Indigo Plateau

Listening to :: Guy Love - Scrubs

And I think I may have hit a snag in my plans.  Possibly. Let's show you the evidence:
Fun Stats ::
Start Weight :: 185 (January 19)
Last Week :: 173
Current Weight :: 173
Goal Weight :: 150 (October 9)
That's right, I may have hit a weight plateau, this is the third week at 173. Normally I would just work myself harder, but for some reason the left side of my neck decided to feel like stabbing me with pain, so I did not get to exercise on friday. With it being Easter weekend as well, exercising at home was just a ridiculous dream.  I did manage to do a few planks, but nothing substantial. Needless to say, this coming week will probably be aggravating and stress-filled.  I'll make it work though, and it will be wonderful. I hope.  I'm starting to think getting a trainer or dietician would be nice.  Not that I want to be 'on a diet' because I don't. They don't work, and even if they do, once you're off it everything goes to poops.  I'll try and work it out on my own for now though, and I will keep you up to date on this topic.

Now for some food deliciousness.  This past week I made pasta, catfish, and asparagus. Let me tell you something, I am thoroughly obsessed with asparagus right now, and I don't know why.  Well, asparagus and bok choy, but I haven't been able to grab a hold of the latter for a few weeks now.  Steam or bake either of them and the result is so gooooood!  For the catfish I just seared it and then baked it for about a half hour with loads of spices on it, of course. Enjoyy!

I also had a mid-week meal at this place called Cheeburger Cheeburger, which is basically a throwback to diners of the 50s with amazing hamburgers and customizable shakes. So I thought I'd snap a quick picture of the burger I ordered.  Let me just say, this is the smallest burger they have and it was insanely filling.

HEART
Zan

:: A Quote To Leave You By ::

"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."

~ Albert Einstein ~

Like a Roller Coaster

Listening to :: Rolling in the Deep - Adele

Yet again I have failed to post for a week.  And I was doing so well!  Well, not really, but I did post twice in one week.  That counts right?!  No, I know it doesn't.  Since I last posted, life has been filled with a roller coaster of emotions and events.

Weight-wise, I was down to 173 last week ANNDDDD:
Fun Stats ::
Start Weight :: 185 (January 19)
Last Week :: 173
Current Weight :: 173
Goal Weight :: 150 (October 9)
Yes!  I managed to maintain my weight! And, that means I'm still under the 10 lb loss mark.  Of course, it would be grand if I continued to lose weight, but my body, like myself, is stubborn, and won't go down without a fight!  Recently I've been shifting the weights I use up, and hopefully that will help without making me look all bulky. I'm not meant to be bulky with muscles, that'd be silly. I'm too short, and looking lady-like is fun. I just want to be able to defend myself against the evil ninja who come to try and kidnap me nightly.  I can tell it's been annoying my roommates to come to my assistance every night. I mean, I can take on two or three of them, but they always come in packs of like ten. RIDICULOUS.

Now, I'm sure you're skeptical with how busy I've really been these past weeks.  While I have been rolling around doing nothing much on the webs of the inter, I did accomplish some tasks!  I got together with one class group and completed a project, while accomplishing a good amount of work with another group. I went home, went to mass for the 11-month date from my mother's death, went to New York City.  I acted like a high-school girl in front of a boy, as per my normal behavior. And, because this list is much too long, I also picked out a new pair of glasses. Of course, I can't get them until May, but patience is a virtue, and it will be even sweeter when I pick them up then. Oh and when I get them, there WILL be pictures. Haha!

Of course, you probably just want me to get to the down and dirty, A.K.A. food pictures. Well, I have a couple meals to share with you! The first is from the teaser I added to my previous post, the second is a meal of tilapia, rice, and carrots, and the third is simple eggs and toast. Enjoy!

Accept Those Around You and Love Somebody!
HEART
Zan

:: A Quote To Leave You By ::

“I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous - everyone hasn't met me yet.”

~ Rodney Dangerfield ~ 

Obese rant from an "Obese" girl

Listening to :: Chocobo Theme Song - Final Fantasy VII

One of my classes this semester is a Business Ethics course, and I enjoy it very much.  We read articles, watch movies, and listen to speakers who can relate to the various topics within the course.  Now, although one of the days is lecture-based I keep pretty quiet, I'm not sure if I'll be able to do it today.  The topic of the week is the Consumer as the Stakeholder, and it highlights the food and diet industries.  As you can probably guess from the content of my blog, this is a very sensitive topic for me. This is especially true when people start spouting out facts about how many Americans are obese and cite BMI statistics as their source. Now I'm sorry if I'm about to burst your bubble, but BMI is a load of horse poop. No, it's not even that good, it's like Miley Cyrus being Autotuned while clothed in horse manure.  That seems like a closer visualization.

So what is this pile of doo that is BMI?
BMI = Weight (lb) / (Height (in) x Height (in)) x 703
That's all it is folks. A simple equation incorporating your height and weight. (The 703 is there just because the original formula was in metric system. Like the rest of the world-but that's another topic altogether.)  So what about muscle mass, age, waist measurements, body composition, medical conditions, or many of the other things that effect a human's weight? Oh, according to BMI, it isn't worth a penny. Or a peso, or one yen. Nothing. And yet the media constantly harps on this many people are obese as categorized by BMI.  By taking this as an example, why don't we just throw together random variables and come up with equations that determine ability to think, or intelligence capacity? This equation doesn't even make sense scientifically, and yet it is as common as the sunshine.

This is all basically a big ruse to inspire fear and to encourage fat-phobia. People who toot the horn of BMI repeatedly have no idea what the physical well being of the people who are "obese" or "overweight" is actually.  These people could be body builders, or athletes, or just normal people. They just know that it's different, and different is bad, so why shouldn't they praise it?

While they're at it, while they are using this fantastic equation to determine who is and who is not healthy, why don't they tax those who are "obese?"  Take the proposed "fat tax" in Arizona for example. Any person who is considered overweight, has diabetes, or smokes will be taxed $50. Presumably the government officials will use BMI in order to determine who is "overweight" and who is not.  It doesn't matter if they have a genetic disorder, cancer, or physical limitations. They are "wrong," so they should be taxed.

Oh, and BMI doesn't just incorrectly classify those in the "obese" category.  People who are listed as "normal" under BMI could very unhealthy as well.  The lack of perspective and insight in this equation makes all the data that comes from it fall flat. And yet, so many people depend on it and cite it so that they may sell another diet plan or wonder pill.

Thank goodness for the myriad of sources on the internet that put this so much more eloquently and backed up than I could ever write. Due to the length of this monstrosity, I'll just post a few links rather than go on anymore, and trust me, I could.
Top 10 Reasons BMI is bogus
Backstory
There are, of course, fifteen bajillion other articles on the topic, but I think these two provide a good basis.

I truly hate to end on a sour note, so I will include a teaser from my latest food cookery!

Eat a Hamburger and Hug Somebody!
HEART
Zan

 :: A Quote To Leave You By ::

 "Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

~ Confucius ~