A note about food comas and If I were Gollum....

Good things about today.

1. Church. Love seeing the boys run to Sunday school.
2. Good food. (more on that in a minute.)
3. Cold dogs walks.

A note on food comas.
If you've never experienced a food coma I feel sorry for you. Today we had a wonderful lunch prepared by some friends, and on the way home--ensconced in the warm car, I was taken over by a food coma. The lovely duo of toasty warm car (love my heated seats) and brilliant sunshine made the 25 minute ride home perfect. Dozing lightly I was sated--full, but not too full, warm, but not too warm, and eyes just droopy enough to hear the radio and rest at the same time. Ahh, bliss.

Let's take a short moment of silence for the best food coma day of the year: Thanksgiving. By far the best holiday we celebrate (food wise) Thanksgiving offers us all that moment--decadent food lingered over for an hour, followed by swaddling oneself in fleece blanket and a two hour nap. (Some people would watch football, but for those of us who still root for the Lions, it's worth falling asleep instead.) Food comas are incredibly satisfying, and if you haven't had one since Thanksgiving, give yourself over to one next weekend. Totally worth it.

About that odd title----
If I were Gollum, 'My precious,' would be the library. If I were a pimp, the library would be my client (not a lucrative one, but a morally superior one for sure.) Why you might ask? Why not? What other establishment in this country can you borrow items of value for free and keep them until you are finished with them? Who else offers storytime without a catch? Use of the internet is free of charge, so is the notary. At a bank you borrow money and pay interest, at a library you borrow a book, CD, or DVD absent astronomical closing costs. Libraries are gifts--and in a country mired in division, one place we can truly agree is a library. Both sides are presented, and everyone's ideas are heard--here everyone is equal. The library doesn't care about bank accounts, home size, or religious preference, it doesn't bother with skin color, weight, or where you were born--it simply welcomes you into its shelves with open arms--seducing you with words and pictures. A library is THAT place---and it is a beacon of light for every community. If you haven't taken the time to visit yours lately, you should. (Honestly, if you haven't I'm tempted to call you pathetic, but I won't because I know you'll be there this week sometime, right?)

Tomorrow's Monday---hello week!

Becky

A Grocery Store Barbie.

Again, let's start with the good things about today. Oh, and I changed the blog name because I wasn't always writing about food.

1. It's a day off from the gym. Lovely.

2. Haircuts (a really good one.) with mini facials and back massages, for $22. Seriously.

3. Naps. During the week I rarely indulge because I'm afraid I'll sleep through Nick's pick up, but today---2 hours of bliss.

4. Basketball and pizza. MSU plays at 7 and I was able to stop at 2 slices of pizza. (I'm saving room for ice cream.)


Today's topic.

I love grocery shopping--even with the boys, but alone when I'm not in a rush and can wander is even better (this never happens). What I don't love about grocery shopping is seeing "Barbie." Up front I'll admit it is, in part, jealousy. She's perfectly coiffed--from head to toe, there is no misstep. Her handbag (because it's not a purse when she's wearing it) coordinates with her, just-the-right-length belted trench, and the shoe/pant length issue I always have is absent. I'd love to blame her abundance of money, but quite often Barbie manages to throw together items from Old Navy, Kohl's, and Target with panache I can't muster even on my best days. Adding insult to injury is the fact that she's rock solid--not too skinny (making me glace numerous times in her cart searching for carbs), she's just got that way about her that says--well toned athlete (I'm sure she runs an 8 minute mile) with fashion sense.

If she's unmarried (because we ALL look for the ring here) we wonder where her J. Crew model boyfriend is hiding at Whole Foods. Surely, he's getting some cool small batch locally brewed beer. In his navy blue crew neck sweater and jeans he's handsome and confident in a way that might be annoying sometimes, but at the grocery store is sweet. They leave, with him carrying the bags (of course he is) and drive off in their Pirus.

If she's married, her cart is full of staples both of them enjoy. Beer, good red wine, something from the seafood counter, and lots of organic veggies. You can tell with one glance at the cart this couple does not have children. Nothing contains sugar, and with granola as the only cereal visible--I immediately jump to kid free. (Although my kids like granola, but they're weird.) You wonder how long they've been married--they're so cute it must be new, right? Who still acts like that after 5 years? (I'm being sarcastic, I know all of you who read this canoodle with your husbands in public, especially at the grocery store. Because he always goes with you, uh huh, sure he does.)

If Barbie is married and has kids the whole thing is crazy to me. I can't pull off anything 'Barbie' on a good day, with help. How does she get the kids dressed, get herself together AND get groceries in one afternoon? Usually, I hit the grocery with both boys in tow, straight from the gym, still in workout gear with a hat unceremoniously plopped over my shock of sweaty hair. But what I realized is this: Although I love the idea of being 'Barbie' with kids, it's not me. I can still be secretly jealous (or now since you're all read this you know), but for the most part I am thrilled how my guys behave in the store--using good manners and smiling at other shoppers. Regardless of my appearance, I'm truly happy being there with them.

The moral of this long, drawn out, somewhat funny tale is this: even if you don't have the fashion sense of Reese Witherspoon or the body of Heidi Klum (she's had kids and looks amazing.) You (and I) have something amazing to offer our children, our families, and our friends. Go forth--be a good friend, and wear sweats to the grocery store with pride!

Have a good weekend. God Bless.

Beck

Thanks, Greys, and Mom Jeans.

Let's start today with positive things.
1. All the cookies left the house today, and not a single one was eaten by me.
2. Planned to run 5.5 miles this morning, felt so good I ran a 10K (6.2).
3. Cleaned the bathrooms. Sounds lame, but I get joy out of seeing them (and smelling them) clean.
4. I'm also profoundly thankful for warm water and long showers.
5. Thanks to all who read the first two days and gave me feedback. I truly appreciated it.

Today I've decided to talk about getting older, specifically grey hair. I haven't been coloring my hair since college, and in college it was more dying my hair than "coloring" which I discern to be far more natural looking than what I had going. All that aside I haven't done it since because, I am, quite simply--cheap. I love the look, the highlights and all the fun stuff that goes into it, but it is costly. Now that I've begun the slippery slope of plucking the greys out--where will I go from here. Anyone else out there dealing with the grey monster?

Here's another one--what is up with today's JEANS? Seriously. Treating everyone to a booty glimpse when I squat down to pick up the boys is not something I have a particular fondness for, and lately I always feel like I've got on the plumber's pants. Every pair I try on rides low, and the new "mid-rise" is what low rise used to be 5 years ago. Yanking and adjusting and belting and pulling are the new norm for me in jeans, and while I would love to avoid the "mom jeans" label, if they stay where they belong I might invest in a pair--screw Oprah and Stacey London from 'What Not to Wear.'

Speaking of Stacey London, did you know she's pimping jeans from Lee now? As if she would ever wear a pair in real life. Come on.

Last week I had another old moment--my husband mentioned in passing that my favorite U2 album, October, was almost 30 years old. (Released October 1981.) and Pearl Jam's Ten was nearly 20 (August 1991)--can this be? Can the music I so adore be on the oldies channel.

How do you feel about getting older? How has your world view changed in the last 10 years? Too many? How about the last 5? What's up with the obsession to stay young?

Have a good weekend. God Bless Haiti (and everywhere else too.)

The Visitor, Cookies, and Augustus Gloop.

So today wasn't a bad day--except for my trip to the scale and a glance in the mirror---have I really been looking like this ALL day? Even after a shower? Ugh.

It's interesting that a few days before my monthly friend is due to visit the scale creeps up. I HATE it. I don't feel like I've done anything differently, in fact, I've worked out more and tried to be more conscience of what I put into my eternally open mouth.

I had a friend in college who swore we should learn to love menstruation--she actually advocated spending a day in the forest bleeding into the earth. (I can literally hear your laughter through the computer.) She did mean it in the most literal of senses...go forth and bleed next to a tree, become one with nature. Whatever. She wanted to sing the glory of the period, I just want it to be over. There will be no trips to the forest this week, it's too cold. I wonder what she would have come up with for the winter.....I could ask her, but she won't be my facebook friend.

Next topic. Cookies. I've been cursing my friend Angela all day. About 3 months ago, when I lost my baking mojo in a fog of thoroughly awful pumpkin cookies, she sent me a recipe for double chocolate cookies that truly are killer. I made them, and in the process discovered my mojo hidden in the front hall closet where I'd gone to eat cookies in solitude. (No, not really, but it was funny.) I digress. The cookies. Since she sent the recipe I find numerous excuses to bake them. I've tweaked the recipe adding cinnamon and today, for the first time, Reese's Pieces. Lord have mercy. I took 2 dozen to a neighbor--less than a dozen left. (No, I did not eat a dozen, the recipe made 37 today--I've got a few left, lingering, calling, waiting.)

Last night I forgot to add that I have this little rule about not eating after 7:00 pm. At first I dropped weight fairly quick--like 5-6 pounds in the first couple weeks, now--not so much. It hasn't been too hard sticking to it, and I've only bent the rule a few times. I thought it was at least worth throwing it out there.

Here's a couple questions--What kind of rules do you have about food?

What's your biggest food vice? (That being the thing you can't turn down and then will continue eating it even when full to the point of bursting.)

You all already know my rules--for the most part anyway. My vice is simple. I cannot eat just one slice of pizza. Usually it's like a scene out of Willy Wonka--picture me as Augustus Gloop--and my chocolate river is pizza (bacon, black olives, and banana peppers). Spanky's in Fremont, MI or Benny's in Marysville, OH are best.

Good Night. Again, please forgive all the grammatical errors you encounter.

Here's The Deal.

Please note: I am not a grammar queen and beseech you to read without judgment.

Welcome to Shape of Food. A Blog by 34 year old mom of two, Becky Wever. (I'm also married to a wonderful man named Ben. He adores me, despite all my many flaws. Trust me, you've never heard me complain about his driving.) I'm loved. I'm lucky. I'm incredibly blessed. All that being said, I have a horrible self confidence problem and battle frequently with my weight. (Or at least with the scale.)

I've learned over the past 34 years (well maybe not quite 34..) that I have issues with food. They aren't serious enough to land me on a couch somewhere, but regardless they exist. (Don't take issue with the couch comment, I think it's totally and completely valid, but my couch issues aren't with food.)

It's not that I can't stop--I can. Ask me about Lent for the past 4 years, no sweets. I CAN do it, but if a concrete reason doesn't call to me before the brownie sundae with homemade hot fudge-- I'll eat it. And to top it off, I'll "sneak" extra brownies from the pan while the fudge warms through in the microwave. I put sneak in quotes, because who's really sneaking, no one but the two boys were watching--regardless, I knew I should avoid the extra bites--just like in theory I should have avoided the entire sundae.

I need to set some guidelines here first.
1. Everything in moderation--just not all in the same day. For instance, I indulged in the sundae, which by itself was fine, but paired with the giant onion rings I had at dinner and the hummus I emptied at lunch--maybe not such a good use of moderation.

2. Eating should be fun. Sometimes my anxiety over food/calories/weight takes over and I hate food, or more clearly I hate myself (my sister will freak out here--I don't hate myself it's more that I'm disappointed in my clear lack of self control.) Again--I hate myself because I can't seem to avoid eating two helpings of mac and cheese, or having "just one more" cookie. Unless I have a good reason of course, but Lent only lasts so long.

3. Set goals. Blah, Blah, Blah. Seriously. I'm college educated, this should be a no brainer--right? I think my problem is I fail to hold myself accountable to specifically to food/weight/calories related goals. I can set goals around the house and for exercise, and meet them--some are fairly big (our house is almost always clean, and I exercise 6 days a week.) I've got to get this food thing mastered. Ugh. I have a weight goal--down 10 pounds by Maui. Yes, I actually typed where I would like to be out in public---which leads to item 4.

4. Be honest. When Luke was born I had very little trouble losing the weight I'd gained during my pregnancy---I've also been able to maintain that weight for about 3 years---and each and every day of the last 3 years I've been thinking about losing more. Just another few pounds--we aren't talking Biggest Loser type numbers here---down 10. I also want to be honest about what I'm eating, and my current inability to control my snack meter.

5. Why Blog? For me, I think it's about being more honest with myself. I'll never look like a TV star, but at some point I want to simply be happy in my own skin. I am sometimes---but (and I'm attempting to be honest here) I am not. Blogging won't lose the weight, control my eating, or exercise for me, but it will give me an avenue to vent--honestly to myself and gain back some of the self confidence I lost....(who knows where I left it, but regardless it is currently absent.)

Here are my goals (since I said I should set some).

1. Run May 1st Commit to Be Fit Half Marathon in Columbus, OH in under 2:12 (two years ago I ran one in 2:12, I'm older and should be faster.)

2. I will maintain a healthy weight, and lost 10 pounds by November 18. (We are leaving for Maui on the 19th.)

3. Find a new peace within myself. (That sounds so annoyingly New Age--YUCK.) How about this instead. I will learn to love and appreciate who I am and what I look like every day. My life is a gift that God gave to me, I should stop berating what He created.

Let's start with those and see how far I get.

Thanks for reading.