Healthy(ish) Fried Chicken Alternative.

Cornflake Chicken.

This is a recipe we actually learned from Mike's mom. It is a really simple and quick way to make chicken that isn't so jam packed with calories like fried chicken (and I love me some fried chicken) but with the same satisfying crunch and I think and even better flavor.

What you will need:
1lb chicken breast
3 cups corn flakes
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1 stick lowfat vegetable spread/margarine
1tsp salt
2tsp pepper
1tsp paprika


Preheat your oven to 350degrees and grease a 9x13" baking pan. To begin, trim the fat off of your chicken breasts and do a simple butterfly cut to make the chicken very thin.


Next, take your corn flakes and put them in a plastic zipped bag. The brand of cornflakes really does not matter, these are of the 99cent brand from Kroger. Also, the best thing about this recipe, if your cornflakes go a little stale & you wouldn't eat them for breakfast, use them for this! You cannot taste the difference. After placing the cornflakes in a bag, take a mallet and crunch those babies up. Now, if you've had a rough day feel free to pound away on them with your fists, or ninja chop... which I may have done tonight.


They should be of this consistency when you are done.


Put your flour in one bowl, whip your eggs in another bowl and place your cornflakes in the next bowl. This is the order you will be making the chicken with so it is a lot simpler if you put your bowls together like so.


Dip your chicken in the flour, then the egg, then the cornflakes and line your baking pan with the chicken. And here's the fatty part. You do need to melt the lowfat vegetable spread and then pour it over the chicken. Bake for around 20minutes or until your chicken temperature registers 170degrees internally in the thickest piece.

And there you go, some yummy satisfying chicken without the massive calories like fried chicken. We tend to pair the chicken with broccoli and a simple veggie rice.

Eating your feelings....

Let's talk about depression. Something big happened to me about 4 months ago that pushed me over the edge emotionally. We'll call it, "The Event". It left me feeling empty, betrayed, and snacky.

When I'm not feeling good about life or when something depresses me, I want to gorge myself with ice cream and cake. I start feeling like there's no point in trying to take care of myself because I feel so low. 

The Event even landed me on anti-depressants. I feel much better now, but I still haven't moved past it. So I feel like crap every now and then because I think about the betrayal and the anger wells up in me. There hasn't been a day since The Event that I haven't thought about it, or imagined the things I'd like to say to the person/people involved in The Event.

But it doesn't help me. When I start thinking about it too much I notice myself eating way more than necessary. I notice myself not going to the gym, not being as active in general, and feeling very short tempered. I don't know what to do to let go of the pain. I've been praying about it, but it's really hard.

I think I can honestly say that I am no longer angry at the person(s) responsible for The Event. But I cannot say I've forgiven them. The Event was terrible, it nearly destroyed my life. It left me feeling like I couldn't trust people, and that I shouldn't help people anymore because they just end up causing drama somehow.

I don't even want to put any specifics on here for fear that the person(s) responsible for The Event will read this and start more drama. I'm not afraid of them, I just don't want this to somehow turn into a dramafest and end up with everything going south when I've been working so hard to move on.

I just want to move past it so I can stop feeling so hurt and stop letting myself overeat or make poor eating decisions because I'm so preoccupied with thoughts of this betrayal.

Fat Kid's Plight (eating out)

I've noticed one of my biggest downfalls, has to be going out to eat. I think this all started when I was married and broke, so whenever I was able to go out to eat (usually funded by my parents or my ex in laws) I would order whatever I wanted and just gorge myself because it was SO good. I can usually limit myself to a normal size portion when I eat out but other places, I just eat WAY too much or eat the wrong things.

It's hard to be health conscious when eating out, usually we associate it with a treat and if you are like me, I like to treat myself very well when given the chance.

After researching a few sites I have come up with some viable fat kid options, that won't leave you staring at your dinner party's plates in envy.

• If an option, when your food is delivered, immediately ask for half of it to be wrapped up in a to-go box. More than likely if you order a full entree, only half of it is the correct portion size. This way, you have a meal later on when you want to treat yourself and you don't have to feel guilty (or bloated) for treating yourself in moderation.
• This is a general rule for every day, but especially when you are planning to eat out make sure to eat smaller meals during the day so you are not starving when you get to the restaurant.
  
• As wonderful as buffets are, it's nearly impossible to resist getting five plates or more. I personally do not feel that I get my money's worth unless I am so miserably stuffed I can barely move when I walk out of the restaurant. Make sure to avoid these guys. Otherwise if you do go, load up on as much salad (nasty word!) as you can and only eat one plate of the good stuff.
• Chicken Alfredo is one of my favourite foods, so I really refuse to give it up. One thing you can do, if you like the heavy sauces like I do, is ask for it on the side. This way you can control the amount on your dish. I don't like a lot of sauce and this way I can still enjoy Alfredo without bombing my calorie count for the day.
• Instead of getting mayonnaise or dressing on a sandwich, ask for an avocado slice. These babies have a great Omega 3 content and are just as satisfying, if not better as the mayo.
• Don't ban yourself from eating what you want, because doing this will guarantee the end of your diet, it is possible to enjoy yourself and eat sensibly as well! And if you do mess it up, don't chastise yourself, just take it in stride and realize your mistakes.

A heartfelt farewell....

 

My Dearest Peanut Butter Panic Ice Cream,

 Lately I have been thinking about you a lot.

I have walked by you in the freezer section and considered 

opening the door and taking you in my arms back to my place.

But you have to understand that this relationship is doomed. 

It usually ends up being a one night stand, which isn't good for either of us.

You have gotten me through many a sad and happy day, 

but I think we're only using each other.

I take and take and you give and give, and when I discard you, you're empty.

But it doesn't end there for me, I have to carry around the extra weight of 

yet another meaningless encounter.

I can't promise that this goodbye is forever,

but I swear to you that if we do get together again,

you will spend more time in the freezer than you have in the past.

I will make your creamy chocolate peanut buttery goodness 

last more than one evening.

Please understand, this is for the best. 

We will meet again, but absence makes the heart grow fonder.

With my undying love and devotion,

Kathy

For Kathy,

I know you had a rough day yesterday and because you love collecting embarrassing photos of me to display around your house, I thought you would enjoy this photo I found circa seventh grade "makeover" time. Complete with blue eyeshadow and a fake Marilyn Monroe beauty mark of course.

Yeah, and check out the air mattress backdrop, I was destined to be a professional one day I tell you. And see that shirt? That's a Converse shirt, I was wearing Chucks way back then, some things never change, including the blue eye shadow.

Love you best friend, feel better!

You also have a surprise in the mail heading your way on Monday!

How I Feel Today......

I am stressed. My daughter is driving me up the wall. I want to eat and be naughty (food wise of course... ;) ). I have a headache, I'm a tad crabby, I'm tired, I have a sinus infection, and I want to curl up into the fetal position and cry.

So, my first instinct is to grab something very high in calories and stuff it in my face. But I wont.

Other than that I don't have much to say right now.....so, here's a picture that perfectly sums up my current feelings....

Dear Soda (a breakup letter)

Dear Sodapop,

Oh soda, you sweet temptress. For as long as I can remember you have been in

my life. From sipping the foam off of my dad's Coke Big Gulp in California

to having a case of soda by my bed when I was growing up, I hate to say it

but you are my worst frenemy. You know I love you, right? You know I love

everything about you, from the fizz to the sweetness, everything about you

makes me happy. You know I don't discriminate, whether you are cola or

orange, Coke or Pepsi, well I love you just the same.


But, you know, the thing is, I just don't think we are moving in the same

direction anymore. Seeing you five times a day just isn't the best for me

anymore, and I think we both know it's time for a change in my life. No,

don't you worry, it really is me, not you. I just seem to have lost myself

in this relationship, I rely to heavy on you for my morning wake ups, my

headache relief and I just think it's time we move on from each other.

You know I'll always love you, and maybe sometimes I will still visit you

from time to time when the mood strikes me, but we both know we can't

continue on like this anymore.

All my love,

Heather

An eye opener.

I wanted to take a minute to explain how it is that fat people become fat. After reading Kathy's post yesterday I had a conversation with the boyfriend Mike, a perpetual thin person about how we become the way we do. I am not talking about those who just need to lose ten pounds, because honey, I wish I was there with you but I'm not. I have to make a bigger change than you do that doesn't just involve going light on the snacks for a few weeks. I am talking about a life change here.

Being overweight is not something you set out to do. No one WANTS to look different, no one wants to have fat rolls on top of their jeans. We all want to feel beautiful and attractive, that is just human nature and pretty obvious.

First thing is first, most of us in the obese category have a food addiction, an eating disorder. The same way an alcoholic uses alcohol to escape from reality, to find comfort, to find solace, we do that with food. The difference is our harmful activity often shows way faster than your internal breakdown. Our fat thighs show our signs of our addiction, while your liver decaying inside shows yours. But guess who gets the most prejudice on a daily basis, just from the way we look? That's right, us fat kids. Now, let's get this straight, no addiction is good. Whether your drug of choice is crack or KFC, addiction is addiction and none of it is beneficial.

So psychologically, we become obese because of stress, loneliness, boredom or because of depression and anxiety. Really, our addiction stems from not having the best coping mechanisms. We turn to food to get away for awhile. If I have a bad day, I personally will say "eff it" and eat a pint of Ben & Jerry's. Yes, I am aware of how bad it is for my body, but at that moment I do not care, I just want to feel better. Also if I am bored and don't have a lot to do during the day, I think "Why not eat that bag of animal crackers?" and go for it.

We do however need to realize these actions never solve anything, and just like any other addiction, make us feel worse in the end.

You also have to take in account the physical ailments some of us have. I have bad knees, Kathy has a bad back, this should not stop us from getting back in shape of course, but it does make it ten times harder than for most people. We have to do what we can to positively change our lives and hopefully our pain will diminish along with our fat rolls in time. Some of us, like me, have a medical condition that causes me to gain weight. My thyroid hates me and radically changed my metabolism, of course that is not the only reason I gained weight (*ahem* donuts & pizza for breakfast!?), but it is of course a factor in it. Some people, like Kathy's family have a genetic disposition to gain weight.

So add together the mental & the physical cocktail and bam, fat kid. Not all of us just eat 4 double cheeseburgers per setting, some of us lead very active lifestyles. Just because we are not like you and gain five pounds every time we even nibble a cupcake, it doesn't mean you need to judge us for it.

Which brings me to my next point, fat acceptance.

There is a growing trend online about fat acceptance in society. The fashion world has already included more and more plus size models, and the internet is filling with fat acceptance blogs. This is a wonderful thing and a huge leap in the right direction. By no means do I want this to be a fat activism blog, I want this to be a health and happiness blog, whatever your size.

Kathy and I have both had the stigma placed on us that we are lazy, unattractive and less intelligent because of our weight. This is human nature, when you see someone heavier than you, you automatically think less of them in some way. Even if we don't mean to, we do it subconsciously. A big reason I wanted to write this blog was to help others understand and identify with what it's like to be overweight. I know we can never change the way you see others, but hopefully this will give you some insight to learn to accept everyone.

The simple matter is, people come in every shape and size. This does not change their intelligence, their beauty or their self worth. So really, give fat people a chance, we usually have the best snacks in our lunch boxes.

An inspirational rant.....

Ok, so the conversation that started this blog was about how we think it's sad that no matter how big you are you can't help but look at someone bigger and feel all avoidy. We've both been the victims of people being reluctant to get to know us because of our weight. And we know we're not alone.

A friend of mine sent me a message about this blog and it got me thinking. Unfortunately bigger people don't want to go to the gym because they're afraid of embarrassing themselves or they're afraid they won't be able to do the workout without looking like they're about ready to keel over dead. I know I was there when I joined the gym.

I'd look around see all the skinny girls and muscle men working out and looking good in their skin tight workout clothes. And I couldn't help but feel like I was being watched. I'd hop on the treadmill in my baggy pants and gigantic t-shirt and think about how in 2 minutes I was going to be out of breath and sweating like there's no tomorrow while the chick next to me would be jogging along confidently. The thing that kept me going was the thought that I NEED TO BE HERE.

It's unfortunate that the people who REALLY need to be at the gym to work their butts off and lose the weight are also the people who are least likely to go and stick to it. I REFUSE to be the fat chick who points my chubby fingers at those who took better care of their bodies and accuses them of making me feel like crap. They didn't stuff the ice cream, cup cakes, greasy pizza, donuts, and Mt. Dew in my mouth. I DID. And now I'm the one who's taking responsibility for my face-stuffing actions and trying to whip my butt into shape.

But, I know it's not easy to go to the gym. It's not easy to go to a restaurant and order just a salad and water. The REASON it's so hard is society has a pre-conceived notion about the overweight people they see every day. They see a fat person and think, "They don't take care of their body." or "Who's she kidding ordering just a salad?". Fat people are screwed either way, if we try to eat better someone thinks we're trying to put on airs, if we go to a buffet and fill four plates at each of our trips to the buffet line someone thinks we're pigs. (and they'd be right about that last part btw....)

I was at the doctor last week because I was having chest pains. I told the doctor (not my regular doctor) that I first experienced these pains while I was jogging on the treadmill. What do you think he said? If you guessed, "Was this your first time working out?" DING DING DING WHAT DO WE HAVE FOR EM JOHNNY? That doctor took a look at me and my weight and figured the fat kid tried to jump on the treadmill and go for a run without any previous exercise.....he's an idiot. And any overweight person who thinks they can start off running marathons should join him in the idiot parade.

I am not saying it's ok to be overweight and not take care of your body. It's not, I know that, and I think that about 90% of people who fall into the category of "morbidly obese" would agree. But just because I'm fat it doesn't mean you need to treat me differently, you don't need to look at me wondering why I'm in a store that sells clothes in sizes I couldn't hope to fit into without ripping them to shreds, and you don't need to make me feel like I couldn't possibly know what it's like to take care of my body.

I honestly think it's quite probable that over the last year I've  learned more about taking care of my body and getting into shape and how important it all is than those who have been blessed with a crazy high metabolism and can eat a horse without gaining an ounce.

Introductory post by Heather.

I'm not new to blogging at all, but this is my first joint effort at writing something! Kathy is my very best friend in the world, and has been with me through everything in my life from our teenage years until now. We have had so many good times and bad together and now we have to face the huge challenge of getting back into shape.

As far as the blog goes, both Kathy and I hope to add our personal stories, struggles, recipes, and humor in our attempt to accept and love ourselves and find happiness and contentment with our health.

Kathy has started already working out and doing a great job at getting healthy and I am just now jumping on the band wagon, as of, tomorrow actually. So tonight to celebrate my new journey, I ate like a true fat kid tonight with some fried chicken, potato chips & soda. I know, right? Freakin' awesome dinner! Too bad this will be the last dinner like this for a long time.

Anyway, I'm Heather and I'm twenty four (a week younger than Kathy!) and I work as a professional school photographer and do my own freelance photography as well on the side. I have an amazing mister in my life and we have been together almost a year now. We live in Virginia with our three kittymonsters and a little betta fish. I have a serious love for owls, Paul McCartney & band tshirts. I am at a really great place in my life and am so happy and fulfilled, now I just have to get my body to match up with the way I feel inside.

I haven't always been so heavy. In high school I averaged around 150 and was a size 12-14ish. I ate like crap, and throughout the years it has caught up with me. In 2008 I was diagnosed with an overactive thyroid and whether my weight was influenced by that, I am still unsure, but I gained about 50-60lbs during that year alone. Right now I weigh an awful 265lbs wearing a size 22-24, the heaviest by far I have ever been.

So, as my first day of my new anti-fat kid journey begins at 4:30am, I plan to go to the gym for the first time in years after my shoot tomorrow and am switching to diet soda. Baby steps people, baby steps.

Kathy's First Blog EVER

Well, this is literally, as the title suggests, my first time blogging. Since this will be a weight loss blog, I want to share my progress so far.

My name is Kathy. I am 24 years old. I have known Heather since freshman year, although she liked my sister more than me. *sigh*

We actually became friends in our junior year, we had practically every class together, so she had no choice but to fall madly in love with my witty and cynical personage. We've been inseparable ever since. We've been there for each other through thick and thin. Unfortunately the thin days are a behind us....perhaps my massive butt devoured my thin self.

Anyway.....I'm married to the man I've been with since February 2003, I love him more every day. I have a beautiful daughter named Piper, and 3 kitties named Jersey, Riley, and Criquette. All 4 of our children are naughty.

I was 220 lbs in high school. I thought I was so fat. I always wore sweatshirts and baggy t-shirts to cover up my fatness. After high school I gained about 50 lbs between graduation in May 2004 and my wedding day in Sept 2006. Then between my wedding day and the day I found out I was pregnant in March 2008 I gained another 65 lbs. THEN between the day I found out I was 8 wks pregnant to the day I delivered my adorable daughter in November 2008 I gained 40lbs.

So, the day I delivered my daughter I weighed 372 lbs. Since that day I have lost 62 lbs. I now weigh 310 lbs. 

I work out an average of 4 days a week at the Watertown Rec Center. I do Pilates, cardio on the treadmill/bike, and some weight training. My current goal is to lose 15 lbs before we go down to visit my parents/grand parents on April 12th in Missouri. It will be the first time I've been under 300 lbs in over 2 yrs.

I can do it!!!