How Did I Get Here?: Part 11

There is some debate in my household as to whether my gastric bypass failed me or whether I failed it.  Either way, it is a moot point.  The good was that I did shed almost 200 lbs., half of which I kept off.  In my mind, it saved my life.  At almost 500 lbs., I couldn't have gone much longer without developing serious, lasting health issues.  Did I get to my ideal weight, the way I had planned?  No.  Am I immeasurably better than I was before?  Absolutely.

I have always considered myself a foodie, gourmand, gourmet, whatever.  I love cooking, eating and creating in the kitchen.  That love extends to fine wine, even craft beer.  One of the things I love most about food is that it lets me explore my creative side.  While I love singing and it is an artistic endeavour, it's not a creative process.  It's an interpretive one.  Cooking lets me use ingredients as my pallet and turn them into something of my own vision.

The Food Network came on the air in 1993.  It gave birth to an entirely new category of media star: the celebrity chef.  Yes, there was Julia Child and Graham Kerr, but people didn't have access to them 24/7, like the Bobby Flays and Mario Batalis of today.  These culinary rock stars and their peers fueled my passion and furthered my education in the art of cookery.  Once I gave in to the devil on my shoulder and turned myself over to my hedonistic, masochistic tendencies, I dove in head first and sought out the best food and wine I could afford.  The Food Network became about 50%-60% of my television screen time and when I wasn't watching, I was dining out or cooking something fattening and unhealthy. 

Did the Food Network make me fat?  Hell no.  I was an addict looking for an outlet... and don't get me started on people not taking responsibility for their own actions.  But the genre got me exploring my food passion and furthered my gustatory misadventures.  Now I can turn that passion, which was once detrimental, into a positive force in my recovery and perhaps in bettering other lives.  My pallet has not been diminished by the removal of unhealthy foods, it has been expanded by the inclusion of more nourishing options.  My creativity is further challenged and enhanced by making delicious, satisfying fare that will aid in my weight loss and ongoing lifestyle.

Next week I will discuss further trials and tribulations of my increasing waistline in the new millennium.

Cya Sunday,
M

What I ate Friday and how I exercised:

Breakfast ~ I found myself without milk or breakfast burritos.  What to do?  Make steak and egg of course!  In around 10 minutes, I whipped up a 100 calorie steak, sauteed mushrooms and a perfectly fried egg.  All for fewer calories than my normal cereal or burrito.  As nutritionally sound?  No.  Delicious and filling?  Yup.

Snack ~ One banana

Lunch ~ A cup of Manhattan clam chowder and spinach salad with broiled salmon, roasted peppers and sun dried tomatoes with a balsamic vinaigrette on the side

Dinner ~ None.  I often do not eat when I have an early gig.  I snacked on some pistachios on the bar and ate a banana when I got home.

Exercise ~ None, unless you count 3 hours on my feet singing and hauling equipment.  Okay.  Some exercise.  There will be a walking club in Madison, on Sunday at 12 for those who would like to join us.

Note: My dietary choice have much too protein oriented this past week.  I promise you will see more fruit and vegetables in my post in these upcoming weeks.