Wednesday, March 18, 2009
18 Mar 2009
I'm finished with Winter quarter. Almost thought I wouldn't make it, but I pray to God that I made decent grades. Next quarter will only be two classes, 8 credits, and I'll be upping my hours at work. I'll also have to take the practice FE exam (electrical engineering certification) and find a job for after graduation. Thankfully, all of that is also in God's hands. Now, I can get back to fun reading - the Illiad! Not being sarcastic, I love the story. I've also decided that I want to take up some dance lessons. I'm joining my roommate for Lindy Hop 1 at Century Ballroom. I'm getting pretty excited for what's coming!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
11 March 2009
I'm one week from being finished with my last, difficult quarter of college! Now, I still have one easy one left before graduating mid-June, but 8 credits v. 18 ... not gonna be hard.
Also tonight I experimented with cooking salmon. I was never taught how to cook anything when I was growing up, so its still kinda new. Since I've been out on my own, being influenced by my peers, working in a kitchen, and generally wanting to eat healthier, I've taken up cooking on my own. Actually, I don't have that many peers who cook much, which is why I just experimented with making salmon. In my eyes it was a success. I believe in not trying to tackle too much at once, or making it perfect the first time, so I used basic seasonings. It turned out tasting pretty good, but a tad overcooked. All I used was prepackaged seafood seasoning, lemon juice and garlic powder, then pan-fried it in butter on the stovetop and served over a bed of Jasmine rice from Trader Joe's. It did turn out to be pretty good, I just need to adjust the seasonings and cooking time. I certainly didn't use the most quality ingredients - though the salmon was a fresh Atlantic Salmon fillet on sale at QFC ($4.99/lb down from 8.99!), but next time I'll try mashing my own garlic, and maybe try creating my own seasoning. Still, I have the seafood seasoning, so I might just use that up too.
Oh, you might be wondering, "is he still on that diet listed below?" yes, but it's not exactly the same. Eggs have a high amount of cholesterol, so I subbed that out for tuna, salmon, and black beans. I also realized there was no grain fibers in my diet, so I added high-fiber, low-sugar cereal as well. I am still on it, and over the last 2 weeks, I've lost 10 lbs. I'm still going strong too! My urge to eat large portions, and to eat fatty, greasy, or sugary foods has declined a lot; and that's making it easier to keep this diet going. But I'll also admit, I'm not eating as much of the broccoli as I should.
That's it for now.
Also tonight I experimented with cooking salmon. I was never taught how to cook anything when I was growing up, so its still kinda new. Since I've been out on my own, being influenced by my peers, working in a kitchen, and generally wanting to eat healthier, I've taken up cooking on my own. Actually, I don't have that many peers who cook much, which is why I just experimented with making salmon. In my eyes it was a success. I believe in not trying to tackle too much at once, or making it perfect the first time, so I used basic seasonings. It turned out tasting pretty good, but a tad overcooked. All I used was prepackaged seafood seasoning, lemon juice and garlic powder, then pan-fried it in butter on the stovetop and served over a bed of Jasmine rice from Trader Joe's. It did turn out to be pretty good, I just need to adjust the seasonings and cooking time. I certainly didn't use the most quality ingredients - though the salmon was a fresh Atlantic Salmon fillet on sale at QFC ($4.99/lb down from 8.99!), but next time I'll try mashing my own garlic, and maybe try creating my own seasoning. Still, I have the seafood seasoning, so I might just use that up too.
Oh, you might be wondering, "is he still on that diet listed below?" yes, but it's not exactly the same. Eggs have a high amount of cholesterol, so I subbed that out for tuna, salmon, and black beans. I also realized there was no grain fibers in my diet, so I added high-fiber, low-sugar cereal as well. I am still on it, and over the last 2 weeks, I've lost 10 lbs. I'm still going strong too! My urge to eat large portions, and to eat fatty, greasy, or sugary foods has declined a lot; and that's making it easier to keep this diet going. But I'll also admit, I'm not eating as much of the broccoli as I should.
That's it for now.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Diet and Health
So, anyone who's ever been overweight, or downright fat, knows what I'm talking about. We've all tried to diet. I know I've tried! So many times to practice a good diet and exercise, but for some reason it never worked. i think, maybe, I finally found something that'll work for me. After much meditation, and talking with a counselor and close friends, (it's taken me a while but) I've come to the conclusion that my downfall is that I believe food is a means to pleasure, stress release, relaxation, and a cure for boredom - none of which is the *reason* for food. Now, food can accomplish those things, as I've found out, but food exists to nourish and maintain our bodies. It is a blessing from God that food brings pleasure, but it is not the reason for eating.
So here's what I've done. I've committed to (and it just so happened to coincide with Lent) eat only rice, eggs, apples, broccoli, milk, SlimFast, coffee, and water for forty days. The point is to eat what will bring good nourishment, but at the same time, cause me to hate the food I eat. I've been doing it for a week, and so far it all seems to be going to plan. I really don't enjoy very much what I'm eating. I'm tired of it. This is causing me to eat only what I need to when I'm hungry, thereby creating a new habit of eating only when I'm hungry and saying no to eating when I just have an appetite. Once the 40 days are over though, I will continue the diet, but add in new foods, and progress to a more normal diet.
I'm finding it a challenge, when I am stressed or distressed, to not eat for pleasure. I mean, it's really challenging, but I'm glad I'm going through it. It's important that I learn to turn to God in my times of trouble and not some other source that dulls the pain, which I've done many times. So, this particular diet (which I just came up with myself one night) may seem strange, but it has many purposes and is contributing to all areas of health (physical, mental, and spiritual). Pray that I will continue to rely on Holy Spirit for my strength, always drawing strength from Him when I am weak; and that this will really create new habits of health and I won't relapse back into pleasure or stimulus dependence.
So here's what I've done. I've committed to (and it just so happened to coincide with Lent) eat only rice, eggs, apples, broccoli, milk, SlimFast, coffee, and water for forty days. The point is to eat what will bring good nourishment, but at the same time, cause me to hate the food I eat. I've been doing it for a week, and so far it all seems to be going to plan. I really don't enjoy very much what I'm eating. I'm tired of it. This is causing me to eat only what I need to when I'm hungry, thereby creating a new habit of eating only when I'm hungry and saying no to eating when I just have an appetite. Once the 40 days are over though, I will continue the diet, but add in new foods, and progress to a more normal diet.
I'm finding it a challenge, when I am stressed or distressed, to not eat for pleasure. I mean, it's really challenging, but I'm glad I'm going through it. It's important that I learn to turn to God in my times of trouble and not some other source that dulls the pain, which I've done many times. So, this particular diet (which I just came up with myself one night) may seem strange, but it has many purposes and is contributing to all areas of health (physical, mental, and spiritual). Pray that I will continue to rely on Holy Spirit for my strength, always drawing strength from Him when I am weak; and that this will really create new habits of health and I won't relapse back into pleasure or stimulus dependence.
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