Wrap it up, everytime.

Basically, if you're relying on catering for lunch everyday, you're taking a risk. Like I have mentioned before my office has catered lunch everyday. I am trying to not pack myself healthy lunches, but learn how to make healthier choices so that I don't have to spend money on lunch when it's being offered to me free.

But there comes a time when there just are no healthy options available. When the options are corn bread, brisket, mac and cheese and spare ribs, you're left with little wiggle room.

The best thing you can do, which I will now try to do everyday, is bring in SOMETHING. If your caterer is serving heavy foods but also serving salad, bring your own salad fixings. If you know it's going to be all barbecue foods, make yourself a sandwich. There's got to be some fall back plan.

In addition to regretting having not brought my own lunch, the heavy items served today weren't even that good. I am learning that it feels better to eat a healthy lunch and breakfast and that I have an easier time getting through my day. Comfort foods and processed foods just want to make me take a nap.

Well, I always want to nap but more so after tasting the cornbread.

Even packing your own snacks is better than relying on the freebies. Last week I remembered to pack myself some fruits like kiwi, blueberries and bananas. I also packed almonds, multi grain english muffins and string cheese. This week I have nothing. My options are potato chips or kudos bars. It's going to be a long day with all this in my belly.

Hopefully after a lot of water and a sensible dinner, I'll feel a bit better. A nice nap on the trainride home will also do the trick. Thank you, MTA.

The rice trap

They say that white rice is too much carbs. I've read that brown rice is a little better but still should be limited to about a cup/a cup and half per serving. I am assuming, and correct me if I'm wrong, that wild rice and risotto fall into the same categories as white rice. So brown rice is ok but not a very large amount, just as a side dish.

I'm having trouble with that. When I order Asian food that is the BEST part of my meal. There's nothing I love more than opening up that container of rice and finding that TONS of it has been packed in there so you're getting every but of your money worth. I love to drown it in duck sauce and just shovel it in by the spoon full. After about 5 minutes I'm totally full because it's a LOT of rice and it fills you up FAST, and yet, I keep going. It's almost as if it makes me full and hungrier at the same time. Or perhaps I eat the whole container because the thought enters my head that the soft, tenderness of the rice straight from the container will never retain that texture come the next day. The next day it will a good long zap in the microwave to get it soft enough to eat and even then you'll get some hard grains stuck in your teeth.

So the only way to curb my love for rice with my Asian meal is to not order it. So the other night I made the smart move of ordering my steamed chicken with mixed steamed vegetables (sauce on the side) by itself. NO combination platter.

Unfortunately, rice comes with everything. Combination, soup, dumplings... it really doesn't matter. That place is giving you rice and plenty of it.

Whatever you order you have to make a point to ask them NOT to send you ANY rice with your meal. "I would like no rice whatsover. Thank you." Because if even a morsel gets near me, I will eat a full container.

If you're saying to yourself, "you should have better self control," well to you I said "you should have better advice." Self control is a process and it has to be trained. In the early stages of dieting, it's better to ask for the restaurant NOT to send it then to tempt yourself. When you become used to your newer, healthier eating habits, then perhaps you can make better decisions.

Until then... no rice with this order please. Not even on the side.

The black bagel hole

Bagels. Mother fucking bagels.

I like them doughy. Soft, thick, chewy, doughy... so doughy that you almost can't see a hole in the middle. Butter or creamcheese doesn't matter, but I'll pass on the lox.

1 Bagel = 6 slices of bread.

I wonder if really dough bagels = 8 slices of bread.

I'm not sure.

I know a better choice for breakfast is an eggwhite omlette, heavy on the veggies, light on the cheese. I know banana and peanut butter or oatmeal with fresh berries is also a good way to go. All of these options were available to me. ALL OF THEM.

But as I stared at that arrangement of extra doughy bagels on the counter (office, not home. No bagels in my house... too tempting) I couldn't help but feel a carb attack coming on. It was a bad one. Like the kind that starts in your belly and works it's way up through your mouth (so you get the taste in your mouth and your nose) and then popps out and slaps you in the face. It was pretty bad.

Ok here's how it went down. I took the doughiest multigrain bagel I could find. Cut it in half and put one teaspoon of light cream cheese on it. With it I had a cup of green tea.

Here's the question? Was a weakling for craving into the bagel temptation or was I smart for not depriving myself but limiting my portion size?

So far I don't feel weighed down by the carbilicious breakfast. I do however, feel annoyed at the green tea stain on my left boob for when I tried to carry my tea and bagel back to my desk and wasn't successful.

Breakfast excites me.

Danger on the lunch line

My job gets lunch catered for them every day. Don't be jealous... it's just a fact.

Their food ranges from good to awful. So it's really nothing special.

The problem is the healthy alternative option isn't really an option. Today the menu included Shrimp Bisque, Penne ala Vodka, Roast Beef and Roasted Potatoes.

I'll give the roasted potatoes a pass. Correct me if I'm wrong for doing so and should go off on how inappropriate they are for a lunch side dish also.

The Bisque and the vodka... a little lunch with your heavy cream? And didn't prime rib used to be the exciting thing about weddings? When did it become an appropriate lunch?

So I resorted to salad. I wanted to learn how to eat better in ways other than salad. Pretty much once you realize that bacos, croutons, cheese and high calorie dressings make your salad unhealthy, you're golden. But I resorted to salad because my other options were all so gloriously rich. And it's just lunch. I still want to go home and have dinner.

I chose to make myself a salad filled with leafy greens, artichoke hearts, tomato grapes and 1 slice of torn up turkey salami. Topped off with balsamic vinegar. I had one slice of bread for dunking purposes and called it lunch.

That's all well and good, and I think I made the smarter lunch choice, but now it's 4pm and I'm still hungry. Time to think of a healthy snack when all I really want is to run down to the corner and get myself a dirty water dog with sauerkraut and mustard and a knish on the side.

Have I mentioned I work in New York?

Who is Chubby McGee??

Hi.

I'm Chubby McGee. You can of course call my Chubbs. I also answer to Chunk and Pudge McGee.

I am your average, ordinary, standard, run of the mill 26 year old female (yes, female) with a big round belly, a big appetite and a desire to eat healthier and lose weight.

But, losing weight is a process and a lifestyle change. And sometimes when you're Chubby like me you go through a lot of obstacles trying to lose weight. That's why I come here, to share with you and the rest of the world wide web my journey, advice, and struggles.

I've adjusted to living with my big belly for years and it's time for a change. I want to be able to be more physical, fit into nicer clothes and not worry about whether or not I look pregnant. At the same time I love to sit on the couch with a big ole hoagie and scarf it down while watching "Family Guy" repeats.

Hopefully the more I write here, the more I learn about how to eat better and how to change my lifestyle; the more people will check out my blog. Maybe one day I'll even get a cool comment like "What up Chubbs! I like "Family Guy" too. And that will be ok.