Monday, February 22, 2016

How To Gain Weight

Move to San Antonio.

I'm not blaming San Antonio, but I will say that I did gain most of my weight when we moved there back in 1992.  Hey, all of that new-to-us food needed to be tried, right?  And San Antonians love their food, from the Tex-Mex gravy-covered enchiladas and puffy tacos, to the chicken-fried steaks the size of a dinner plate (and covered with cream gravy, of course).  This was very different food from what we were used to eating as native Californians, so of course we went a little crazy for way too long.  I think we forgot we were living there and not on vacation, and every week was like a vacation when we went out to eat.

I'm somewhere in this crowd of Jazzercise peeps - we did a routine before a Missions (minor league) baseball game one day.  I remember trying to blend in with the group because even though I knew the routine, I was pretty sure I'd mess up during the performance.  It's all a blank now, thanks to my C.R.S.

I also lost weight in San Antonio - I joined Weight Watchers after a couple of years of living there, and I also joined Jazzercise.  Why yes, it was the mid-90s, how could you tell?  Of course, I didn't end up keeping the weight off because I went right back to eating the way I did when we first moved there.  I'd like to think that now, if I were in the same situation, I'd behave myself a little better...maintenance definitely wasn't in the forefront of my mind back in those days.

Guenther House bakery case - yes, they are as big as they look.

I started thinking about all of this after our visit to SA, and you know what?  They still have an abundance of really tasty, not especially healthy food there.  And upon further reflection, I realized that two of the restaurants we went to had bakeries where you could purchase something to eat WHILE you were waiting to be seated to eat.  Fun to contemplate, but that is seriously not a good idea to actually do - I mean, even I have a limit when it comes to how much I can shove down my gullet, and a pre-meal pastry is where I draw the line.

Much as I love that town, San Antonio might just be my kryptonite when it comes to weight management.  My friends and I complain about the lack of good places to eat in our town, but maybe that's a good thing - less temptations makes for better choices, as well as more cooking and eating at home, where you can be assured I will not be deep-frying anything, nor smothering it in gravy.

Food for thought.

20 comments:

  1. I think that if I would live in the city I would eat out more and less healthy. My town doesn't have a lot of restaurants and we always have to drive to the next town to go out for dinner. It is also not as common as in the US to go out for dinner here. Most people cook almost all their meals at home.

    However, overweight is becoming more and more a problem here too. People still eat at home but don't cook and choose unhealthy foods like pizza or other stuff. Also food delivery at home is growing and what is easier after a hard days work to pick up your phone and order some food.

    It's that I like to cook so much otherwise I probably would do this more too. Although not every meal I make is healthy, at least making a Big Tasty at home is more healthy than eat one from McDonalds.

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    1. Less choice = more homecooked meals, which is a good thing; your head would spin if you saw all the crowded restaurants here - eating out seems more normal than cooking at home.

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  2. Reading Fran's comment, I must be European because I mostly cook and we just don't eat out that much. Even takeout is a once a month or so treat for us. I think I have just gotten hyper aware of health and I'm also a bit of a controller so I like having control over what is going into my food.

    Vacations are another story, but thankfully that's only once a year!

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    1. Jeff is counting his calories with My Fitness Pal right now, and it's funny to watch him try and figure out restaurant meals...he totally sees why we didn't eat out often when I was really working at my diet.

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    2. One of my friends just told me that MFP has introduced restaurant logging. I have no idea what it means, but maybe it's a setting he could change. I googled and found this article about it:

      http://blog.myfitnesspal.com/myfitnesspal-introduces-restaurant-logging/

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    3. Good to know - when he travels a lot, he's stuck with restaurant meals. I'll pass this onto him, thanks!

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  3. This is why I don't want to live in New Orleans. John is convinced we will be retired down there, but with all the food - I would blow up like a balloon in about 2 weeks. It's bad enough going there for vacation LOL. I would be like you were with eating like you were on vacation even though you lived there.

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    1. I think the only place I could safely retire, weight-wise, would be Maui, because they have so much fresh tropical fruit that appeals to me so much. Never been to NOLA, but I'm sure when I finally get there, it'll be a food fest!

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  4. I was just thinking about this on my way home from my trip yesterday. How, even though I really plan (bring my own food, etc.) I still eat more than I should, because All!The!Food! I just want to try it all. And at home, there's just me and the fridge. I have to drive 20 minutes to get to any restaurant, and even then, its slim pickins. Its all relative--when I visit you, my eyes just about pop out of my head, looking at all the restaurant choices you have!

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    1. ...and I feel that way when I visit California - you are right, it IS all relative.

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  5. Ha, you are not the first blogger to mention jazzercise! I am. So intrigued anytime anyone mentions this. I just picture Richard Simmons. Is that accurate?

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  6. Less choices also means that you know the menus at those other places well so you don't go in and have no idea what is 'healthy' and good options. (Ok, my mind works in different ways.....I try to have my cake~~eating out~~ and eat it to ~~lose weight~)

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    1. When I really buckle down to lose weight, I find that I can only do a restaurant meal once or twice a week, at most - unfortunately. Otherwise, it's too easy to eat too much, or make the wrong choices. Sad but true. :(

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  7. After living in So. Cal for the last 22 years, I can tell you junk food and entertainment food is everywhere, all the time, 24/7. It's just like the outlet mall. One exit from my house, but I sure don't shop there. The money fairy does not live at my house, as a single parent, I bring home the food and fry it up in a pan.

    My cousin said the same thing about Las Vegas. She lived there but did not go to the casino.

    That being said, we are lucky to have a good growing season here for veggies and gardening. Good access to Trader Joes. I cook at home 98% to escape high inflammatory oils, added sugar and grains. Gone is the entertainment eating. I know what a cinnamon roll tastes like, etc. My food addiction is with me 24/7.

    The next 40 years are mine.

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  8. I just posted my lunch on Instagram which was the leftovers from dinner out with my Mom and kadults on Saturday - my LEFTOVERS weighed 1 pound 6 ounces when I got home - wtf?!

    I can probably make two more meals out of the leftovers after today - no wonder American's are overweight, the food portions seem to just be getting bigger and bigger :(

    Two weeks and a day until we meet in person!! Not that I am counting down the days or anything like that :D

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    1. Sounds like you got a Texas-sized meal! I agree, the portions are just plain silly - you can see how it's easy for Jeff and I to split a meal and feel completely satisfied with the amount we each get.

      I'm excited for your visit - SOON! :)

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  9. well, i know how it can be. Good food and transition ca take it's toll.

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  10. I had a friend that was on the hole jazzercise trend. So funny. Have not thought about it in the longest time. Brings back some fun memmories

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  11. That Jazzercise photo is brilliant!! I think I found you. Were you yelling? lol AND OMG, yes. Living in SF now, with a sea of culinary goodness that can be brought to your door at the click of an app button -- smh. I've gotten better at disciplining myself, but I def indulge a couple times a week! ;)

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