Confessions of a Cube Rat Junk Food Vegetarian

[maverick2]

Morning 11/9/2009

Breakfast:
- Naked Blue Machine fruit smoothie
- 2 cups of water
- 1 Boca patty w/ ketchup and mustard (My wheat bread at the office was moldy, so I didn't get a bun. Boo.)
- 2 strawberries
- 2 orange slices
- 3 kiwi slices

Calories: 681
Fat: 4g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 520mg
Carbohydrates: 148g
Sugars: 100g
Fiber: 26g
Protein: 18g

Exercise:
- 85 crunches

 

[chubbygirl]

But I can't wait to start training again - I want to get physically fit enough to start hiking and spelunking again without feeling like I'm putting myself in danger (either through being too chubby to fit in a very small squeeze or by not having the upper body strength to save myself in an emergency).

Thanks for visiting my diary y'all!! *love*

Sorry to hear you just started smoking - I don't think it's going to help with your comment above but it's your choice so I'll leave it at that. It's funny how you started because a friend of my bf's did the same when he moved in with them and now my bf has quit and the former roommate is smoking a pack a day and wishes he never started. My boyfriend feels a little to blame too. I gotta find that vegan salami you talked about because it would save me tons of calories when the night time snacking monster strikes!

 

[maverick2]

Sorry to hear you just started smoking - I don't think it's going to help with your comment above but it's your choice so I'll leave it at that.

Yeah, I've caught a lot of hell for starting, but man, cigarettes and black coffee are like nectar from the gods for me at seven in the morning. We'll see how enthusiastic about smoking I am after wheezing on a treadmill 3x a week though.

It's funny how you started because a friend of my bf's did the same when he moved in with them and now my bf has quit and the former roommate is smoking a pack a day and wishes he never started. My boyfriend feels a little to blame too.

My biggest problem with it is the price. It really adds up over the course of the week.

I gotta find that vegan salami you talked about because it would save me tons of calories when the night time snacking monster strikes!

Because the vegan meats are so protein-heavy, I've found they are a great appetite killer, and at minimal calorie/fat damage too.

Midmorning Snack:
- 16 oz. Spicy V8

Lunch:
- bowl of sesame lo mein w/ tofu, cabbage, red bell pepper, mushrooms, and scallions
- four mini breadsticks
- 2 cups of water

Notes: Since my bread was moldy at the office, I decided to get carryout for lunch (all of my proteins in the office fridge are sandwich lunch "meats", so I really didn't want another breadless sandwich like I had for breakfast...). I decided to try Nothing But Noodles, a chain franchise that just hit town which looked to be fairly vegetarian-friendly.

And oh boy was it. Whatever they did to cook the tofu that went in this noodle dish, they deserve mad props for it. Firm on the outside, squishy on the inside, and perfectly seasoned. The damage wasn't too bad for calories or fat either, compared to a lot of the restaurant's cheesy/meaty dishes.* And the best part (at least to me) was that you could add a very hearty portion of tofu (4 oz...that's half a steak!) for $2. And you can add a portion of tofu to any of their dishes. I am way excited about it.

I will definitely have to hit them up for a salad or soup the next time I'm feeling lazy at lunchtime, since they have about a dozen salads to choose from...**

*This would have been true if I had realized that each noodle bowl holds 2 servings, not one. (Dammit.) As it is, I ended up slurping up twice as many calories as I wanted to for lunch.

**I will definitely be avoiding this place from now on despite their tasty tofu, as I cannot be trusted around such carby catastrophe ever again.

Oh well, the delicious bowl is empty and my tummy is full and it is a hard lesson learned. The lesson? Just brown bag it.

C'est la vie.

Calories: 1142
Fat: 26 g
Cholesterol: 14 mg
Sodium: 3481 mg (holy water retention Batman!!!!!)
Carbs: 129 g
Fiber: 8 g
Sugars: 16 g
Protein: 24 g

 

[maverick2]

Dinner:
- 2 palm-sized pieces of chicken-fried seitan w/ white gravy
- seasoned green beans
- oven fries
- 2 Jack and Cokes
- 2 mugs of Coke

Notes: I love drinking whiskey and playing Scrabble with my roomie, but I'll be glad when the Coke is gone, if only to remove temptation. We don't usually buy it so I know it won't be replaced quickly. I was craving Coke last night for some reason, probably no reason other than the fact that it was available...

Breakfast:
- 2 cups of unsweetened black coffee
- Spicy Boca Chik'n Patty on wheat bread
- Chiquita pineapple stick
- Naked Green Machine fruit smoothie
- 3 carrot sticks
- 2 celery sticks

Exercise:
- 10 situps

Notes: It was a rainy, lazy morning. I sat around, smoked, drank coffee, and read the news with my homemate. Was not feeling motivated or productive.

I'm handmaking most of my Christmas gifts (baking overload say what?), we just built a full-sized greenhouse MacGyver-style out of bamboo, string, duct tape, and plastic, and we plan on building several more before the month is out. We still have to do our fall planting, reset up the aquarium, replace the bathtub faucet, and a ton of other things before Christmas gets here. Yesterday the roomie put in an earthbound coldframe and a clothesline (we're going off the grid). Since we don't really have room for a Christmas tree, we are going to paint one on a giant canvases and add things to it throughout the season.

In the midst of all this, I am trying to lose 40 pounds. Craziness. I think I'm doing pretty good on diet, I just need to get serious about exercise...

 

[maverick2]

Almost binged...

So, I thought someone had stolen my golden kiwi smoothie out of the office fridge, and I was about to be very upset (as well as hungry...) Since it was my lunch for today, I was appalled to find myself (yet again) without rations.

I really, really, really wanted takeout. I am craving something cheesy, something salty, something oily. To the point that I was just perusing local menus in an effort to find something. But as I pulled up the nutritional value of all that quick sustenance, I realized that there was no way I was going to find a "healthy" vegetarian option that didn't involve me having to drive more than half an hour away or having to hate myself when I'm finished with lunch.

Luckily, a second glance through the fridge found my smoothie snugged safely behind half a quart of Spicy V8, so instead of braving the driving rain to chow down on WAY too many calories and fat, I am eating from my office stash - yay for low calorie options.

Lunch:
- Naked Gold Machine smoothie
- an orange
- a small green apple

Exercise:
- 20 knee lifts

I am sick of eating sweet things like fruit. My cravings for sodium are almost painful, but I know that the salt is a taste preference, not a sodium deficiency (after yesterday's Chinese debacle, I am sure I am up to speed on my sodium intake...)

I am ready to gorge myself on a 10-piece chicken McNugget at this point.

But I won't, because losing weight is important to me.

Plus, I have to save all my salt binges for when my roomate cooks deliciousness like chicken-fried seitan. That stuff was ridiculously good.

 

[Billy Shears1]

Alright. You realise your first order of business is to STOP SMOKING!

Even if it's 6 a day. That's not an acceptable amount.

Yeah, I know. I'm lecturing. But I have a right to! I've been off them for FIVE years - and as we all know, there's nothing more self righteous than an Ex-Smoker! (Of course, I did balloon in weight over 60lbs but that's besides the point.)

 

[KaraCooks]

YOu know what works for salt cravings?

When you get home tonight, rinse a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drizzle them with oil, and roast them in a 375 oven for about 20-30 mins (crispiness level is up to you). When they come out, sprinkle a little kosher salt ...

They're a great healthy snack and really help when I'm craving chips or other salty bad things.

 

[maverick2]

Alright. You realise your first order of business is to STOP SMOKING!

Even if it's 6 a day. That's not an acceptable amount.

Yeah, I know. I'm lecturing. But I have a right to! I've been off them for FIVE years - and as we all know, there's nothing more self righteous than an Ex-Smoker! (Of course, I did balloon in weight over 60lbs but that's besides the point.)

I couldn't even conceive of quitting entirely at this point - I loooooooooooove cigarettes. Just talking about them makes me want a smoke. I've only had two today though, so I'm doing pretty good.

In any case, I have been smoking bowls for years longer than cigarettes, so even if I quit smoking the one, I would be hard-pressed to quit smoking the other.

I'm 24, been smoking one thing or another for about five years. I don't smoke to kill myself, I smoke to prevent myself from killing someone else. If I had a chance to go back, I'd totally still start up the habit as a form of self-preservation from the harrowing corporate jungle. Smoking relieves the stress when I have to edit an official document that looks like a third grader wrote it. It calms the rage when I get a monstrosity dropped in my lap with a two day deadline.

I smoke instead of throwing staplers or computer monitors. It's safer for everybody if I keep it up.

YOu know what works for salt cravings?

When you get home tonight, rinse a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drizzle them with oil, and roast them in a 375 oven for about 20-30 mins (crispiness level is up to you). When they come out, sprinkle a little kosher salt ...

They're a great healthy snack and really help when I'm craving chips or other salty bad things.

This is a great idea Kara, I will totally have to try it!!

 

[maverick2]

Well, we went out bowling with a few friends from work last night, and before we bowled we ate at a Mexican restaurant. Here's the damage:

Dinner:
- chips w/ salsa and white cheese dip
- 1/2 spinach quesadilla
- Spanish rice (scoop)
- few bites of refried beans
- Mambo Taxi margarita
- 2 light beers

Exercise:
- 2 games of bowling
- 2 games of air hockey

Notes: I should have gotten the taco salad, but I was craving a quesadilla. Now I just wish I'd gotten the salad because the quesadilla was subpar next to the ones we make at home.

I wasn't very good on drinking my water yesterday either.

Breakfast:
- 2 cups unsweetened black coffee
- Naked Red Machine smoothie

 

[Billy Shears1]

YOu know what works for salt cravings?

When you get home tonight, rinse a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drizzle them with oil, and roast them in a 375 oven for about 20-30 mins (crispiness level is up to you). When they come out, sprinkle a little kosher salt ...

They're a great healthy snack and really help when I'm craving chips or other salty bad things.

That's a great suggestion Kara.

 

[Billy Shears1]

In any case, I have been smoking bowls for years longer than cigarettes, so even if I quit smoking the one, I would be hard-pressed to quit smoking the other.

Well, at least you're committed to the cause.
I see there's no room to convince you to stop.

But for me, whenever I find myself romanticizing about them, I force myself to think of the nasty things. i.e. The ashtrays full of butts at 4 in the morning, the feelings of utter wretchedness....etc.

And you're only 24. Lots of time for you to stop and heal your lungs and avoid the dreaded "Smoker's Face....."

 

[maverick2]

Veteran's Day (yesterday)

Breakfast:
- 1 smallish slice of homemade vegan apple pie

Lunch:
- 2 slices of olive pizza

Dinner:
- Many margaritas and tequila sunrises
- 1 bowl of southwestern potato stew
- 15 saltine crackers (estimate)

Exercise:
- 40 crunches
- 5 minutes of stretching

Notes: Drank too much liquor, didn't drink enough water, didn't eat enough, didn't exercise enough, ate the wrong things. Oh well, it was a holiday. At least I managed to keep my portions down.

 

[maverick2]

Breakfast:
- 2 slices of whole wheat bread w/ peanut butter (appx. 1 tbsp)
- 1 orange

 

[maverick2]

Snack:
- celery stick
- 4 cups of water

Exercise:
- 60 crunches
- 60 knee lifts

Notes: I'm trying to be more physically active during the day at the cube farm, so instead of sitting at work I'm standing at my desk. If I make a habit of it, hopefully I can get my computer and whatnot adjusted to the point I can just work standing at my desk instead of sitting. I already moved my office chair out of the cubicle, so now I just pace like a panther in a cage unless I'm doing a set...

 

[chubbygirl]

Notes: I should have gotten the taco salad, but I was craving a quesadilla. Now I just wish I'd gotten the salad because the quesadilla was subpar next to the ones we make at home.

I think you would be surprised how bad those taco salad's really are. You should see if you could get the nutritional info and compare - I would be curious too.
Seems to me your roomate is a bad influence - that's what happened to me in University. I had the best roomates and neighbours and we would party all the time - even if we were just sitting at home drinking coke and smoking bowls, we were having fun but I got up to 224 pounds from doing it consistenly for three years before I realized how big and unhealthy I actually was. I'm not saying you should stop drinking and going out and having fun but you have to realize it's not going to help in your weight loss journey - you need to rev up the willpower - I know how hard it is though, especially after a bowl.

 

[maverick2]

I think you would be surprised how bad those taco salad's really are. You should see if you could get the nutritional info and compare - I would be curious too.

Yeah, I know most of them are pretty bad calorie-wise, but since I don't eat meat I figured that would knock a huge chunk off the caloric damage, and as far as the rest of it, well, I figured I would have been better off getting my fats from sliced avocado and beans than cheese and sour cream. Apparently I also should have gotten the taco salad because it's WAY delicious, lol...

Seems to me your roomate is a bad influence - that's what happened to me in University. I had the best roomates and neighbours and we would party all the time - even if we were just sitting at home drinking coke and smoking bowls, we were having fun but I got up to 224 pounds from doing it consistenly for three years before I realized how big and unhealthy I actually was.

I actually had the opposite problem at university - I went from 200 pounds to being closer to 160. It just wasn't through good eating habits or exercise though - I simply didn't eat because I was too busy having a good time. What I DID eat was usually off a fast food dollar menu.

My roomie is admittedly a bit of a bad influence (at least where smoking is involved) but he can also be a good influence in his own way. He cooks healthy stuff at home, he's slender and inclined to be athletic, so I tend to do more athletic things when I'm around him. He's also a vegetarian/semi-vegan like I am, so having shared meals with him keeps me from carnivorous backsliding.

I'm not saying you should stop drinking and going out and having fun but you have to realize it's not going to help in your weight loss journey - you need to rev up the willpower - I know how hard it is though, especially after a bowl.

Yeah, drinking and smoking and the munchies involved therein are definitely something I'm going to have to come to terms with. When we went out Tuesday night to go bowling it was definitely an occasion because we're such homebodies - we don't typically club or anything like that, so I don't have to worry about constant pressure to drink.

I'm trying to cut back alcohol consumption during the week significantly (1 or 2 ultra light beers at a sitting, with the exception of holidays like yesterday) so we'll see how it goes. This has been a weird week for imbibery, but I'm sure with the holidays coming that's only going to get worse...

 

[maverick2]

Lunch:
- Skipped (did a run to the store instead)

Snack:
- single-serving mini bag of popcorn
- mug of hot chocolate

 

[maverick2]

Dinner:
- 3 vegan hot wingz (w/ ketchup)
- a serving of oven fries (w/ ketchup)
- salad with pomegranate mixed berry viniagrette
- 3 beers

 

[maverick2]

11-13-2009

Breakfast:
- piece of wheat bread w/ 1 tbsp. peanut butter
- banana
- 4 cups of water

Lunch:
- 3 pieces of cheese pizza (two playing card sized squares and one "sliver" edge piece)
- small salad w/ Italian dressing and croutons
- a Coke

Exercise: None (*sob*)

Notes: Did great on breakfast, and cheated a bit at lunch because I had it at my grandmother's house and had no control over WHAT was served, just how much of it I ate. I think I did pretty good!! Not so good on exercise, but I will TRY to work some in this evening. Just not promising anything...

My friend from out of town is coming to stay at our farm Two Monks this weekend, so I am sure there will be much debauchery and imbibery and petting of the barn kittens going on.

We also had meetings all day at work, which made me pretty much useless for anything else.

 

[maverick2]

Breakfast:
- hashbrowns
- egg and cheese biscuit
- 4 cups of water

Snack:
- bag of mini pretzels
- can of Pepsi
- 2 cups of wtaer

Lunch: None

Morning Exercise: None

Notes: I did badly over the weekend. There were nachos and mozzarella sticks involved. Didn't have a great breakfast either. Needless to say, I'm trying to jump back on the wagon today, but I am feeling WAY less than motivated...