Progress Thus Far

I realize that my absence has been great since my first post. Many things have happened that have kept me from this blog all summer. I will continue to post regularly and post my progress.


Thus far I have lost approximately 8 lbs from when I started this blog to now. I have been doing some exercise and a lot of food changes. One task I started noticing about a month after I started were my portion sizes and snack time. I had no clue that those factors were important at all. After my facade about "The Bowl Syndrome", I started using plates more often in the house. The plates, however, are pretty big. Therefore, I found that filling my plate was just as bad as using the bowl. Since then, I have discovered that smaller plates keep my portions under control. I find myself able to tolerate lesser amounts of food and that I go for seconds less and less.


The snacking was another bad factor. I did not realize, until then, that my snacks were humongous! If I had become hungry after classes or anytime in the day, I would often get a fairly large pastry and a drink from the "Cafe" on campus. After realizing my mistake, I began to follow my younger sister's habit of bringing something light (EX: orange, bag of peta chips, small nutritional snack bar) and a water or a small herbal tea. Now, if I wish to indulge in a pastry of any sort, I pick the smallest one or I cut a big one in half and save the rest for later.


There is still much to learn and improve about my eating habits, but I know I will not give up. I know I am losing a little bit of weight at a time, but my body improvements are slowly appearing. I want to show that anyone can lose weight the old-fashion way without the crazy diets. You know, the ones that tell you to pay for special meals or diet pills. If anything, you should pay for your own food, that is healthier, possibly a gym membership or at-home workout equipment. Anything is possible as long as you put in the effort.

The Endless Bowl

The other day I was eating Italian food in a restaurant and let me tell you, that food was so good! When I started felling full, I stopped eating. I looked down at my bowl and realized that it looked like more than half my food was leftover. Needless to say, I know that I did indeed eat quite a bit of that food and I know for a fact that more than half was gone. When placed my leftovers into a "to-go box" it looked like I barely had any food left. How could this be? Where did all the food go? The trick was, my friend, the optical illusion of "THE BOWL!"

Bowls are very good tricks restaurants use on their customers so that they can eat the maximum amount of food possible, which explains the high prices. Why are bowls so bad? Well, we as humans do not like to be wasteful. When we are younger, we are taught that everything must be cleared from our plates before we are allowed to leave the table. Now, when we go eat at any type of establishment, a bowl, since it is dome-ed at the bottom, holds more food, thus we believe that there is more food within it's container than there really is. Another problem is our upbringings. We, as Americans are not aware of normal portion sizes. "Bigger is better" we most often believe. However, bigger is not healthier. Would you believe a giant bowl of salad filled with grilled chicken is way healthier than a small hamburger? You my friend are very wrong. Yes, lettice is basically water, but the chicken is not. Chicken is a great source of protein, but protein also contains fat. A small burger and alot of chicken are very similar in many ways. The only difference is the chicken is surrounded by healthy lettice and vegetables, while burgers have a bread-bun, condaments, tomatoes, lettice, and cheese. Not as healthy sounding, but I bet that is way healthier than the ceaser or ranch dressing on that salad. Being brainwashed to believe that bigger is better in healthier versions is very very wrong.

A good cure for "The Bowl" is to ask for a to-go box ahead of time so you do not feel compelled to eat everything inside your bowl. Child-syndrom takes over and we feel that if we are not careful, we will be punished for "wasting" food. 

The Beginning: College Crisis

First off, this is my first time posting in a blog of this caliber. I am very excited to start this project and see if it will help me in the long-run. My initial idea is to help others, as well as myself, become a healthier person.


I start this study by examining what I have eaten and what I should eat during the week. So far, I have had a hamburger twice this week, cereal, mac and cheese, green beans, a grilled chicken sandwich, fries (potato and sweet potato) lots of tea and water and some fruit. Do you see a problem with this diet? I sure do! My diet this past week is vastly unhealthy. However it is the most convenient diet. As a college student, convenience is the key to a better day. Instead of looking for a healthy lunch, most of the time we turn to fast food because it is the fastest way to eat.Why is this a problem: WE STILL HAVE GROWING BODIES! Many students with little money are just starting out in the college world. We are paying for books, supplies, sometimes clothes, and any other necessities. We do not want to pay a lot of money for food. We study all the time so we also do not have the time to prepare healthy meals. In this study, I will see what is a healthier way of eating without spending the big bucks.


I hope this helps many of you and please leave any comments of what you would like to see in future posts.