Down Size Me

Have you seen the now practically a classic "Super Size Me?"  Were you ever a fan of Morgan Spurlocks show 30 days?  I sure loved it.  In fact, since I had to watch and discuss Food Inc yesterday in my nutrition class...I'm on the "edge of glory" to quote Stephani Germanotta aka "Lady GaGa" when it comes to food.  I am ready to embark on a new food adventure.  I'm fed up of our fast food nation.  I'm sick and tired of being "sick and tired."  So is my husband.

So, assuming you've seen supersize me, which people criticized as overkill, Morgan Spurlock embarks with medical supervision on an adventure to live on strictly the golden arches food for 30 days.  He was required to eat 3 meals a day, and eat from the entire menu, and only supersize if asked to do so.  Of course, the response to the movie by McDonalds has been strong.  In the years that have passed since, they have reduced sodium in their chicken nuggets, included apples in all happy meals and kicked off a campaign of ads encouraging children to be active.  They recently introduced an under 400 cal menu.  However, the sad reality is I don't think Morgans documentary was at all over the top.  I have spent the last 4 years of my life getting my Bachelors Degree, no small feat for a 37 year old Mom of two, one of whom has serious special needs.  I've seen the size of todays youth.  I'm no small potatoes myself at slightly over 230, but I pale in comparison to the size of some of the young people I'm in school with.  If they continue on this path to self destruction, they won't ever see mid life.  I do NOT want my children to become this in 10-15 years.  However, if we do not change, they will.  Buddy is already well addicted to Mc D's chicken nuggets and fries, and begs for them every day.  For the record he does not get them every day, but we've had our fair share of weekends managing behaviors where we've given in, or DH was trying to get him out of my hair so I could study and he got given in to more than once in a weekend.  I loath to admit he probably manages to get it out of us twice a week on average.  That is too much and we are well aware.  It's even harder in this month where there is no summer school to keep him on routine, and sometimes we are just dying to break the monotony, and that is the easiest solution.  We all know though that easiest doesn't mean best.  Between a full time school load, severe behavioral problems with our child, my hubby managing demands of work and the constant running to medical appointments, child care pick up, babysitter swaps, and sometimes back to campus again in the same day for me, we've become a family that "can't" cook, "can't" take charge of our eating and "can't" do anything about it.  The rising cost of groceries has easily victimized us with many others and made us begin to fall into the deceptive trap that it was actually cheaper to eat crappy junky fast food.  What a crock of lies and deception.  In my heart of hearts it's never been right or satisfying.  It's been survival.  That is all it's been.

Well, the best thing happened when my arrangement of my classes caused me to push off this one "easy" nutrition class to the bitter end.  It's a required class for the Applied Health Science major and for the Exercise Science certificate.  It's called "Sport and Fitness Nutrition", but my awesome teacher has made it applicable to life as a whole.  Taking it over a 4 week summer course is time consuming and tough, but I have a solid A.  The point though is that this is a fantastic way to end what has progressively been a more and more unhealthy experience getting my degree.  I've put on 20-30 lbs during my 4 years, I can't remember exactly what I was at when I started my degree, so it's either 20 or 30, but that is alot...and I am constantly on my feet and never idle for a minute.  I have exercised on and off during this time, battled with foot problems, taken lots of stairs, walked miles and miles...yet still put this weight on.  That means I really only have one thing to blame.  Yep, you guessed it...."The American Diet".  Which has come to consist of fast food from whatever joint you get it at, not enough water consumption, too little fiber and too much sodium and sugar and the wrong kind of fat.  The media pressure is huge, the lifestyle pressure is huge, the time factor is huge, but alot of it is just plain choice.  Well, today, I am choosing to embark on my own "30 days".  Mine is going to be "Downsize me" except, it has little do with how much weight I lose during the 30 days.  Today is day two of that 30 and I am on fire.  During my 30 days...I will not eat any *fast food*.  Now, that doesn't mean I won't eat out....although I will try like mad to cut it down to as little as possible.  So, I must define what type of food qualifies as "fast food".  By fast food, I mean highly processed, mainly beef and "something that resembles chicken" serving establishments where food is mass prepared from massive feed lot raised beef and chicken and french fries and onion rings and endless supplies of soda abound.  If it has a drive through, it's best regarded as fast food.  Since the salads at these establishments don't pass muster with most nutritionists those are out too.  In fact, my goal is to not even set foot in one for 30 days.  Downsize me in this sense refers to portion sizes, bad fat content, sugar content and other excesses in my diet.  I am willing to bet though that I do "downsize" a bit in the process.   

My exceptions:

For the purpose of this 30 day experiment, these establishments will be legal:

Jimmy Johns, Subway and Cousins subs for fresh prepared items only.
Panera Bread (no bakery), Noodles and Company and Q Doba/Chipotle.  Most sit down restaurants won't count against me, but honestly I don't have time or babysitters to go to those anyway.

Coffee:  Real brewed coffee and Americano drinks (espresso and hot water) are acceptable.  Espresso drinks that amount to candy bars in a cup are NOT.  

Banned:
Culvers, Taco Bell, McDonalds, Burger King, KFC, White Castles and all manner of similar restaurants.
Dessert in a cup drinks from coffee stands, sugar containing sodas and convenience bakery.  (Home baked is OK!)

I told my husband my plan, and he who has recently given up soda and is trying to give up alot of others things too and is beginning to finally get mad about where his health has gone with years of fast food habits...he said "What's my prize if I beat you double or nothing?"  I promptly said "Your prize is the weight you will lose and the increase in your energy and quality of life".

So, if you want to join me, I encourage you! 

Stay tuned for my next blog which will be:  "Back to the farm....exploring the path back to where my food comes from and controlling it"