food – Page 3 – Fat Girls Fitness

Feeding Herman Canine

Just as I’m suspicious of processed foods for humans, I am (almost) equally concerned about what I feed my doggie.

This isn’t to say I’m a complete crazy person. Yet.
But I am crazy enough that I regularly cook for my dog. #yikes

Here are my three concerns:

Nutrition. What nutrition does the dog food contain?
- Some commercial dog food is messed up. And by messed up, I mean messed up beyond belief.
Health Concerns. My dog is tiny, and tiny dogs are prone to three issues specifically:
- weight gain;
- knee problems;
- anal gland problems
Supporting Animal Cruelty. If you think about the cruelty that goes into making human food, I can only IMAGINE the cruelty that goes into making dog food. I want to vote with my wallet. To whatever extent reasonably possible, I’d like to avoid supporting cruel practices.

A Resource!

DogFoodAdvisor.com is an excellent resource. They use a 1-5 star rating system to help you find the ideal food for your dog.

Whether your dog eats Wet Food, Dry Food, or Raw Food – you can easily find the top rated products. You can also use the search feature to look for more details on a specific food.

It’s very simple. Each category of food is broken down according to the site’s rating:

What I LOVE about this site is the level of specificity that they apply to each analysis.

Their database is EXHAUSTIVE
They examine each and every ingredient of a given product
But they also offer a bottom line w/ regards to each product so that you don’t get bogged down in the details
They offer levels of confidence with regards to statements they make about the safety and/or nutrition of any particular ingredient
They even show a recall history for the brand you’re looking at

One of the foods I regularly feed Herman is Primal Freeze-Dried Raw Food. Here is just a small part of their analysis on this product:

More to Learn

Just as there is more to learn about human nutrition, there is also more to learn about the perfect doggy diet.

That said, we probably know what a perfect doggy diet ISN’T. It’s not a diet full of processed junk and filler.

Some dog foods can be prohibitively expensive, so we can only do the best we can. But this is great resource to figure out where to get started.

How does your dog food stack up?

*EDIT* If anyone knows of a similar resource for cats (or other pets), please share the wealth. I’ve just found BestCatFoodAdvisor.net, but I don’t have any personal experience with it.

unspecified-7

If you love Fat Girls Fitness, subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter.
(We won’t spam you)

We’d love to hear about your progress.
Keep in touch with Fat Girls Fitness on Facebook 🙂

5 Reasons You’ll Gain Weight On St. Paddy’s Day

Green Bagels.

Let’s start with breakfast, where your poor choices begin.

If you see a green bagel, you will eat it. And with your officemates being the monsters that they are, it’s more likely than not that you’re going to see a whole platter of them.

WHHHYY??

Unfortunately for you, the sin of a bagel is not without karmic repercussions. It’s more than just the calories in the bagel itself. Like all high-glycemic foods, eating a green bagel early in the morning can result in an increased appetite all day.

To avoid this problem, try navigating to your desk with a brown paper bag over your head. As the old saying goes in Ireland, “If one can’t see anything, one can’t see green bagels.”

Or check out my blog post on How to Eat Half a Bagel.

2. Beer.

You’re going to drink it. And it’s going to be 150 calories for a bottle…But one bottle won’t be enough for you, will it you drunk bastard?

Knowing you, you’ll probably need at least three to four servings. And that’s why you’ll spend the rest of your life drunk and alone. It’s also the reason for the remaining items on this list.

3. Loss of Inhibition.

Once beer happens, it will trigger a final avalanche of unfortunate choices. And like an actual avalanche, these choices will bury you.

As the night proceeds, you’ll yearn for one of your friends to mention pizza or wings. And if none of your friends takes the bait, you’ll mention it yourself.

Will you have a reasonable portion? Of course not! Because beer.

Here is just one example of a terrible choice you will make.

4. Assorted Green Dessert.

But just because you ate an entire pie of pizza, doesn’t mean your meal is over. Because:

You don’t hate yourself just yet;
You’re surrounded by assorted green desserts; and
You’re drunk

Here are just a few of the half-dozen green desserts you will now inhale:

Green donuts and/or munchkins
Green cookies and/or cake
Green ice cream and/or jello

But I suppose St. Paddy’s is a lucky day after all. Because I’ve just come across an excellent resource to help you lose a touch of that appetite. At least as far as green desserts are concerned.

It’s a photo of me from 2007. I’m making green cupcakes for Valerie’s house party.

I hope Val’s guests enjoy hair.

5. The Hangover.

Fast forward to tomorrow.

Because you’re hungover and full of hair cupcakes, it’s time to:

Eat more food; and
Not move all day

Moving hurts, everything sucks, and you vow never to drink again.

Unfortunately for you, St. Paddy’s day falls on Thursday this year. Let the weekend drinking and eating commence.

Happy Gaining!

If you love Fat Girls Fitness, subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter.

(We won’t spam you)

And/or follow Fat Girls Fitness on Facebook 🙂

Saturday Faturday

wine

As if getting drunk on Friday night doesn’t have enough calories – enter Saturday Faturday: I am hungover and I will eat everything.

I’ve figured out hacks, tips and tricks for just about everything, but the one thing I haven’t quite figured out is how to deal with alcohol and its after effects.

When I’m drunk, or even tipsy, I must eat or I will die.
And when I’m hungover, I need to eat carby and fatty foods all day or else my hangover will never end.

Here is a list of things I ate today. (Keep in mind, it’s not even 1 PM):

2 bagels
1 cheeseburger
1 lindt chocolate truffle
a few handfuls of caramel popcorn
(I currently have a sweet potato roasting in the oven)

How do you deal with incorporating alcohol into your life?

For me, “just one drink” isn’t the answer. One drink is more than enough to get me drunk. Sadly, I’m a lightweight.

While losing weight, I try to avoid alcohol altogether. While maintaining, I drink but not often.

I suppose I could continue to eat carby and fatty foods, but rather than choosing a breakfast consisting of two bagels and cheeseburger, I could choose a healthier option. Maybe a nice wrap with avocado and some meat and nuts.

Or! I could just lay down on the couch all day while eating cheesefries. Hmm…

unspecified-7

If you love Fat Girls Fitness, subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter.

(We won’t spam you)

And/or follow Fat Girls Fitness on Facebook 🙂

How to Find Good Food

Yesterday I wrote a post about decent fast food options. I know I know, I totally suck at Fitness.

If you’ll find it in your heart to forgive me, I’ll do my best to restore some balance to the universe with this post.

How? By sharing a really awesome website I came across yesterday. It’s called EatWellGuide.org.

EatWellGuide.org landing page

The premise: EatWellGuide.org helps you locate local healthy options. All you do is put in your Zip Code, town, or City.

Why I like It:

I’ve been struggling to find a local Farmer’s Market. Even though I live just outside the city, I live just outside the city. So it’s a schlep to buy food there and bring it over on pubic transport.
It’s easier to use than Google Maps because the search is narrower.

Potential Downfall:

It seems like it may be focused on certain geographical areas, but I’m not 100% sure.
Try it out and see if it works for you!

If you love Fat Girls Fitness, subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter.

(We won’t spam you)

And/or follow Fat Girls Fitness on Facebook 🙂

Fast Food Decency

ef6de7efb71df48a178d7836c7ef58a4

“I can barely taste the difference”

My mantra = eat. real. food. But sometimes, real food isn’t there. And other times, you have your period. So you really just want to have fast food.

My problem with fast food, more than anything, is the industry’s general treatment of animals. I don’t go overboard, but I try to minimize my support of fast food restaurants for that reason alone. Emphasis on “try.”

Of course, there are obvious health hazards related to eating fast food regularly. But of course health matters vary based on your personal circumstances and level of activity. The occasional fast food meal won’t make or break you.

In any event, sometimes fast food is what’s there. Here are a few decent options.

McDonald’s: South West Chicken Salad

Remember those gross salad shakers McDonald’s use to have?

What on earth were they thinking?

Those days are long gone, my friends. The Southwest Chicken Salad is actually super delicious and yummy. It has mixed greens, chicken, beans, cheese and some little tortilla chips. The ingredients are reliably fresh, at least in my experience.

It’s also really cheap, as far as salads go in New York, around 5 – 7$ depending on the location. As a comparison, a lunch salad in the city is usually around $12-15 dollars.

McDonalds: Vanilla Cone

The McDonald’s Vanilla Cone is truly a hidden gem. It’s nothing less than a tragedy how few people know of its existence.

Dude, this stuff looks and tastes like ice cream. But it only has 170 calories. And 5G of protein. It’s not a bad choice – I have it quite often.

Plus – it’s like .99 cents. Some locations even have an extra small size. Ask for a “kid’s cone.”

“Can I have a Kid’s Cone please? But make it for 28 year olds.”

Wendy’s: Chili + Baked Potato or Side Salad

Some of the best moments of my life were moments I spent eating Wendy’s chili. Depressing? Yes. True? Very.

If it weren’t for Wendy’s Chili, I’d never have any excuse to eat saltines. And I love saltines very much.

I usually get my Chili with a baked potato + sour cream and chives. Alternatively, I get the caesar side salad, and dump the chili on top of it.

Wendy’s: Everything You Actually Want, But in a Tiny Version

If you happen to find yourself at Wendy’s, and you actually want the real stuff, you’re in luck. Wendy’s has itsy bitsy versions of quite a few menu items.

Just ask for the “value size.” And yes, they have tiny Frosty’s too.

Bonus Sauce: Even though your fries and nugs are now tiny, the BBQ sauce stays the same size.

No, this soda is not enormous.

Burger King: Ceasar Salad

Burger King’s salad is not nearly as good as McDonald’s, but at least the ingredients have appeared fresh in my experience. And it isn’t gross. At the very least it’s better than getting a Whopper.

Taco Bell: Fresco Menu

Taco Bell has a light menu, called the “Fresco Menu.” These are decent choices, calorie-wise. In fact, pretty much any soft taco is a decent option. The Bell also has rice in a styrofoam cup. #epitomeofclass

“I’ll have one of everything, please. Actually, make that two.”

A word of caution: these items are not exactly filling.

I find that the Cheesy Fiesta Potatoes are far more suited to my tastes. Not terrible. 270 calories. Could be worse – I could be eating an entire antelope followed by a jar of Nutella.

Any Suggestions?

These are just a few decent fast food options – I’m sure there are many more out there.

I’d love to hear your recommendations.

…Together, we can make sure that no fast food item will ever go uneaten.

unspecified-7

If you love Fat Girls Fitness, subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter.

(We won’t spam you)

And/or follow Fat Girls Fitness on Facebook 🙂

Coconut Oil Coffee

Holy crap. My Cousin Diana is on fire.

Yesterday, I posted a recipe she texted me a little while back – Spaghetti Squash a la Cousin Diana.

Admittedly, I haven’t tried it yet. But it looks out of control.

Today, she’s back at it. And this time, she’s all about COCONUT OIL COFFEE.

What???

How to:

Black coffee
Sweeten to taste (she likes two splenda)
1 – 2 teaspoons coconut oil
Blend for a few seconds to allow oil to emulsify

RESULT: Healthy coconut coffee goodness.

This is life changing.

unspecified-72011

If you love Fat Girls Fitness, subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter.

(We won’t spam you)

And/or follow Fat Girls Fitness on Facebook 🙂

Spaghetti Squash a la Cousin Diana

This recipe arriveth at Fat Girls Fitness via text message from my cousin Diana.

Cousin Diana is a medical doctor!! So you punks better listen up & show her recipe some respect.

Spaghetti Squash? Or an actual photo of your mammary glands?

You’ll need:

one spaghetti squash
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tomato (diced)
minced garlic
shaved parmesan
Optional: 1 or 2 slices provolone cheese

Instructions:

Find a spaghetti squash. Where? Beats me. My local shithole doesn’t seem to have any.
Once you find that thing, cut in half, length wise. Also, give me a call and tell me where you found it.
Set oven to 450F
Scoop out seeds
Add the following (per side):
- one tbsp olive oil
- minced garlic
- 1/2 diced tomato
- shaved parmesan
Bake for 60 minutes
Remove from oven, use two forks to shave squash into spaghetti like strands
Optional: cover w/ one slice of provolone cheese & place back into oven for 10 min.

This is what it looks like covered in sweet sweet provolone 🙂

Full disclosure: I haven’t personally tried this recipe just yet.

It’s not that I don’t love my Cousin Diana (really I do!). It’s just that I’ve had zero success in finding a spaghetti squash ANYWHERE in this godforsaken town.

In any event, it looks good. Like Leonardo DiCaprio good. And I’m told it’s tasty. Like Beyonce tasty.

So I will try it soon.

..And if it sucks, well I’m sorry. Maybe you shouldn’t believe every recipe you read on the internet.

Happy Squashing.

unspecified-7

If you love Fat Girls Fitness, subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter.

(We won’t spam you)

And/or follow Fat Girls Fitness on Facebook 🙂

Did I Just Feel Warmth?

I must be mistaken. Did I just feel the Sun through the window?

According to the actual internet, here is the 10 day forecast for the NYC area:

You probably have some questions:

Yes, this is an actual screenshot.
No, I’m not making this 10 day forecast up for attention. Not after last time…

Attention ladies! This means:

Unless you’re a feminist, it’s time to shave your January coat. If you have a January coat, then you know what I’m talking about. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, then god bless your hairless soul.
…Don’t forget your armpits

Ladies and Gentlemen of NYC Public Transportation:

deodorant, while not required, will be greatly appreciated beginning this week

Fat People (myself included):

The Sun has entered our fat miserable lives, and being cold and miserable is no longer a valid excuse to not exercise
A gym membership is not necessary in this weather, so your wretched state poverty is also no excuse. Less money = less food.

Now is the Perfect Time to Get into Shape!

Forget January. Now is the BEST time to get into shape.

Why:

You don’t feel cold and miserable, and can thus bear torturing yourself with diet and exercise;
Longer sunlight hours means more time for working out and more energy;
AND YET! The party season is not here yet. So you can cut out booze & snacks for a little while without undue hardship.
Eating salads is somehow much easier in warm weather;
The prospect of looking good and being less sweaty this Summer is so close you can taste it!

WALKS WALKS WALKS

I’ve lost so much of my weight just by walking. And this is perfect walking weather. It’s also perfect hiking weather 😀 😀 😀

Yesterday roomie and I went for a nice evening walk along the Hudson. So what if the walk was to PF Changs and back? Fit Girls need lo mein too.

unspecified-7

If you love Fat Girls Fitness, subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter.

(We won’t spam you)

And/or follow Fat Girls Fitness on Facebook 🙂

Coconut Fried Bananas

You want fried dessert, but you don’t want to hate yourself. This takes 4.5 seconds to make, and requires two ingredients.

All you need is:

Two bananas
2 tbsp of coconut oil

About the bananas:

Pick bananas that are not too ripe. No matter what you do, the bananas will stick to the pan a little bit. The less ripe, the less they’ll stick. Frying them in oil will bring out the natural sweetness in any event.
I get my bananas from 7/11, because I’m a scumbag. Don’t be like me. Use better bananas.

sad banana.png — this is what a sad 7/11 banana looks like

About the oil:

I keep my coconut oil in the fridge, which means it’s hard. I let it sit out for a few minutes prior to using.
I use Carrington Farm’s 100% organic coconut oil, because that’s what I have. Ideally I would use Trader Joe’s everything. But this works fine.
Use plenty of oil. These bananas will stick.

coconut oil.jpg — my 2nd favorite coconut oil

What to do:

Slice bananas
Get pan a bit hot, then add 2 tablespoons coconut oil.
When oil is beginning to get hot, add sliced bananas
Cook as needed. 30 seconds – 1 min per side seems to work for me.
Brag to your roommate about what happened to all of the bananas

unspecified-7

If you love Fat Girls Fitness, subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter.

(We won’t spam you)

And/or follow Fat Girls Fitness on Facebook 🙂

I Don’t Want to Lose You

When it’s Grub Hub time, I don’t peruse. I stay in focus, eyes on the prize. Usually, it’s mediterranean food that I truly desire.

I have a favorite. Garbanzo Grill is the name, and yummy comestibles is the game. Their food = delicious, healthy, and filling. Their delivery person = less creepy than most.

Yay!

My roommate & fellow contributor Valerie normally partakes in the feast. But yesterday, Valerie wasn’t here. And just when I needed her most 😥

Because my treasured jewel was gone. Where the F was my favorite salad? The one I look forward to. The one I overpay for. The one I could NEVER live without..

To add to my horror – I cannot remember the ingredients. Panic sets in: “Goddamit, Dorit. Get it together. It MUST be somewhere on this menu.”

I text Valerie “OMFG WHERE IS MY SALAD.”

She seems confused. I don’t have time for explanations.

In an cruel twist, I suddenly can’t recall the salad’s name. But in this troubled time, adrenaline kicks in. A flash of genius!: “Look to your past orders, Dorit. It’s going to be OK.”

I tear apart the archives. Sure enough, my beauty has a name: “Shepard’s Salad” Thank God. Let me Control + F that.

Praised be the name of God! It’s still here. And still 4 dollars for a serving the size of a small grape. The psychopaths had inexplicably removed it from the “salads” section to the “appetizers.” WHY YOU BUFFOONS WHY?

A proper scare. But nothing is lost. In fact, something is gained.

I will never take my favorite salad for granted again. I will learn about you, and I will give you all of the respect. I will learn to make you from scratch, my friend, and I will share you on the internet for all to enjoy.

Here are the ingredients: Cucumbers, tomatoes, parsley, red onions, olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

Simple yet elegant

I love you my salad. I’m so sorry I forgot your name. And I’m sorry that I forgot all of your ingredients.

	emgetsfitt on How a Blank Calendar Can Help…
	inauticalsoftware on Like Iron for Vegetarians
	transforming50 on Dream Big, Plan Small
	bgddyjim on Like Iron for Vegetarians
	Chasing the French s… on Like Iron for Vegetarians