Loving Your Unlovable Parts

Everyone has something they do not like about their appearance. Maybe you think your hair is too frizzy. Maybe you believe your nose sticks out a little too much. Maybe you feel like you have a belly pooch or thunder thighs.

Women everywhere are constantly thinking negative thoughts about their appearance, often times about their weight in particular.

After learning about Fat Talk Free Week on Caitlin’s blog, I was instantly interested and ready to participate.

As an American woman, I will openly admit that I engage in “fat talk,” and often wish certain parts of my body were slimmer. It’s so hard not to feel this way when every where you look beautiful, stick-thin supermodels are on the front pages of magazines in skimpy bikinis and lingerie. Curvier women with boo-tays like mine are hard to come by, making it easy to look at my legs and thighs and simply sigh.

This week, however, I am committing to participate in Fat Talk Free Week and love the parts of my body that I often find unlovable.

My friends and Ryan know I struggle with embracing my pear-shaped body. Whenever I start to feel negativity toward my body image, I try to remind myself that my health is the most important thing, not how thin my thighs are.

Thankfully I am engaged to a man who “likes a girl with meat on her bones,” and has seriously expressed sadness at the thought of me ever losing weight and losing my butt. God bless him. Though it’s nice to hear Ryan say he likes my body the way (and weight) it currently is, I know that my personal acceptance and love of my body is what will truly bring me happiness.

In honor of Fat Talk Free Week, this week (and for weeks and weeks to come) I will LOVE my legs. I’ve hated on my poor stems for too long and they deserve a lil’ love! Here are several things I love about my legs:

• My legs get me through my daily workouts.
• My legs have carried me across the finish line in numerous running races, including a half marathon.
• My legs give me the ability to walk or run with my dog every morning.
• My leg hair is thankfully light blonde and doesn’t grow quickly (too much info? 😉 ).
• My legs allow me to jump off our family’s boat and swim in the ocean. 

Question: What part of your body do you often find unlovable and what do you LOVE about it?

Examiner

You can learn more about Fat Talk Free Week and read some pretty interesting statistics about body image in my latest Examiner article: click here.

Dinner

Tonight’s dinner was super-duper simple. Just the way I like it!

This morning Ryan cut up some chicken breasts and let them marinate in a mixture primarily consisting of soy sauce, lime juice and Worcestershire sauce (which should totally be a spelling bee word).

While he headed out back to grill up the chicken, I tossed some chopped root veggies in a mix of olive oil, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Pre-Roasted Root Veggies

I roasted the carrot and sweet potato in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes and then flipped the veggies and roasted them for an additional seven minutes.

Roasted Cinnamon-Nutmeg Carrot and Sweet Potato

I filled my plate with Ryan’s grilled chicken and my roasted veggies.

My Plate

What a yummy dinn-ah! The roasting of the vegetables really brought out their natural sweetness and Ryan’s chicken was perfectly moist and slightly burnt (just the way I like it 🙂 ).

Now we’re off to read more of The Lost Symbol… only 30 pages left! I’m excited to finish but don’t want it to end… it’s so darn good!

Yes, It’s True: McDonald’s Has a Pumpkin Milkshake

Holy hullabaloo! 🙂 Apparently the pumpkin milkshake at McDonald’s is unknown to many because after posting about it several times, I have received comments ranging from “WHAT!? McDonald’s has a pumpkin milkshake???” to “I’ve gotta try that shake. I didn’t even know it existed.”

Let me assure you, my friends, that this milkshake is alive and well and currently available at McDonald’s.

Pumpkin Milkshake

After enjoying a yummy lunch with our friend (& Ryan’s cousin) Daniel yesterday, Ryan and I casually mentioned we were going to stop by McD’s for a pumpkin milkshake on our way home to which he said something along the lines of “Whoa, McDonald’s has a pumpkin milkshake?” Yes, we assured him, they do.

Today, Daniel posted this comment on my Facebook wall: “I tried the pumpkin milkshake… I wanted to eat the cup when it was finished.”

Just in case you were wondering, I am not a McDonald’s marketer, though I think they could probably use a couple since no one seems to know about this delicious delight. 😉

I checked the McDonald’s Web site and found that they have quite a few seasonal milkshakes including an egg nog shake. Why have I never heard of this one before??? I am more than familiar with the deliciously minty shamrock shake in March, but egg nog? Looks like I have a hot date with the golden arches in December.

Also, does anyone else out there remember when McDonald’s used to offer a soft-serve swirl cone in addition to the vanilla cone they currently offer? Whatever happened to the swirl? That was the best.

Question: What’s your favorite milkshake flavor?

Every-Veggie Salad

Every veggie under the sun seemed to be in my lunchtime salad!

Veggie Overload

• Spinach
• Broccoli Florets and Broccoli Slaw
• Cauliflower
• Carrots
• Zucchini
• Mushrooms
• Green Pepper
• Celery
• Morningstar Farms Asian Veggie Patty

Phew! That’s a whole lotta produce (& one tasty veggie patty).

We had a variety of vegetables on hand from our homemade chicken soup on Saturday, so I took advantage of the fresh and nutritious options.

Big Ol' Salad

All Shook Up

Though I loved the two runs to McDonald’s for pumpkin milkshakes and the trip to Jeremiah’s for ice cream this weekend, my vegetable intake definitely fell to the wayside, and my body is happy to have some nutritious food to digest!

Bargain Baby Food Breakfast

Today’s breakfast was a “bargain breakfast.”

Greek Yogurt, Banana Puffs and Dried Banana and Pineapple

I am a bargain hunter, a coupon clipper and a sale shopper. Buy one, get one free deals are my best friend. Ryan and I always compare the “How much did you save?” number at the bottom of our Publix grocery store receipts.

(Surprisingly the cashiers can get really into our little competition, too. One time the bagger ran to the back of the store to get me a bag of frozen large shrimp instead of the jumbo ones I selected since the large ones were on sale. I won that particular savings competition. 😉 )

During our most recent trip to the grocery store, an item I typically bypass was on sale: baby food. The discounted price caught my eye and when I saw “whole grains” on the label of one of the items, I began looking at the products more closely.

Gerber Graduates Banana Puffs

The Gerber Graduates Puffs (banana flavor) are made with whole grains and real banana and have only 25 calories per one half-up serving. I put them in my cart.

Next I spotted Gerber Graduates Mini Fruits (banana pineapple flavor).

Gerber Graduates Dried Banana and Pineapple

The ingredients were very simple: freeze-dried banana and pineapple. Into my cart they went. (They were only $1!)

My breakfast this morning was a cup of Chobani Greek yogurt topped with my two bargain baby food purchases.

Greek Yogurt and Baby Food

A Delicious Combo

I also brewed a hot cup of Mighty Leaf chocolate mint truffle tea to enjoy with my crunchy yogurt creation.

Monday's Breakfast

Who knew an adult could love baby food so much?

Question: Are you a bargain hunter? What are your favorite stores for great deals?