Diet Tip: Alternative to Fast Food

Ever have a chicken club toaster sandwich from Sonic? My goodness, those things are nothing but greasy goodness! The sandwich is made up of two slices of toasted/grilled bread, tender-yet-crispy breaded chicken, honey mustard sauce, lettuce, tomato, cheese, and bacon. I'm very picky so I take off the lettuce, tomato, and bacon to make my sandwich perfect. It's just so good, and oh so unhealthy.

When I began my diet I knew that the chicken club toaster would be one of the things I'd miss most. I hated when the thought of going to Sonic entered my mind, but I was able to resist the temptation. One day at the store I was looking at the frozen foods and saw some Tyson chicken patties with zero trans fat. I bought them and that night decided to attempt my own version of the chicken club toaster.

I cooked the patty in the oven as directed. While it cooked I grilled a couple of slices of whole grain white bread, lightly buttered. Once the patty was ready, I placed a slice of low-fat American cheese on top of it to melt. Then I lightly coated one side of a slice of grilled bread with honey mustard and put the sandwich together. I was skeptical that it would be as good as the Sonic sandwich.

I. Was. Wrong.

It doesn't taste exactly the same, but this sandwich is amazing! It's a more than satisfactory alternative to the fast food version, and considerably healthier. I highly recommend it. And hey, if you're not as picky as I am, feel free to add on the lettuce, tomato, and a bit of bacon as well!

All Smiles

I have three words for you: I. Feel. Great! That's right, it's been a week since I began my diet - no, my lifestyle change - and I feel wonderful about it! I've stuck to a low-fat, 1500 calorie-a-day diet so far and have exercised every day on my stationary bike for 30 minutes. I'm down from 140lbs to 136.5lbs and though the cosmetic changes aren't all that apparent yet, I feel more energized, happy, and capable. Just a couple of days ago, I passed on some fast food and I didn't miss it! Sure, I had some fond memories of those all-too-tasty greasy french fries, but I also remembered how sluggish I felt after enjoying such food. Was it worth it? Not to me.

I actually look forward to exercising each day, I'm enjoying my low-fat meals, and I'm ready for some outdoor adventures come spring and summer. I've been surfing the net for backpacking trips in Colorado, and hope that I'll be able to make it out to California to visit family and partake in some fun adventures there as well. My plan is to be down to my ideal weight by summer in preparation for all of this. I look forward to being comfortable in my body, I look forward to enjoying more stamina, and I can't wait to become more athletically fit.

I feel like this small thing is on it's way to opening a lot of doors for me, mostly because it makes me feel so good all the time. Who needs drugs when there's healthy diet and exercise instead?

Dreams and Resolutions

It's 2007. There are no flying cars (that the government has told us about :P). There are no daily public commutes to Moon colonies. But, like every year, there are resolutions. From the realistic to the nearly impossible, it seems that everyone has an idea of what they want for the new year to make it better than the last. And yeah, I'm one of those people. Here's what I want for the new year....some of these goals/wishes are attainable...some, well, would be miraculous if they happened, but I can dream, right?

First off, I want to lose weight. I know, how original, right? I'm not a big girl, but I've been getting more and more uncomfortable with my little bit of extra baggage and I'm determined to trim down to an ideal weight of 110lbs. This means I need to lose 30lbs. I've already begun a low-fat diet. No Atkins or South Beach junk for me, just healthy choices like having fruit for a snack instead of chips and eating low fat substitutions of my regular meals, as well as cutting down to one caffeine-free pop a day. So far, it's been pretty easy. Tomorrow I'll be adding a regular exercise routine to my plan. I really think I can do this!

More generally, I want to "get a life," as they say. I'm doing some research and thinking of new ideas to get my photography to sell. I want so badly for my art to financially sustain me, and I really hope 2007 is the year for all that to begin. Stemming off of that, I want to move out of my parents' house and, ideally, into that cute little place on Jefferson. I want to be able to take care of myself and my pets, on my own. I'd love for that to happen before I turn 21.

Now to the unrealistic, it'd-be-a-huge-miracle-if-this-happened thing. It is my biggest dream, my wildest dream, to become a movie and television actress. This isn't really a New Year's Resolution, but more like an old wish that's come back into my thoughts. I've been watching a lot of episodes of the ABC show Lost lately, and that's exactly the type of work I'd love to do. It's dirty, demanding, fun, and challenging. I love acting and I rarely get the opportunity to act here in my little midwestern town. Anyone reading this a talent agent??? *wink*

What are your resolutions for 2007? I'd love to hear them!