my eyes I kept backing away and I was nearly in a back bend.  Anyway, the reason I bring all this is up is because I figure for my own wedding I should probably wear make up.  It would be nice if I could look good in the pictures.  And if I want to look good (or at least better than I do now), someone other than me should do my make up.  Um, do you have any idea how much it costs to get your make up done, especially if it's for your own wedding!  Holy cannoli!  Including a trial and day of application, many places wanted to charge $200!  For that price, they should be able to make me look good for a month!  I just hope the person who has to deal with me is patient and has good aim because when she comes near my eyes I may find I can do a back bend again... 

Weird Weather

So I don't know about where you live, but where I live we have had some wacky weather.  Of course I often think we have weird weather so that's probably not saying much.  A week or two ago it was near 80 degrees one day and back in the 40s two days later.  A friend of mine who lives in a much warmer climate kindly invited me to visit her--okay, let's be honest, I kind of invited myself--last year at this time of year and I had a lovely trip (you can scroll back a while and read blogs on it if you're interested).  We were joking that I should come again this year, but with trying to save for  a wedding and honeymoon, it just was not a realistic possibility.  Then a few days ago I woke up and there was SNOW, yes, SNOW on the ground.  I'd almost put out the patio furniture a day or two before that, good thing, I didn't.  Did I mention that two days before the snow came it was in the 70s? I told her I'd be buying a plane ticket that evening.  Unfortunately, I didn't play the lottery so I couldn't win hence no plane ticket, but good grief after this winter, it was sure tempting!  I will admit the snow was light, they didn't even have to plow and it was gone by the time I got home from work, but still, snow, now??!?  Once when I was in college, we had a few flakes in MAY. UGH!  I am on vacation this week and given that it's nearly May this should be a lovely week to be on vacation and enjoy the outdoor weather, but I guess Mother Nature didn't get the memo.  It'll probably be nice when I go back to work next week.  Sigh  :-(  The good thing about yucky weather is that it does cause one to get things done that one might otherwise procrastinate because one has time to do them.  It also allows a person time to catch up on blogging.  :-)  Nonetheless, I'm still hoping for sunshine and warm weather before the week is through.