I am trying a few vegetables, per my nutritionist. Each vegetable has a 3 day trial period, where I eat the same one for 3 days and see how I feel. After the 3 days is up, I can move on to the next vegetable on the list. The trickiest part is that I am not a cook and am clueless when it comes to cooking vegetables, particularly in the soft way the nutritionist wants. I started with sweet potato for a few reasons:
1. I LOVE them. Love love love.
2. I know how to cook them. More on this soon.
3. I can easily make it at work.
Okay, so that being said, I will tell you a little about my 3 days of sweet potato.
On day 1, I wasn’t very hungry and decided to have just half a sweet potato. I put it in the microwave as I always do, but set it for half the time since it wasn’t an entire sweet potato. Well after the 5 minutes, I go in to get in and the ENTIRE KITCHEN is filled with smoke. It starts spreading to the whole apartment and we are freaking out, trying to get the smoke away so the sprinklers don’t start going off! As you might have heard, Tracy Morgan’s apartment had a fire and the sprinklers turned on and ruined everything he owns. Well, the boy lives there too so we did NOT want this to happen. We frantically opened all the windows and the door. The neighbors complained and sent employees from the building to his apartment to see if there was a fire. There was SO much smoke — all from 5 minutes of microwaving a sweet potato!
I am now banned from using his microwave.
On day 1 postponed, I used Carrots ‘N’ Cake’s sweet potato fries recipe. The boy and I both love sweet potato fries, and these were incredible! I highly recommend everyone makes this on their own. It was very easy and so delicious. Because we shared them, I ate a pretty small amount and I think I felt fine.
Note: I also ate a meal with this that included cheese.
On day 2, I microwaved a sweet potato at work for lunch. I added some ricotta and applesauce and it was very delicious. And then the bloat began. And then I unbuttoned my pants. And then I unzipped my pants. I couldn’t close them back up and had to remain like this, and go home like this at the end of the day. Now, this wasn’t the worst I have been. There have been a few occasions where I had to leave work, go to a store, and buy new clothes just to get me through the rest of the day. I have spent quite a bit of money this way, and it stresses me out to no end. I began to buy and wear pants to work that are a few sizes too big for me so they would fit my stomach. However, I look absolutely ridiculous on my legs and butt. I look like I am in clown pants — yet they are the only pants that fit my bloated belly
So after eating the sweet potato and feeling uncomfortable, I reached what I believe to be an all-time low. I ordered maternity pants from the internet.
This way, the stomach part will stretch while the rest of the pants will hopefully fit well.
It is hard for me to separate the idea of fat from the idea of bloat. My bloating and other associated problems are messing with my head — which brings me to my question for you. As I mentioned, I met with the psychologist at my GI’s office. I am strongly considering a hypnosis program she does, designed especially for GI problems (particularly IBS which I don’t have, but it is the same idea). I spoke to my doctor about it and he said it won’t help my symptoms, but it could be good for my mental health if I am particularly struggling with my situation. It is a 14 week program, with 7 sessions. I will go every other week for a session.
Because the doctor is out of network, there will be a cost to this. It won’t be full price because I do have some out of network coverage. My amazing mommy has offered to assist with this, as she just wants me to feel better! I am just debating with myself now on if it is worth it. I don’t want my mom to use her own money for something that I am not sure will do much, that will take up a bit of my time from work and won’t help my core symptoms.
But maybe it will be a great thing for me. Maybe it will help me get into a better mindset so that I will not be terrified of getting dressed in the morning, won’t decline invitations to events because the thought of getting dressed and being around food causes extreme anxiety, won’t feel gross and giant and hate myself all the time, won’t get stressed out about doing normal everyday activities.
Please comment with your thoughts on this. I’d love to hear what you think and will take everything under consideration.
On day 3 I made the sweet potato in the boy’s oven. It was frustrating because the microwave takes 10 minutes, and the same thing in the oven takes 45-60! But I am not allowed to use the microwave anymore! So I made the sweet potato and when it was ready mixed in some Smart Balance Light Buttery Spread and ricotta cheese. It was delicious, I devoured it. Then I felt awful.
Really, really awful. Like I had a brick in my stomach. I had to get up from the couch where we were watching TV and go lie down. It was an extremely unpleasant sensation, and after 2 unsuccessful attempts I think it is safe to say I cannot eat sweet potatoes. At least not whole ones – I think I might be okay if I eat half, which will be a future test.
Here is the list of the foods the nutritionist gave me to try:
Vegetables
Sweet potato
Winter Squash: acorn and butternut
Zucchini/ Summer squash
String beans
Carrots
Beets
Asparagus tips
Fruits
Canned peaches, in fruit juice not syrup
Canned pears, in fruit juice not syrup
Mandarin oranges
Applesauce – all natural, no added sugar
Please comment with any suggestions on how to cook the above vegetables! Keep in mind they need to be cooked soft for my condition.
NYC Anger
I have a lot of anger and aggression when it comes to traveling in New York City, be it walking or subway travel. The other day I experienced something in the subway that has happened to me many times before, and it makes me SO angry.
I have an unlimited ride monthly metro card. This means I pay $81 every month and can get into the subway for the entire month. I pay for it ahead of time.
So the other day I swipe my card and the machine doesn’t let me in and the screen reads SWIPE AGAIN. Okay, no big deal, I swipe again. I still can’t get in and this time the screen reads JUST USED.
Just used?? JUST USED??! I TRIED to use it, and you said to SWIPE AGAIN! Obviously it wasn’t JUST USED or you wouldn’t have told me to swipe again! (Sometimes the message is SWIPE AGAIN AT THIS TURNSTILE).
This means I can’t use it to get on the subway now. It means I have to buy another one.
If this was a one time thing, I wouldn’t think much of it. But, it happens ALL THE TIME. And when it happens, the only way to get in to the subway is to buy a new MetroCard. Actually PURCHASE one when I already spent a lot of money for the entire month! Why should I have to give them more money when I already paid!
I have a theory, crazy as it sounds, that MTA has this in place on purpose, as a way of getting a little more money out of customers. I know it sounds ridiculous and you think it’s just a glitch — but it happens often enough that if it IS a glitch, it should have been fixed by now. It makes me really angry, and I just have a hard time believing it. Sometimes I get the SWIPE AGAIN message and then I get in fine with my next swipe. I believe that happens sometimes, no big deal. But when the machine says SWIPE AGAIN and then says JUST USED — well, I don’t believe it’s a mistake. I really don’t.
That is my New York City rant for the day.
NYC Blogger Meetup
Speaking of New York City, I am VERY excited about the blogger meetup being hosted by FitnessNYC. I’m really looking forward to March 14 to meet some very wonderful girls, including Sara from EatFabInNYC and Brynith of my new blog obsession, BEE Lifestyle.
NY bloggers who read this and are attending the March 14 meetup, please comment and introduce yourselves to me! I’d love to catch up on your blogs before we meet.
