I know this topic has absolutely nothing to do with writing, but I did make a promise to myself this year that I would write something every day, even if it's a blog entry.  So here it is. 

I'm fat.  There I said it.  I will freely admit it.  I do not feel comfortable in my own skin.  I have a hard time breathing when I walk a certain length.  I have a hard time going shopping for clothes so much that I actually hate it.  Seeing my size increase as much as it has, bothers me.  Some may say, well then do something about it.  I have, sort of.  I've cut down on soda - which has been a HUGE staple for me these past ten years. I rarely eat junk food, sweets bother me and make me feel all icky inside.  But I do imbibe at times.  I look at my pantry and in my fridge and see what's in there and it makes me cringe.

Chicken Helper, Tuna Helper, Hamburger Helper, canned tuna fish (Light), spaghetti (cheap-o brand, not even whole wheat), Hunts spaghetti sauce, box-o-rice (white, not even brown or multigrain), and other obvious no-no's if one wants to lose weight.

Why is my pantry filled with so many bad things?  Well, as I realized last night while grocery shopping, I can't afford the 'good things'.  My budget right now is so tight, I'm lucky I can afford the things I bought.  No wonder the US is having such a crisis.  Those on welfare and receiving food stamps (I'm assuming), can only afford the junk - unhealthy foods - because they get more for their buck.  If they bought health foods, it'd eat up all of their money and they wouldn't be able to feed their family.  When you have a family of five and you're grocery budget is less than $150 a week, you can get more to feed the family when the food is cheap and completely processed.  It's so awful.  Why can't healthier foods be cheaper?  Why does a salad for dinner have to cost more than a few boxes of spaghetti and sauce?

For example:
A Salad in cost ...
1 cucumber - $.89
1 red pepper - $.69
1 green pepper - $.69
A head of lettuce - $2.39  or a bag of lettuce - $2.50
Total: $4.66 or $4.77

I hate to say this but, that salad won't even fill my family up. They'd be looking for more.  I didn't even include tomatoes or other salad 'staples'.

So let's switch it up and compare what I normally would spend my $4.77.

1 and 1/2 box of regular spaghetti - $1.50 or whole wheat pasta $2.39
1 can Hunts spaghetti sauce - $.98
1 tsp of Parmesan cheese x 5 - $.76
Total: #3.24 or $4.13

For a meal that will fill my family (meaning, they won't be looking for something else after dinner), I'm even saving money.  But it's not healthy, not at all.  Even with switching to the whole wheat pasta, I'm still spending a little less, but the meal is still essentially the same.  Pasta is really only good for people who can burn off the calories.

I don't burn off calories sitting on my butt all day working in front of a computer, answering phone calls.  Nor, by the time I get home after my hour drive, do I have time to do anything but get dinner made, children's homework complete, showers/baths, and children to bed.  I'm sitting down again at the end of the night, exhausted.  I'm lucky I burned off a total of 100 calories in my day.

But that's just me.  I have to make a lot of changes, I'm sure, to make it work out the way it's supposed to.  Until I make those changes, I'm just going to remain fat and unhealthy. 

Changes I have to make - cut down the drive time, sitting time, computer time.  Add more exercise.  Unfortunately I'm not able to do that ... the times ya know?  Need the job, so have to keep the ride, sitting time and computer time.  Exercise will just have to be factored in there somewhere, just have to figure out where.

But anyways ... I'm done with this topic.  I kind of got myself into a tangent and need to step away before I say something that will get me in deep doo-doo.  LOL

Obviously I am the reason for my problem and the only way it'll get fixed is if I fix it.  So send me your recipes for healthy living and cooking.  Send me your encouragement and advice.  I can certainly use it ... especially if you're in the same boat and have figured out a way to make it work. 

But yeah ... send me some recipes!