Hey guys!

It’s no coincidence that I posted a series on healthy-living bloggers and how each person pursued her health in her own unique way. See, I’m reading Joseph Campbell’s Pathways to Bliss: Mythology and Personal Transformation and, while it’s overarching concept is the mythological tradition — and I can’t vouch for its anthropological or historical accuracy — its goal, I think, is to take the tradition of myth and encourage each individual to find her personal journey to happiness.

Campbell’s famous catchphrase “Follow Your Bliss” can seem a little kitschy, but it’s an important and invaluable reminder. Following one’s bliss has a lot to do with uncovering the belief system (or myths) that have been ingrained since childhood, perpetuated in society, and then personally constructed. The ultimate goal is finding one’s place within them and then building her own path outside of them. I hope that doesn’t seem obscure. Just remember all those “coming of age” stories you’ve read, or recall scenes in movies where a young college-bound boy, for example, sits in a room covered in Yale propaganda and has to decide how to tell his overbearing parents that he wants to go to public school. Same thing.

One of the things I find most compelling about Campbell’s book so far, is the call-to-action — “what I’ve found is that any mythic tradition can be translated into your life, if it’s been put into you. And it’s a good thing to hang on to the myth that was put in when you were a child, because it is there whether you want it there or not. What you have to do is translate that myth into its eloquence, not just into the literacy. You have to learn to hear its song.”

Granted — it’s a very soft-spoken call to action. But I think it’s an urgent one. I think for so much of my life I’ve tried, both consciously and subconsciously, to erase the past. Addictive behaviors like coping with food, for example, are methods to detract — they’re ways to remove oneself from dealing with situations emotionally, and I’ve spent a lot of my life repressing those emotions, refusing to look (and scared to look) deeply into my own beliefs and what was fueling my actions.

For me, it’s been very emotionally challenging to go through such a physical transformation while simultaneously going through a mental one. It’s like trying to make your place and assert your adulthood when your physical appearance is a shape-shifter. Ok, I exaggerate, but sometimes it felt (feels) that way.

I recently conducted an activity where I sat with pen and paper and literally drew out my family genealogy, tied people together with marriage, and children, then signaled divorce and deaths. When focusing on my immediate family I thought about patterns of behavior and asked, “what would we have to believe for that to become a pattern”? You might be surprised at what you find. I question why I had not done this sooner — some things are just so obvious that until we see them written down we take them for granted. I saw example after example of broken marriages. Example after example of verbal abuse. You wonder why you had not yet pieced these patterns together if only to see that you can remove yourself from them and create your own.

As children, our family life is very much the mythic tradition we are raised into. We can’t yet extrapolate how our parents, who perpetuate certain belief systems, came to believe what they do, what perpetuates the belief, why they choose to relate to them, etc. — we simply know these beliefs as our own tradition.

It’s when we get older that we start to question, that we start to see a transparency, and that we are able to take these relationships to pen and paper (even if just metaphorically) and extract the beliefs and the foundation on which they were built.

I encourage you guys to really try to uncover your patterns of thought — the patterns that have led to your current belief system. And ask yourself what it is you truly believe. You might be shocked to find that your actions actually speak more to your beliefs than you do when prompted to state them.

And I’ll leave you with this lovely Campbell quote: “Where there’s a way or a path, it is someone else’s path; each human being is a unique phenomenon. The idea is to find your own pathway to bliss.”

It seems hard at first to break from convention, to deviate from the expectations placed upon us, but going after your own happiness is actually the easiest thing to do. Following the expected route is really the route to perennial hardship.

Be free.

<3,

The Cranky One

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed my Monday post on part one of my favorite healthy-lifestyle bloggers. Are you ready for part two?! I am!

Heather

• Blog: Heather Eats Almond Butter
• Story: Heather weighed in around 220 pounds in her undergrad years just like the Cranky One over here. When she decided to change her lifestyle, it was with small changes — like cutting out soda — but it was also with the mentality that she would try to find what worked for her body and happiness. The small changes added up and in two years she lost 100 pounds. What I love about HEAB’s blog is that we’ve seen her experiment with many different lifestyles (including raw-ish, vegetarian, almost-vegan, etc. — read more here) and activities (she’s a yoga-fiend these days, but used to run a lot). I love that she’s adamant about eating in a way that makes her feel good. Some cool things? HEAB’s blog was one of the first I ever read [see my little love-note to her here] and she’s currently expecting a little HEABlet!

Jasmine

• Blog: Eat, Move, Write
• Story: Jasmine’s “complicated love affair” with food, as she puts it, translated into reaching a high of 343 pounds at the age of 22. After a lifetime of ineffectual dieting and the imminent danger of carrying so much extra weight on her small 5′1 frame, Jasmine chose to undergo gastric bypass surgery. If gastric bypass surgery is a new topic to you, as it was to me before Jasmine explained it to me, I highly recommend you read about it here. After surgery, Jasmine had to learn, and struggle to learn, what living a healthy lifestyle actually meant for her and her unique circumstances. She’s lost 200 pounds and has gained endless insight into what is and is not a healthy approach to reaching her goals. Her story is truly movie-worthy — leaving a marriage and life in Indiana behind, moving to CA without knowing anyone, finding true love and now writing her first book! Not only is Jasmine’s blog-voice something I find comforting and relatable, but she’s also just as authentically sweet in person as she is online. Wanna know somethin’ cool?! She recently graced the cover of Obesity Help magazine [link]!

Lizzie

• Blog: Watching and Weighting
• Story: Ok, call me shallow, but I bloody love reading Lizzie’s use of British vernacular. If you know me, you know I have an affinity for the accent and vocab, so reading her posts puts me in a chipper mood. If only she posted more often (sorry, Lizzie, lol!). So, Lizzie’s story is that she was a “skinny minnie” who put on 40 pounds or so after getting married. We’ve read and watched as she’s tracked her Weight Watchers Points, exercised, and dealt with what a lot of us deal with when trying to lose weight — scale victories, scale miseries, realizing the scale is just a freakin’ scale, eating loads of crisps and trying not to feel guilty, etc. Lizzie’s reached her goal weight and has created a lifestyle that supports maintaining her svelte figure — she runs, works with personal trainers, and keeps busy doing musicals with the West Kirby Light Opera Society, in addition to her day-job, etc.! P.s. Lizzie, can I come visit you and put my awful British accent to use for your amusement?

Sheryl

See a higher res “before” pic on Flickr here

• Blog: *Bitch Cakes* A Neurotic Glamour Girl’s Weight Watchers Experience and Fitness Adventures
• Story: If you can’t tell just by her blog name why I love her, then I don’t know what to tell ya! Ms. Bitch Cakes spent the majority of her life being overweight and pissed about being overweight (I hear ya, sister) and when she was going to hit 35, she reached enough and had her “final straw moment.” A serial Weight Watcher since 1989, Sheryl joined WW again in 2006 with the resolution that she’d ring in her late thirties in the best shape of her life. Well, she’s CONQUERED that goal by recently reaching her goal weight of 137 pounds. What I love about Sheryl’s blog is that she doesn’t just eat, run, blog, repeat (which is great, yo, but she really spices it up here!) — she does zumba, punk rope, and pretty much bikes across Brooklyn (ck out her bike tour recap, for one example). We’ve also seen her go vegan and take complete control of her kitchen. It’s great and inspiring to see how active she is (she often tracks her activity in these cool spreadsheets for all of us to see) and how much fun she has — she’s always smiling. Oh, and, uh, her underwear shots are an added bonus if you like to look at scantily-clad beautiful women!…Which, on occasion, I do

See part one of some of my favorite healthy-lifestyle bloggers [here]

Do any of these bloggers’ stories resonate with you? Who or what motivates you?

<3,

The Cranky One

Hey guys!

Need some Monday motivation?

I’ve done post after post about what motives me, what motivates you and what to do when nothing motivates us at all; and I think the one thing sure to motivate anyone is seeing other people persevere to meet their goals. With that in mind, I want to highlight some (there are SO many amazing ones!) of my favorite bloggers who I’ve watched lose weight, conquer fears and evolve tremendously. Seeing their changes right before my very voyeuristic eyes has been life-altering! It’s comforting to know that linking all these bloggers together is their determination; however, they’ve all achieved, and continue to achieve, milestones in their own unique ways — a great reminder that when it comes to your health, you’ve gotta go after it on your own terms. In two installments, here are a few of my faves…

Amanda

• Blog: Another Prior Fat Girl
• Story: Amanda, like a lot of us, didn’t really learn the value of eating well and staying active until adulthood when a fast-food-diet coupled with a desk-job caught up to her, her waist line and her general sense of well-being. She got to a high of nearly 220 pounds and suffered from acid-reflux — not fun. After a trip with girlfriends to Mexico, and reviewing photographic evidence that she didn’t look or feel the way she wanted to, she joined Weight Watchers in May 2008. Since then, she’s lost over 70 pounds, gone (and stayed) vegetarian, ran two 5ks, become a lifetime member of Weight Watchers, and taken a liking to kickboxing. I love Amanda’s blog “voice” and I find her occasional “TMI” references rather hilarious (like the time she talked about us vegetarians and how, uh, well, we’ve got good digestive systems — that’s all I can say!)

Jen

• Blog: Prior Fat Girl
• Story: One of the reasons I first gravitated towards Jen’s blog was that her story was my story in many ways. Struggles with weight since early childhood? Check. Dependence on emotional eating to cope? Check. When Jen moved out on her own and hit an all-time-high weight of 240 pounds in 2007, she knew she had to do something, and the countless diets she had tried before were just not cutting it. She ended up at a weight-loss-surgery seminar with her dad by her side. She looked around the room and noticed she was the youngest one there. She gulped hearing the risks involved and how much shock she’d put her body through. Her “sugar coating not included” mantra was born — she was going to kick herself in the ass by being 100% accountable — no B-S & no hesitation — by working hard physically and emotionally and, this time, consistently. Her no-excuses approach was working wonders and in 2009 she was set to celebrate 100 pounds lost and her two-year bloggiversary. No one, especially Jen, could fathom that on that very day she’d lose her mother — her best friend — in a tragic accident. Jen’s readers saw her face the challenge of mourning and the desire to revert to remnant habits of coping through food. Jen continues her struggle everyday but still with her mantra in tact — she continues to kick ass and take names. Cool things we’ve seen Jen accomplish? She got her master’s degree, for one! She also once did a stair challenge against another blogger for 99 minutes [see here]; it was hilarious AND she’s currently training to run her first half marathon!

Lauren

• Blog: Team Giles
• Story: Lauren was kind enough to share her story with you guys in her own words (isn’t this already off to a great start?!)! “Growing up I was always the bigger girl, I never remember being thin. I remember when I was 9/10ish going to kids camp one year and all my friends wanted to go buy the same outfit so we could all match, because ya know we were super girly like that. All 5 of us went to the store with one of the mom’s and the girls went straight to the girls section… I went to the women’s out of a habit. See I wasn’t able to fit into a girls size… and there were no “plus size kids” anything. Trying to find matching outfits was a disaster, that ended with me crying. I realized I was different and thought I’d never change. I remember shopping for clothes when I was in high school, and trying on the size 18 — it was too tight… I had to buy a size 20. I realized I didn’t want to live this way. My weight loss journey hasn’t occurred overnight… or even over the course of one year. Its been many years… I lost weight, I gained weight, I lost weight and so goes the story. In 2005 I became a vegetarian. I tried every “diet” out there, why not this one. I ended up liking a vegetarian lifestyle so much, I’ve never changed from it. I kept a lower weight than I had in a long time and my weight stayed consistent. I didn’t lose a ton of weight, because my portions were still out of control. But I still stayed slimmer than before. In 2007, my dad passed away {at the young age of 58}; he wasn’t healthy at all. Ate all the bad foods, smoked and stressed far more than anyone ever should. Its breaks my heart that he died, and died so young, all from things that CAN BE prevented. So a new fire was lit in me to become healthier. Life is short and I want to take care of myself for me and my family. I began running, and did my first 5k in 2009. Since June 2010, I’ve been food journaling, learning about portion control and doing that running thing and, to date, I’ve lost 30.6 pounds. I’d love to be able to tell you my starting weight back in high school. Truth is, I don’t know. I avoided the scale a lot. I know that I was somewhere in the 240s. My journey isn’t finished and never will be. You don’t lose weight and then you’re “fixed” — it’s a daily battle to make healthy choices. I can finally say today, that I’m starting to understand what thin feels like, and I love it. But what I love the most is how healthy I feel, and I realize that I’m capable of doing anything I want to achieve.” Another cool thing about Lauren? She just booked her flight to run the San Francisco half!

Quix

• Blog: Adjusted Reality
• Story: Going from young gymnast to 265-pound couch-potato wasn’t the progression Quix had in mind, but it was reality at some point. While an unhealthy lifestyle of fast-food, packs of cigs a day and inactivity was the norm at one point, if we adjust reality to today, we’ll see Quix is a fit and healthy triathlete! I kid you not! She took baby steps, cut back on the cigarettes, tracked calories, ran, rode her bike, swam, strength-trained, and more, and she’s lost over 110 pounds. Quix’s chronicled this transformation on her blog, along with fun stuff like her wedding! Her quirky writing style and references to video games (since she’s a sweet-ass gamer chick workin’ in the industry) give the blog an added appeal. I love that Quix still drinks, parties and DDRs her way to health. She hopes to run her first marathon this year! (Cuz, her first triathlon obvs. wasn’t enough!

I love how apparent these bloggers make it that achieving health goals is an evolution, not an end-point — cuz it never ends! Can you relate to any of my fave bloggers’ stories? Who are some of the bloggers, celebs, &/or general PEOPLE, who motivate you?

Stay tuned for part II!!!

<3,

The Cranky One

Hey guys!

My boyfriend and I love spring rolls — we get them at Zephyr, The Loving Hut and anywhere else we can get our hands on ‘em. It’s been on our “summer fun list” to try making them ourselves and, since my summer officially ends tomorrow (back to the grad-school grind, oy!), we spent some time in the kitchen yesterday concocting these beauties…


Aren’t they beautiful?! I still need to get better at wrapping them up tightly, but I’m very proud of how good they came out! This is some of the filling we used:

Bella & Boy’s Spring Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 medium cucumber cut into strips and then quartered
• 2 medium carrots cut into little strips (or peeled, if that’s easier)
• A few cups chopped cabbage
• Plenty of green onion chopped
• Plenty of fresh cilantro
• Rice paper wrappers for spring rolls (They sell these at Whole Foods)
• One 14-oz pack of tofu, marinated, cooked & cut into bite-sized pieces (see recipe below)
• Smooth peanut butter &/or tahini paste, optional

Tofu Marinade

• 2 tbsp Trader Joe’s BBQ sauce
• 2 tbsp Hoison sauce (they sell this at Whole Foods)
• 2 tbsp brown rice vinegar (they sell this at Whole Foods)
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• black pepper to taste

Directions

• Have all of your veggies chopped and ready to go.
• Drain and pat tofu dry as you normally would. Marinate tofu in the mixture above. If you have time, let it sit in the fridge for 30 minutes before cooking (I didn’t have time and the tofu still soaked up the yummy flavors).
• Spray a pan with non-stick cooking spray and set heat to medium-high. Cook tofu equally on all sides ’til it gets nice and crispy. Then, remove from heat and set on a plate.
• I’m not sure this is the safest way to do it, but I got a large and wide glass bowl (wider than the width of the rice wrappers) and filled it half-way with water, & microwaved for 3 minutes. I then dipped a rice wrapper into the water for 30 seconds or so until pliable, then removed to a plate, filled with sprinkles of veggies, cilantro and tofu, topped with a drizzle of smooth, unsalted peanut butter, and wrapped up. Be very careful to make sure the water isn’t too hot to dip your hands in — you don’t want it to be boiling, just warm enough to make the rice paper pliable and not burn your fingers when dipping in!
• Do the same with as many wrappers as you care to use.

The options are endless with these babies. You can add whatever veggies you want. I know many people fill them with bean sprouts, vermicelli, bell peppers, tempeh, seitan and more. I am envisioning that some sort of coconut curry tempeh would go amazing in a spring roll with mint leaves and veggies.

If you want to make your own dipping sauce, you can experiment, as I did, with hoison, peanut butter, tahini paste, vinegar, lemon juice and water.

What does a spring roll have to do with the “saying yes to change” I referenced in the title of this post? Not much. But as an English M.A. student I reserve the right to make loose connections like it’s my job. Plus, I just wanted to talk about my hair! See, another thing on my “summer fun” list (am I the only one who makes lists of things I want to do for fun when I have the time?) was to have one frivolous expense. I’m just not that into clothes (buy ‘em all used, anyway) or shoes (only spend on running shoes; otherwise, been wearing the same pairs for the past 5 years, no joke!). The only thing I’ll really invest in/experiment with to express myself aesthetically is my hair. I intended to get blonde highlights again (which I did for the first time, after a decade, about 9 months ago, and that was a big deal to me). But as I sat there in the chair, I knew I wanted something way outside of my comfort zone. I wanted red hair. I wanted to be a mix of Titanic-Kate-Winslet and Paramore’s Hayley — two chicks who’d grace my walls if I were 13 again and in my posters-from-floor-to-ceiling phase The hairstylist warned me about the upkeep, about how drastic the change would be, etc.. And these words just flew right out of my mouth, “I want it, I’m ready and there’s no turning back now!”
It’s still kinda burgundy in this pic, but just today it’s getting that red pop that makes me want to stand at the edge of a giant ship and say, “I’ll never let go, Jack!”

What’s your ideal filling for a spring roll? Ever made ‘em? Ever stepped outside of your comfort zone on your hair color or did some sort of change because you were tired of the norm?

<3,

The Cranky One

Hey guys! Please welcome Nadia’s 12th guest post!
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We all believe in a magic number. It’s not real – that’s why it’s magic. It’s an illusion that has no real bearing on our lives.
[photo cred]
Does your scale read like an Eight-Ball and tell you whether you’ll have a good or bad day?

Yet it still exists, looming over us like the dust cloud that hangs out with Pig Pen from the Peanuts cartoons.

There’s a lot of argument over whether the number on the scale matters. Personally, I have always judged weight loss and gain by how your clothes fit. If your jeans feel a little tight, there’s probably a reason, and vice versa if they feel loose. I have used a scale to show an explicit loss (or gain – gulp!) of weight, but I’m not a big fan of them. Why? Because then we’re slaves to the number.

I’m now at the end of three months of a voyage of eating healthy and losing weight. It’s been both easy and difficult, sometimes at the same time. But so far, it’s been a very good thing for me. And yet, I still don’t feel like I’ve accomplished what I want to. How in sweet Moses do I continue to lose the rest of this weight? Moreover, should it even matter whether I lose weight or not?

In the end, it does matter. I come from a history of cardiovascular disease – staying healthy is very important to me since I don’t want to suffer the consequences later. However, whether I weigh in at 140, 130 or 150 pounds is dependent on how I feel about it. Will I feel comfortable at 150? Obviously not – that’s why I started losing weight in the first place. Am I comfortable at 140? Somewhat – which is a slippery slope to be on, as I could easily start to gain weight again. Will I feel more comfortable at 130? I think so. Thus, it’s worth it to go the extra mile.

How do you feel about the number on the scale?

Best Meal:

Open Sesame Restaurant in Long Beach: I got the vegetarian combo at this Lebanese restaurant. Potatoes in lemon and olive oil, plus hummus, pita, falafel, tabouleh and babaganoush. Yessssss!

Worst Meal:

Strawberry Shortcake ice cream: Yes, the Good Humor kind. I believe this had some insane amount of saturated fat. Next time, stick to the vegan ice cream!

How I Worked Out:

Some swimming, a little dancing, a little bit of weights. Not much to report.

What Did We Learn?:

As much as I might want to quit and get back to eating cheeseburgers without a care in the world, being healthy is a full-time job. Staying on the course and looking at the bigger picture is what will lead me to getting back into more of my clothes!

This Week’s Goal:

Last week, I insisted that the Feed Me I’m Cranky readership choose my next goal. In fact, I’m asking everyone to chip in and do the same for next week’s goal too! But for now, The Cranky One has spoken:

“Thou shalt not eat fast food for a week.”

This is one of those situations that is deceptively easy. For you see, now that I have been told it is forbidden, I am more tempted to have it. However, I will be sure to meet this goal. Remember, kids, one step at a time.

Start Weight According to Crappy Target Scale: 142.6

End Weight According to Crappy Target Scale: 141.6 (still not where I want to be)

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What do you guys think about “the number on the scale?” Does it have any bearing on your attitude? Should it? Do you have a history of disease in your family that motivates your healthy lifestyle (or attempts at one)?

To see Nadia’s first update, click here; her second, click here; her third, click here; her fourth, click here ; her fifth, click here; her sixth, click here; her seventh, click here; her eighth, click here;  her ninth, click here;  her tenth, click here; and/or her eleventh, click here.

<3,

The Cranky One

Hey guys!

I’m trying to make a point of eating more in Long Beach rather than venturing south-bound on the 405 to Fountain Valley or Irvine for my delicious vegan fare; but it’s tough. There aren’t a lot of straight-up veg-friendly restaurants in Long Beach – though there are plenty of places with suitable options for the health-minded in general. If any of you in Long Beach or the surrounding area know of restaurants, preferably not large chains, that have veg-friendly or simply healthy items on the menu, holla’!

These are the restaurants I know of:

In Long Beach

Fresh Foods Cafe* 340 Golden Shore Street, Long Beach, CA 90802 (Shoreline Village)
The scoop: Not much for vegetarians and vegans, but this place does offer plenty o’ sandwich, soup and salad options that are healthy enough if you opt for the right stuff. Try anything from the “Fresh and Fit” line-up. The sides are cool with seasoned black beans and brown rice, steamed broccoli, and grilled vegetables. If you’re vegan, opt for the salad bar and the “Hearty Vegan Vegetable Soup.” If you’re vegetarian, you can also have any of the burgers done with a veggie patty. Steer clear of the cheese and chipotle sauces — those are always ridiculously high in calories and fat. News: They’re opening a Fresh Foods Cafe Express at CSULB! [See here]

Kafe Neo 2800 East 4th St., Long Beach, CA 90814
The scoop: Plenty of salad and fresh-fish options on the menu. As long as you’re cautious of dressings and added sauces, this place is excellent for health-conscious eaters. There’s a specific section calling out the vegetarian dishes. According to Kafe Neo, their veggie burger is vegan (ask for the bun not to be buttered), so is the falafel, and plain pita with hummus.

Open Sesame 5215 East 2nd Street, Long Beach, CA 90803

My pre-vegetarian/pre-vegan favorite: Chicken Tawook w/ whole-wheat pita

The scoop: This is my ultimate favorite restaurant in Long Beach. The menu has symbols that easily indicate which menu items are raw, vegetarian & vegan. You also have the option of whole-wheat pita. I personally think the vegetarian platter offers the least bang for your buck, so I opt instead for ordering the raw vegetable platter with an order of falafel patties. Falafel patties typically have about 55-100 calories each, which is quite a range, but considering most servings include only 3 (as does Open Sesame’s), you can’t do too much damage if you avoid the creamy dips accompanying them and opt for hummus instead. Also, portion sizes at Open Sesame are just right — you won’t be overwhelmed with too much on your plate.

Tantalum 6272 E. Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, CA 90803

The miso soup, supposedly vegan, is full of ’shrooms and has a dark base. I’m used to no ’shrooms and a light broth, so this was different!

The scoop: Open only for dinner; a few vegetarian options including salads; vegan options include the miso soup (waiter said it was vegan), edamame, house salad, and wok-fired marinated tofu. Healthy-eaters can enjoy the limited-time-only Long-Beach-Boot-Camp-Approved menu, which includes a baby beet salad (267 calories), seared ahi (525 calories), & acai tiki bowl (407 calories) [see video here]

The Factory 4020 Atlantic Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90807
The scoop: Limited-time-only Long-Beach-Boot-Camp-Approved menu, which includes beer steamed mussels (dozen, 520 calories), a steamed veggie medley with chicken (230 calories), a vegetable and cheese wrap (485 calories) and more. Off the regular menu, the vegetable paella is the only vegan option; a few vegetarian options include some sandwiches featuring Spanish- or goat-cheeses (not low-cal!). If you’re going for healthy, I’d say stick to the salads and ditch any added bacon or cheese. [see video here; see Boot-Camp-approved menu here]

Zephyr 340 East 4th Street, Long Beach, CA 90802
Daily special “Texas ‘Burger’”- my friend Ryan loved it

The scoop: The only officially mostly-vegan restaurant I know of in Long Beach, Zephyr is quickly matching Open Sesame for my #1 spot. The coolest things about Zephyr are 1) the extensive menu (including salads, sandwiches with seitan, tofu, tempeh, or nut butter, “burgers,” (including a chicken-style one) & more! ), and 2) the daily specials (once there was a black bean tamale special, holyyumfactor!). If you’re watching your caloric intake, this place is the shizzle — get a salad, skip the dressing; get the spring rolls, skip dippage in the tahini sauce; get a veggie burger, skip the veg-mayo. The lamest thing about the place is the invariable side of blue corn chips and salsa. I think a green salad would work better. But that’s me trying to find something less than stellar to say about this place.

…And then there’s always the chain restaurants in LB that offer healthy options, such as:

Chipotle 1800 Ximeno Ave., Long Beach, CA 90815
The scoop: If you get a salad with romaine, black beans, fajita vegetables, guacamole, & salsa, you’ve only got 320 wholesome vegan calories on your hand. Add chicken and make it 510 calories. Not bad for a big and filling meal – the majority of the calories come from the guacamole (150 calories per 3.5-oz serving), so either use or ask for half or ditch all together if you’re sweatin’ it. If they would start serving brown rice instead of white cilantro rice, we’d have a total winner!

Claim Jumper 6501 E Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach, CA 90803
The scoop: There’s the produce bar, a vegan vegetable soup, plenty of salad options (you’ll want to de-calorify), the vegetarian baked potato and plenty of healthy vegetable sides, assuming you order them without butter. See my previously-published guide to eating at the CJ here and avoid ordering the chocolate Motherload Cake at all costs…

The Yard House 401 West Shoreline Drive, Long Beach, CA 90802
The scoop: Check out their “Healthy Dining Options” menu section, which includes an ahi salad for 300 calories (if ordered w/o “crunchies” and dressing; use salsa instead), BBQ chicken pizza, 2 slices @315 calories (not bad!). Vegans, you can order a salad with Gardein meat substitute! Take off all the unnecessary junk from your salads (obvs. cheese & bacon, anything “crispy” and use salsa as dressing. If you “need” dressing, opt for the peanut thai peanut vinaigrette – it has the lowest cals at 45/tbsp, which still isn’t good. Eek.). Vegetarians, stay away from the appetizer menu unless you think over 1k calories is suitable for some lettuce wraps with mushroom. No joke!

Wahoo’s Fish Tacos 6449 E. Pacific Coast Highway C-1, Long Beach, CA 90803
Scoop: You can get any starter off their menu for under 417 calories — that’s pretty damn decent. With tons of burrito, taco and salad options – this place rocks. You can get the vegetarian chopped salad with banzai vegetables, black beans and brown rice (love this!) for only 378 calories and 4g fat! If you choose to use dressing here, use the roasted pepper cilantro – it’s got 39 calories per 3-0z serving in comparison to the 283-325-calories price-tag of the others.

My Surrounding-area Faves

Fortune Cookies 11151 Los Alamitos Blvd., Los Alamitos, CA 90720
The scoop: Did you ever think you’d find a Chinese restaurant that cared to post the nutritional info. of their food right on the menu? This place does and they needn’t fear — their menu was designed with a registered dietitian. No MSG, plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, brown rice is available upon request. One thing to note is that nutritional info listed on the menu and site is per 1/2 serving — so, if you plan to eat the whole thing, multiply the numbers by two! You can eat an entire (that’s two servings) plate of Spicy Fortune Tofu for 42o calories or an entire plate of Buddha’s Delight for 200 calories, for example!

Kabuki 11431 South St., Cerritos, CA 90703 [my original review here]
The scoop: Obvs. if you’re not vegetarian or vegan, you can get loads of brown rice sushi as a healthy meal — just avoid anything with cream cheese, a sauce, mayo, the words “dynamite” or “explosion” and you should be good to go. Miso soup is always a low-cal option coming in around 40 calories per cup. My fave items on the menu are the avocado and cucumber rolls with brown rice (brown rice, add $1.00).

Vegi Wokery* 11329 183rd St., Cerritos, CA 90703
The scoop: Vegetarian Asian-style food with no eggs & no MSG; only one dish has dairy. You can try things as daring as “vegi eel” and “vegi squid” or choose something that actually sounds delectable, lol, like the yam ball with basil in brown sauce!

To my fellow LBers & So-Cal peeps, where are your fave places to eat that have healthy food options? Have any of you been to these places? What chain restaurants do you think have the most healthy options?

*Recommended by a friend

<3,

The Cranky One

Hey guys!

Have you ever met someone and felt an instantaneous connection, like you were kindred spirits? That’s exactly how I felt on Saturday when I met the gorgeous blogger behind “Eat, Move, Write,” Jasmine. Check out her re-cap of our meeting! Her talent with writing makes me disinclined to write my own re-cap lol — it can’t be put more poetically than she already did! [here]

Check out her story, too — you’ll be blown away!

Ok! There were two excellent articles published recently that I wanted to share — I think it’s awesome how they correlate as if one asks the big question and the other responds with a big shrug (ok, I exaggerate…).

In the article, “Fixing a World that Fosters Fat” [published online in The New York Times here], Natasha Singer asks “Why are Americans getting fatter and fatter…?” While her attempt at a “simple explanation” — that it’s a matter of calories in and calories out — is obviously flawed — the article has a lot of merit in discussing the limits of behavior modification in a society that caters to, and favors many of, the bad behaviors we’d try to remedy to benefit our health. In other words, if our society rewards those who work endless hours (and makes it nearly impossible not to), the government subsidizes crops like corn and soy that makes it most affordable to eat like crap (esp. when you don’t have the time to cook your own meals), etc., are we giving people a fair chance to change their ways? Better yet, are we giving them the chance to maintain their reformed ways if they even ever get to that point?

Since I’m privileged to know a lot of bloggers who have completely reformed their lifestyles to be more healthy, and have done so myself, I can speak from experience that behavior modification can survive in the American supersize-it environment. But just because something exceptional is possible in an environment doesn’t mean the environment needn’t change.

A lot of us, myself included, will point our fingers at the monolithic “Corporate America” and its drive for profit. We’ll ask where corporate “responsibility” lies and we’ll ask why restaurants keep making utter crap (like the 2500-calorie pizza burger, Burger King!) and marketing it disproportionately to the poor and to children.

In the article “The Case Against Corporate Social Responsibility” in the Wallstreet Journal recently, author Aneel Karnani tells us readers, “Pleas for corporate social responsibility will be truly embraced only by those executives who are smart enough to see that doing the right thing is a byproduct of their pursuit of profit. And that renders such pleas pointless” [here]. Karnani also writes, “The danger is that a focus on social responsibility will delay or discourage more-effective measures to enhance social welfare in those cases where profits and the public good are at odds. As society looks to companies to address these problems, the real solutions may be ignored.” Basically, Karnani fears that corporations become crafty in their “social responsibility” – they adopt green measures, for instance, that are profitable (either b/c the government gives them incentives and/or because they can market products as “green” and reap the profits from its green-inclined patrons); and that focusing on corporations doing the right thing means we deflect from our own personal responsibility and from the search for more holistic solutions. This does seem like a valid concern.

The entire piece rests of the principle that you can’t force corporations to do what’s right until doing what’s right becomes more profitable than their current mode of operation. Why not? Because corporations involve shared interests in profit. Corporations, like McDonald’s, for example, that do offer some healthy items, aren’t necessarily offering the goods out of their health-conscious alter-ego (please); but out of the interest of profit. The feel that I get from this piece is that consumers have to be the change. We have to stop eating crap and making it profitable for restaurants and fast-food places to serve it. As soon as we make it profitable for super-sized salads and quinoa-filled burritos, the supply will be there.

Sounds true, but optimistic. I feel like the demand for healthy items is growing, but I also feel a lot of the demand is misguided (100-calorie packs; high-fructose-corn-syrup-filled “health” bars, etc.); and disproportionate across the nation (wealthy populations, obvs, will have more demand for healthy foods). How can we create a demand for something that for many people is currently (or seemingly) out of reach? How can reach people who feel hopelessly dependent on processed foods? We’d also have to convince the government, who is bed with Monsanto to lift their subsidies on crap and put them instead on produce? Do you agree with Singer that there are severe limits on behavior modification in an environment that “fosters fat”? Do you agree with Karnani that we shouldn’t focus so much on corporate responsibility?

Other stuff:

• Michael Pollan will speak about the egg recall on Anderson Cooper’s live-video blog tonight at 10 p.m. ET here
• Ck out Orange County, CA’s “OC Foodie Fest” this Saturday, the 28th, at the Honda Center in Anaheim [here]: “Orange County’s first gourmet food truck event taking place Saturday, August 28th at the Honda Center in Anaheim. The one-day event will be the ultimate foodie destination, featuring the best in popular mobile eats combined with a unique forum to showcase local entertainment & shopping to help support local charities.” Tix are $12 for adults.
• If you’re a healthy-living blogger, or on the look-out for healthy-living bloggers in your area or on a specific topic (such as weight-loss or veganism), check out this great new resource! Created by Lindsey of Sound Eats, “HLB [link] is a site designed to enhance the positive community of the healthy living blog world. Bloggers and readers can explore the site and find more blogs to love, bloggers in their area, and forums to deepen healthy discussion and support.” If you’re interested in having your site listed on HLB, send the following info. to healthylivingblogs@gmail.com. Email subject line: MEMBERS; your name (please share if you prefer to go by first name, first and last, or however you prefer to be known on the Internet); Blog Name; Blog URL (please start with http://, not www.); Your twitter handle, if applicable; Your location (if you prefer not to disclose this information for privacy’s sake, that is completely understandable. They’ll  simply include your blog listing in the A-Z listing, not by location, too); Any specific labels (i.e. vegan, gluten-free, weight loss, running, etc.). Cool.

<3,

The Cranky One

Amended

Hey guys!

I’ve compiled some cool resources in the past couple of months relating to the “local food” movement and I wanted to share them with you and get your thoughts.

In general terms, the local food movement is an effort to build local “food communities” for both social-health and sustainability reasons. Basically, people want to become more acquainted with, and invested in, their food. It’s about empowerment, accountability and personal responsibility. This certainly isn’t anything new, but it seems to be gaining more mainstream prominence — perhaps b/c Michael Pollan has become such a vocal proponent.

Awesome National Examples

• See Grist magazine’s “Feeding the City” series, which delves into the history of urban farming and current examples of cities like Detroit where the fall of industry has led to a “community garden movement.” [see here]. This series is captivating!
• Learn about Brooklyn High School’s weekly 500-lb-organic-produce yield. Insane. [here]
• If you want to check whether a restaurant near you serves local and sustainable meats &/or produce, check the Eat Well Guide [here]

Awesome Local Examples

• More and more restaurants in my city of Long Beach, CA are promoting their own efforts to incorporate local produce. Restaurants that I know of include: The Factory, SIP, and Zephyr. Any LB-ers know of others? I know there’s tons in Los Angeles and a few in Orange County, including:

1. Avanti Cafe, Costa Mesa; (vegetarian)
2. Axe Restaurant, Venice
3. Blue Velvet Restaurant, Los Angeles
4. Chamberlain, West Hollywood
5. Inerim Cafe, Santa Monica; (vegetarian)
6. Jiraffe Restaurant, Santa Monica
7. La Pergola, Sherman Oaks
8. M Cafe de Chaya, Hollywood & Culver City
9. Madeleine Bistro, Tarzana; (vegan)
10. Native Foods, Westwood, O.C. & Palm Springs; (vegan)
11. Newsroom Cafe, Los Angeles
12. Real Food Daily, Santa Monica & West Hollywood; (vegan)

• Wrigley Garden – A local Long Beach garden, located at 1950 and 1960 Henderson Avenue [map here], with farm stands on Fridays from 2-6 p.m. [here]
• Farm Lot 59 - Another Wrigley (Long Beach) creation — Sasha Kanno, who is behind this project as well as the Wrigley Garden, recently reached her funding goals (and more!) to develop Farm Lot 59, which “will serve as an educational resource for the Long Beach community. Children, along with their parents and teachers they can come and learn about urban farming and earth’s ecosystems. A designated children’s garden is envisioned, where the plants will be identified with their nutritional information as well as alternate uses. Children will be able to meet chickens, explore the farming operation, and identify bugs and flowers. This area will feature a design specifically for children, with everything sized to fit smaller hands and bodies. The Farm will also feature an outdoor kitchen where cooking and nutrition classes can be held. For both adults and children, obesity is on the rise, although greatly preventable. Nutrition education is an important component to the Farm, starting children off young eating their fruits and vegetables, learning how to shop on a budget and preparing meals at home.” Amazing. [See here]
• Long Beach Farmers’ Markets. There are three certified farmers’ markets that I know of: 1) Downtown Long Beach on Fridays, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; 2) Southeast Long Beach (Alamitos Bay) on Sundays from 9 a.m. – 2p.m.; and 3) Uptown Long Beach (Atlantic & 46th) on Thursdays from 3 – 6:30 p.m. There is also a Farmers’ Market at Marine Stadium on Wednesdays from 2 – 7 p.m. (I don’t think it’s “certified,” but I also don’t think that matters…)

The Debates on Local Food, Sustainability

• A recent opinion piece by Stephen Budiansky in The New York Times addresses “locavores” and aims to complicate the common belief that local food production and consumption are inherently more energy efficient (”green”) and virtuous  [here]. For example, he breaks down transportation costs — a figure often wielded by locavores to promote local food communities — to show that they’re not as egregious as many think.  Here’s an excerpt: “…the local food movement now threatens to devolve into another one of those self-indulgent — and self-defeating — do-gooder dogmas. Arbitrary rules, without any real scientific basis, are repeated as gospel by ‘locavores,’ celebrity chefs and mainstream environmental organizations. Words like ’sustainability’ and ‘food-miles’ are thrown around without any clear understanding of the larger picture of energy and land use. The result has been all kinds of absurdities. For instance, it is sinful in New York City to buy a tomato grown in a California field because of the energy spent to truck it across the country; it is virtuous to buy one grown in a lavishly heated greenhouse in, say, the Hudson Valley.”
• Slow Food USA responded (to the above) on their Facebook: “Why eat local? Is it just about the food miles? We’d argue it’s also about eating the freshest most delicious food; supporting local economies/ businesses; building community; having a connection to your food. It’s true that we need more infrastructure for small-mid sized agriculture to be more fuel efficient. Your thoughts?”
• I’d add that while I agree with Budiansky that we cannot, in any aspect of our lives, keep our eyes solely on the “local” — (which would be impossible given our global economy, IMO), but what neither SlowFoodUSA or Budiansky address is how the local food movement is also a counter to agribusiness and, for me, a counter to the cruelty inherent in its systems. That’s where I feel most strongly about the local food movement — I can’t fully grasp where my refrigerator uses more electricity than it would cost (energy-wise) for me to eat a banana from Ecuador; but I know that I fear where agribusinesses are headed and eating food that is local eases that fear just a little. Also, it should be made clear that like with all movements there are various “factions.” For instance, going to a restaurant that uses only local produce does not mean that it’s a vegan restaurant. Many restaurants, including Long Beach’s SIP and The Factory, serve “sustainable meat” — those two words, to many vegans, are antithetical to each other. Additionally, for example, another idea gaining popularity for its locavore appeal (and its counter to agribusiness’ current slaughter practices), is mobile slaughterhouses [read here]. I get that we’d really know where our meat came from if we could hear our cows being killed in a slaughterhouse on wheels, but would these mobile units meet, fall below, or exceed the horrendous “standards” of mainstream slaughterhouses in terms of animal sedation, and regulatory measures? Thoughts?
• Michael Pollan released an article called “The Food Movement, Rising” in The New York Review of Books (June) [here] — it was an intricate review of books, history and progress on the food movements. Of course, a lot of his opinions on the local food movement, for instance, are highly contested. Some opponents argue over semantics, others with fear that “local food” movements inherently include a narrow-mindedness to global (and fair) trade. See his critics respond to his initial article [here]; Pollan addresses some critics directly, as well.
• Neal Beets writes in the International City/County Management Association’s publication PM about practical applications for Michael Pollan and Wendell Berry’s research & approach [here]. This a very interesting look at how people at the city government level can actually apply Pollan and Berry’s research to affect change at the local level with things like Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), farmer’s markets, LEED building practices, community gardens, and more.

My Support for Local Food

• I recently joined my local CSA, Beachgreens, and received my first drop-off of fresh, local and organic produce:

Cranky & the not-so-giant Peach

I plan to do a cost-comparison between joining a CSA and buying your own organic produce b/c I know that financial limitations bar a lot of people from buying organic produce. So, we’ll see! Of course, the best thing I could do would be to start my own garden. In the works!

Do you make a conscious effort to eat local and sustainable foods? If yes, how? If not, why not? Any resources and/or additional local- and sustainable-foods-focused restaurants you can point me to? How do you feel about the term “sustainable meat”?

p.s. This was written earlier today when I was at Panera Bread in Irvine hijacking their free internet while listening to Chef Tanya of Native Foods give a presentation outside her restaurant! I listened to her talk about vegan cheese & pesto, while asking the audience their astrological signs and handing out cake samples. Gotta love her I was waiting to meet, and have since met, the adorable and amazing Jasmine from Eat, Move, Write! It was my first blogger meet-up, and, well, any others will have a really high bar of expectations after this meeting! Love her!

<3,

The Cranky One

Hey guys!

It’s been a fun past couple of days that have included a hot (as in sweltering) day at Disneyland and lots of delicious home-made vegan food.

Last night, we had my boyfriend’s best friend (since childhood!) over along with his wife and their adorable 7-month-old baby! I love being at an age to see new families developing out of my friends.

Since we were having such honored guests over, I knew I had to come up with something amazing; and I knew I wanted it to include a vegan macaroni and cheese dish! Mac ‘n cheese is one of those dishes that just seems inherently warm, cozy and easily shared, dontcha think?

A lot of vegan mac ‘n cheese recipes either rely on nutritional yeast for a “cheese” flavor — which no omnivore I know has ever really agreed tastes like cheese — or loads of processed fat via soy to give a richness to the dish. Neither of those really float my boat, esp. when I know what a discerning (read: picky) eater my mac-n-cheese-loving boyfriend is. So, I was stoked that when searching for cashew “cheese” recipes, I found an intriguing-looking mac ‘n cheese recipe on VegNews!

I revised the recipe to fit my needs — no enriched flours, little processed margarine, added panko bread crumbs for extra crunch — and it came out amazingly well. By omitting an entire 3rd cup of margarine, you save a total of 533 calories and 58.6g of fat! Damn! The link next to the recipe title goes to the original, but I’ve listed it in the text below with my amendments.

Macaroni and Cheese
original via VegNews here; listed below w/ The Cranky One’s revisions
6 servings

Can you even tell this is mac ‘n cheese? Nope, more like bread crumb city. C’est le vie!
Ingredients

• 4 quarts water
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 8 ounces whole-wheat macaroni
• 4 slices of whole-wheat bread, torn into large pieces
• 2 tablespoons non-hydrogenated margarine
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tablespoons shallots, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup red or yellow potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/4 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
• 1/3 cup onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 cup water
• 1/4 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 cup eggplant or regular hummus
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 tablespoon teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

• In a large pot, bring the water and salt to a boil. Add macaroni and cook until al dente. In a colander, drain pasta and rinse with cold water. Set aside.
• In a food processor, make breadcrumbs by pulverizing the bread, margarine and almond milk to a medium-fine texture. Set aside.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a saucepan, add shallots, potatoes, carrots, onion, and water, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 minutes, or until vegetables are very soft.
• In a blender, process the cashews, hummus, salt, garlic, mustard, lemon juice, black pepper, and cayenne. Add softened vegetables and cooking water to the blender and process until perfectly smooth.
• In a large bowl, toss the cooked pasta and blended cheese sauce until completely coated. Spread mixture into a 9 x 12 casserole dish, sprinkle with prepared breadcrumbs and panko bread crumbs, and dust with paprika. Bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese sauce is bubbling and the top has turned golden brown
• Approx. nutritional information per slice (1/6th): 267 calories, 10g fat, 211mg sodium, 5g fiber, 1g sugar, 8g protein [via SparkPeople recipe calculator]
• Note: If you make the mac ‘n cheese as per VegNew’s original instructions, the approx. nutritional info. per slice will be: 369 calories, 17.3g fat, 270mg sodium, 2g fiber, 1g sugar, 8g protein

While the boyf did complain that he wished it had had cheese (womp womp, cry me a river), that didn’t stop him from going back for thirds. My boyf’s friend claims that he had never liked mac ‘n cheese before, but really enjoyed this version (cool!). If you’ve got picky eaters on your hands, sell it as a pasta dish (don’t say “cheese”) and then watch as each picky person licks his plate and proclaims that it tastes an awful lot like this stuff called ‘mac ‘n cheese’

What’s your favorite comfort food? Have you ever made your own mac ‘n cheese from scratch or are still using Kraft?

<3,

The Cranky One

Hey guys! Please welcome Nadia’s eleventh guest post!
________________________________________________________________________________

“Perhaps it sounds ridiculous, but the best thing that young filmmakers should do is to get hold of a camera and some film and make a movie of any kind at all.” – Stanley Kubrick

Over the past weekend, I helped conceive, write, edit, punch-up, improvise, and act in a short film for the 48 Hour Film Festival. We had a director, many writers and actors, sound/music, editors, hair/makeup, and so on. It was quite a production (pun intended).

The thing is, the process of making a film of any kind is nearly 90% planning, and this contest is inherently counterproductive to that process. As a result, we had two failed scripts, two failed filming locations, and a lot of pressure to turn in a finished product on time. In the end, there was literally one minute left on the clock before the deadline.

I have yet to see the finished product, but given the number of people, the setbacks, the complications, and so forth, I believe it’s probably pretty good.

You know what’s not so good? My weight loss!

Ah, because on the set of a film, there is often very little healthy food in sight. In fact, it’s a common joke to ask where the Twizzlers are on any given student film project, as professional catering on major studio film and television productions often have a table full of candy, including the omnipresent Twizzlers. Our filmmaking process didn’t have much candy, but it did include meals such as McDonalds for breakfast, In and Out for dinner, greasy chicken tamales for lunch, Ralph’s sub sandwiches for dinner, and pizza in the middle of the night, plus salty snacks like potato chips and sweet snacks like cookies. Sure, I could have planned to pack a lunch, and in hindsight, I probably should have, but when you’re banging out a script at 2am with that kind of pressure weighing on your back, you really don’t care what you put in your stomach, so long as it fuels you and shuts it up.

The Cranky One has cited my amazing metabolism the last couple of weeks, but alas, I fear it has started to fail me. For you see, when I woke up this morning, I weighed myself….

…and I was at 142.6.

It’s been holding steady around 140.2 – I gained two pounds!!

Of course, this is not the end of the world. I’ve never been so obsessed with how I look or the number on a scale that two pounds would send me into an epic tizzy. But it does show that when you’re under high stress, eating foods high in fat without regard to portion size or anything, and you’re not working them off, you’re going to gain weight. Plain and freakin’ simple. I’m sure it didn’t help that most of those meals were meat based too!

So now, I put it to The Cranky One and you, the lovely readers – what should my next goal be? How can I prevent the pounds from creeping up on me, and what should I do to lose more? Whatever you suggest and whatever wins as the majority decision is what I will do.

I am serious about this challenge. I put my weight loss fate in your hands!

Best Meal:

Vegan Carnitas Taco from Pure Luck (Echo Park): The jackfruit is a mysterious Asian fruit that’s massive in size with the same consistency and texture as pork. I’m not actually a big carnitas fan anyway, but eating this fruit was something special. Top it off with avocado, pico de gallo, rice and beans, and pickle chips – lightly battered pickles! Yum!

I’m going to add a second meal here: dessert from Scoops, my favorite ice cream shop in Los Angeles.
[photo cred]
No, you’re not hallucinating — L.A.’s got lots o’ places that serve vegan ice cream! Sweet!

Located in Echo Park, Scoops offers crazy ice cream, sorbet and – VEGAN! – options such as Brown Bread, Vegan Cookies and Cream, Butterscotch, and so on. I had Salty White Chocolate (non-vegan) and Pomegranate and Pineapple (vegan) – it was marvelous! Plus, you can suggest your own flavors on a whiteboard that they’ll try making (I’ve seen suggestions for Watermelon and Lime, and Lavender and Vanilla).

Worst Meal:

See Friday, August 13th through Sunday, August 15th (dates of the 48hr Film Fest).

How I Worked Out:

Swimming a little, jogging a little, weights a little. I said last week I would put in 5 days of exercise, but given that I was awake for 40 hours straight, I only managed to work out three times this week. Curse you, hours in a day!

What Did We Learn?:

Filmmaking is an exhausting process. It takes time, effort, diligence, perseverance, and a can-do attitude (why do I sound like I’m applying for a job?). The point is, it takes a toll, and it’s no wonder we see actors, directors, and others in the film industry fluctuate so rapidly between their weight. If you were away from healthy food options for, let’s say a week, how would you fare? Let’s all be kind to those we see in the tabloids from now on, as they may just be suffering from “48 Hour Filming Syndrome.”

This Week’s Goal:

It’s up to you, the Cranky readers! Email Ana, tweet her, Facebook her – whatever it takes! She will fill me in on the details in this blog, and in the meantime, I will try to work off the weight I gained.

Start Weight According to Crappy Target Scale: 140.2

End Weight According to Crappy Target Scale: 142.6 (BLEH!)

Ask me and Ana questions on Twitter at @nahdeeeyah and at @feedmeimcranky1!

________________________________________________________________________________

Nia, congrats on your participation in 48-Hour Film Fest! This was definitely an interesting experiment in how to eat healthy when completely under the gun. Consider it practice for your forthcoming SNL days! I think the hardest part about eating healthy in any work setting isn’t so much lack of healthy food options — it’s kinda lame, but we can always pack our own food – it’s ignoring the peer pressure to eat like crap and ignoring the inevitable quips about your healthy food choices. 2-pounds is so easy to bounce back from, my dear! Give your body the healthy food it deserves this week, and I know it will repay you!

To see Nadia’s first update, click here; her second, click here; her third, click here; her fourth, click here ; her fifth, click here; her sixth, click here; her seventh, click here; her eighth, click here;  her ninth, click here; and/or her tenth, click here.

Alrite, so Nia asked you guys to offer up your own ideas on how she can tackle her 2-pound gain this week — thoughts?

<3,

The Cranky One