The Downside of Being A Foodie...

So I have been pondering writing this post for a week.  It's a tough subject and one I wasn't even sure I wanted to go into in my blog but I decided it was time.  First I will enlighten you with a funny cartoon as an introduction to today's topic...

Pretty funny huh?  Unless it describes your swimsuit collection.

So according to the National BMI index I'm obese!  Not just overweight but OBESE!  Wow.  That smarts huh?  I think this is the downside of being a complete foodie.  I'm obsessed with food.  I didn't really ever think of it being in a bad way though.  I mean what could be bad about being a good cook?  Someone who spends time saving money at the store?  Someone who enjoys trying new things?  Apparently over time it makes you fat.  Folks out there might be cringing when I type that but I had to wake up and face the fact that I was downright fat.  Not just a little heavy, not just put on a couple pounds over the years either.  I was flat out F-A-T!

While the weight has slowly been added on over the last 6-7 years I think this realization happened sort of all of a sudden.  People kept taking pictures of me and I didn't want them posted anywhere because the picture made me look heavy.  Well what do you know-the pictures made me look heavy because I was heavy!  I was turning into a regular Sherlock Holmes here.  In fact none of my clothes were fitting and I was reduced to hanging out in really bad floppy stretchy pants.  Trust me, it wasn't pretty (and it still isn't.)  So all of this brings me to the following conclusion-I had to do something!  So last week I started a "diet".

I am going to use the word diet loosely because I don't think a "diet" is really what is needed here.  I am making more of an overall lifestyle change.  I have a few basic rules I am trying to follow in the hopes of at least feeling good and healthy and being able to get into some decent shorts in time for our family Disney trip in the Fall.  (Or how about being thin enough that my legs don't rub together on long walks?)
I sat down and made the following list about what got me in this shape in the first place so I would know what needed to change:

1. Cut back on going out for lunch.  We had developed a twice a week El Rio Mexican habit as well as a once a week Pizza Hut Buffet habit.  Obviously this was a huge part of the problem.  While I will miss my buddies at El Rio, I think probably this should be saved for a special occasion.
2. Cut back on the alcohol.  How I love my wine and my margaritas, but also a HUGE part of the problem.  I am going to save any alcohol for special occasions or maybe limit myself to once a week or something.  This one I haven't nailed down specifics but I can already tell cutting back is making a difference.
3. Realize I don't have to cook a huge dinner every night.  This one is hard.  I love cooking and trying new things so I like putting on a good meal each night, all week.   I started thinking about it and especially during the summer, something quicker, easier and healthier is ok.  If I do cook, I'm trying to do a meat and two veggies instead of a meat, starch and veggie.
4. Move more.  This one actually goes hand in hand with the alcohol cut back.  I had gotten into a bad habit of hanging out on the couch in the evenings with a glass of wine, watching tv.  Luckily I have realized that without the glass of wine, I really don't care to just sit around and watch tv.
5. Eat earlier.  We have a terrible habit of eating dinner around 9pm.  I know that isn't very good for you.  Luckily going along with the not drinking and the not fixing huge dinners every night I find it easier to eat earlier.
6. Finally, smaller meals throughout the day instead of two big meals.  I'm usually a skip breakfast, big lunch, big dinner person.  Once again I know from everything I have heard and read that smaller meals and more of them actually helps your metabolism so I'm vowing to eat a small breakfast, some small snacks and smaller meals.

So all of these things seem to be a bit more common sense than an actual diet but luckily I see all of these things as achievable.  Nothing is off limits really, more of just a wake-up call that I need to live my life differently if I ever want to strut a bikini ever again (and I do.)  I need to lose 50 lbs to be back in the "normal" weight category on the BMI chart.  50 lbs.  Wow.  That's a lot.  But luckily one week in and I'm doing really well and feel great about what I am doing.  So one week down, 5 lbs down, about 45 to go.