Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label weight loss. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Halfway

Well. 
I have survived the first half of training, only 5 weeks to go. 
5 weeks to take another considerable chunk of time off my miles
I have made significant strides with my speed but I have to now add in consistency
AND take away some of the standing on a random road trying to suck air into my lungs while convincing my legs to keep going and simultaneously yelling numerous amounts of curse words put together in creative fun lengthy strings. 
Yes. 
Less of that. 
I am starting to get into the longer miles and every weekend is based on when and how I can get my run in
Waking up at 5  (ON A WEEKEND!) 
eating oatmeal
wearing fanny packs
having friends drive out to bring you lube on a Sunday morning
LUBE DELIVERY ON A SUNDAY
Yeah. That happened
Chill out it was for my arms
Oh, whats that you say? 
Why would one put lube on their arms?
that's not the fun way to use it?
Well... 
That's, like,  your opinion man. 
Also some of us don't quite think out the fact that their super cool back pack that carries treats (yes I call them treats) and water might create enough friction under their arms to start a fire (or draw blood)
Training is FUN!
also... time to switch back to the fanny pack
But progress is happening
improvement is happening 
Those are W's in my world
Is there a chance that I won't hit the sub 2?
Yes 
It's so hard to balance this brain of mine
Inner Athlete is screaming " There is no failure! We DO NOT accept defeat. Sub 2 or die trying" 
Inner rational Lauren says "give it everything you have, but don't let this consume you"
Inner Fat Kid wants to know if we get pizza afterwards and by afterwards he means do we really have to run at all and can't we just eat the pizza? 
Its a 3 way tug of war. 
Right now I am leaning towards " If you can walk when you finish you didn't push hard enough but if you don't hit your goal then try again and a large Sausage double cheese."
Training continues
The inner battle continues
I continue. 


LUBE DELIVERY! 
Ya'll I had to put out an SOS to my running friends to bring me lube
And she showed up with multiples kinds
 that cracks me up. 
It just makes me giggle
Ok I will stop


Anyways... 

everyone have a good week and I will try to get better at checking in 

LUBE
SOS
I sent out a lube SOS

Ok I swear that was the last time... 









Monday, November 27, 2017

In the words of Bruce Willis

Hi. 
It's been a while
A long while
My computer gave me a "new number who dis" when I tried to sign in 
 My self imposed year off is over 
I celebrated by signing up for a half marathon
because... duh 
and I am sure you are all wondering why I signed up for another race
But Lauren, you didn't even know if you liked racing anymore
You couldn't remember what it was like to enjoy training
you spent hours and days wondering if you actually liked racing or if you did it because other people in your life enjoy racing. 
You.Took.A.Year.Off. 
and this is what you decide??
A half marathon?
way to ease into it dipshit
Guess what?
Turns out I really do like racing
training.... eh
its alright
but racing.
Fuck... 
its the best. 
Finish lines and cheering crowds
people pushing to be their best
the adrenaline
the sweat
the feeling like your chest is about to explode and  your legs might give out and jesus christ am I hallucinating or is that pepperoni pizza at an aid station
its the best.
and I missed it
at first I didn't think I did
I went to a few races and without fail 17 or more people asked me if I was sad
and I proudly held up my breakfast burrito, looked down at my sandals and said NO!
then a few months later I went to some more races
and I watched people cross the finish line
cross the finish line into a giant puddle of sweaty stinky smiling mess
and I smiled
then I teared up
then I said seriously Lauren? get yo shit together. 
and thats when I realized 
I missed racing
I missed it so much
I wanted to grab a bib from someone, anyone and push my legs to the limit
I wanted to have the black lung from a particularly hard run
I wanted the hunger and the pain
I wanted it all
Its official.
I.LOVE.THIS.SHIT
Love it 
I have this competitiveness that has to be let out 
running gives me that feeling
and it doesn't matter if I am first or last
(but first would be pretty fucking cool)
It matters that I gave it everything I have. 

Will I do another full Ironman?
probably not
Will I do another half Ironman?
Fuck Yes I will
and I will hit sub 7
Will I have moments of failure, moments of wanting to quit, moments of doubt, fat kid off the leash at at buffet moments
Ha... oh yes, so so many moments. 
Will I decided to push for a sub 2 hour half?
You betcha
Will I make other decisions that make people question my sanity?
More than likely. 


but fuck. 
Life is too damn short to give it anything but everything you've got. 

As the wise Bruce Willis once said
Image result for yippee ki yay





Friday, May 19, 2017

Discipline


Discipline has never really been my thing

Donuts have been my thing

Pizza has been my thing

Eating Chinese food and watching blazing saddles has been my thing

But discipline…

Nah, I’m good thanks.

I wait for motivation to strike and then I bleed that well dry

Example: training for 3 half iron and 1 full iron distance races in 12 months.

As I entered my (Scotts) credit card info I basked in my motivation

I sat high upon my motivation mountain and looked down

I was motivation, I breathed motivation, I became one with motivation

Right up until I wasn’t

The well was dry

I was chugging my bike up another goddamn hill thinking how I could be eating donuts and not chewing on another peanut butter and jelly sandwich and boom motivation was gone.

The fickle creature left me right in the middle of my training.

Poof.

Gone.

See Ya Later

My motivation had gone to the pizza parlor to kick back with a beer

I was still on the hill

It was discipline that kept me from throwing my bike in front of traffic and following my motivation to get pizza

There has to be a balance

As soon as I crossed that finish line I lost a large chunk of both

I put my bike in hibernation, nursed my sore and chafed body parts, and went after some beer and pizza.

Its 6 months later

My bike and I are still not talking

Nether regions have not forgiven me

I have enjoyed the hell out of not training

I do miss competition but I am sticking to my year off

The problem with a year off is finding the discipline and motivation to treat my body like it deserves

 My goal is happy and healthy

Not a finish line

Not a specific weight

Not a certain pair of jeans

Happy

Healthy

So I have had to find discipline

Motivation is easier

Motivation is my husband, my family, our trip to New Zealand

Discipline is looking over a pile of donuts as I eat my eggs

Are donuts the devil?

No

Do I have to eat only Kale and water to hit my goals?

Nope.

In fact if I did that I would be miserable

Miserable is very far from happy and healthy

 

So what is the point of my random ramblings?

Motivation will not always be there

Discipline will not always be there

Keep moving forward regardless

If you don’t have motivation to go to the gym that day then go because you are a disciplined athlete

No discipline to put down the donuts? Then use your motivation to back away and eat something that makes you feel good.

We have to find balance

None of us are perfect

Least of all me

 

Find the balance

Find the motivation

Find the discipline

Find Happiness.

Monday, February 29, 2016

Rambling

I have an eating disorder
I know you are probably thinking I look more like an eating disorder survivor
I am not anorexic
I am not bulimic
I am Eating Disorder Non-Specified
Did you know that was a thing?
I didn’t
 I thought you were either too skinny to be healthy
Or too heavy to be healthy
Or a crossfitter
No in between
I figured I would slide nicely into a binge eating/food aggression category
Do you eat full pizzas by yourself?
Yes.
Have you ever sacrificed a taco bell menu to the gods of all things Hangry?
Hell yes.
Are you willing to share your food?
Nope.
 Turns out all these feelings I had about food put me in a separate category
I eat, but every meal
(unless it was Kale and Chicken)
Results in shame, guilt, fear of gaining weight, fear of going the other direction and not eating
As well all know this came to a head a few months ago
I have this amazing team of people now who’s only goal is for me to lead a joyous life free from the constraints of anxiety, body image issues, and food based shame.
Cool, right?
I know that my family, my friends, my circle of people have wanted that for me for years
I have wanted it for years
And now I have this team of people to help make that happen
A therapist (2 actually), a registered dietitian, my PCP, and soon an psychiatrist to help with the anxiety
Writing it out makes it seem like a lot…
But I want this shit to be over and done with.
And I have all these amazing people behind me supporting me like my husband, my parents, my family, my friends, the dogs (they are not sure what to do but wagging their tails seems to help)
One thing that my husband has told me that really sticks out is that shame thrives on darkness, it can’t survive in the light.
So screw shame.
I am done feeling guilty about what I eat or how much I eat.
I am done wondering if everyone at the table is thinking about what a poor food decision I just made
“Geez, she going to have another breadstick? I thought she was a triathlete or something”
(not that anybody has ever said that but my brain thinks they are)

You want to know the best part of this?
No more fucking dieting.
If the problem is dieting it can’t also be the answer
I get to eat what I want
When I want
I don’t have to run 20 miles to eat a slice of pizza
I can have pizza any damn time I feel like it
Or egg burritos
Or god forbid sour cream on my chipotle bowl
Or  *gasp* a chipotle burrito
Yep.
Pizza loses its power when it’s not some forbidden item that you can never eat
If you know you can have it all the time then you stop acting like it’s the last supper every time you get near one.
I would eat a whole pizza no problem and I would rationalize it as either
1. its ok because I ran/biked/swim a crazy amount today
Or
2. this is the last pizza I will ever eat because starting tomorrow I am really going to stick to *insert fad diet name* and this could be my last pizza
So guess what? I am eating pizza
I have had more pizza in the last 3 months that I did in the last year
But! I stop when I am full, I slow down and work on recognizing my hunger/satiety cues and I don’t go overboard
That is the “normal” way to eat
Which most people are thinking, duh.
But I have never been normal
At some point in time something made me believe that the way I ate was shameful
So I started to hide my eating habits
(my parents used find me in the pantry at night)
what a weirdo.
I ate taco bell in parking lots and threw away the evidence before I got home
Just because I didn’t want to disappoint people
(What?! saying that outloud sounds capital K Ka-razy)
I was worried, so worried that that people would judge what I was eating or they would be disappointed in my food choices that my anxiety manifested itself into physical symptoms. 
Physical symptoms! 
Seriously Lauren?
Yep. 
Anxiety that could choke a Donkey.
I don't even know what that means but it suuuuuucks. 
 So now I am working on eating mindfully
I eat when I am hungry 
(not just because the food is there)
 stop when I am full
(not when I hate myself)
There are no good foods or bad foods
No “clean” eating
If you make such a big deal to eat “clean” food then you are telling yourself that the other food is dirty
Hmm. No thanks
More guilt? More Anxiety?
I’m gonna pass
I don't want you to think its easy and that I have had some giant revelation. 
every meal is a fight still but I am creating new habits and that takes time. 

So where does this rambling end?
No clue
The fat kid is out and wandering around in a daze
(He is very confused by the abundance of pizza and pancakes)
Sometimes he still wants to shove donuts in my face as fast as he can
But now we both step back, take a deep breath, eat the donut and move on with our day
Sometimes we don't. Sometimes we surface 10 minutes later with powdered sugar on our face. 
balance.
He’s happy, I am working my way towards happy, and every day we keep working
We don’t succeed every day but we keep at it. 


sorry bout that. 

Saturday, December 26, 2015

Eviction Notice



I have  started working on fixing my issues with food from the inside out 
I want to have a healthy relationship with food
I want to enjoy it with out stress or guilt
I want to be healthy
I want to be happy
and I don't want that happiness tied to what I did or didn't eat this week 
So I am getting help
I have tried everything I know
 I have read all the books
 Studied the theories
I have tried this diet
and that diet
and that one too
I have worked my body to exhaustion and pushed it beyond limits
but I am still overweight and I am tired
tired of trying everything
tired of stressing out 
tired of food anxiety
tired of anxiety in general 

Part of my wishes I could just say fuck it. 
this is me
I am overweight, I am squishy. 
I can also run a shit ton of miles, out swim most people, and I am going to be an Ironman
but that little voice, that asshole fat kid whispers that its not enough
I am not enough unless I can be an Ironman who only eat kale and chicken
I see the ridiculousness in that statement
but when I am not strong enough
when I am tired
when I am sad
the fat kid goes from a whisper to a scream

the fat kid has had a long enough reign
its time to shut him up for good
and its not about losing weight
if this is me and I can say that I am eating right 80% of the time
that I am doing everything in my power to train for my races
then I need to learn to accept that
I need to learn to accept me
fuck the fat kid. 
be healthy
be me


So its time to bring in the big guns to give the fat kid his eviction notice

Nutritionist
&
Therapist
(specializes in disordered eating)




(Please.Please.Please do not worry about me. I am happy with this decision and I am sticking with it. No I am not ready to talk about it, no this is not anybody fault, nobody gets to place any blame or feel pity. This is not oh poor Lauren. This is positive.)

I have been struggling with sharing this information the last couple weeks. 
Not because I am ashamed, scared, or worried what people will think. 
I have worried about that crap for long enough.
I just prefer my privacy
But.
BUT... if one person out there is unhappy, sad, and struggling. 
I hope you are able to find someone to talk to. 
If one person finds comfort in knowing that they are not alone
they are not the only one struggling
they are not the only one who feels like they can't do it alone anymore
then putting myself out there is worth it. 








Monday, August 24, 2015

Oh Look... a Carrot

I knew it was coming
I could feel it barreling towards me like a freight train unable to stop
I could have done things differently
I knew how to fix it
I just didn’t listen
Now the train has come to rest after it barreled into the mountain causing an avalanche
That avalanche came so fast and so hard it dropped me to my knees
Right down in front of the goddamn refrigerator.
Sigh.
Nutrition is hard
I get that it’s not push a baby out of your lady parts or stop using drugs kind of hard
But C’mooooonnnnn
This food is bad
This food is good
This food is good unless the 7th moon is in the sacred house of Thor
This has gluten
Gluten is bad
Well kind of. Gluten is bad for some, great for others
Fat is bad.
Fat is good
Caffeine is a terrible addiction that will lead to cravings, starbucks gold cards, and a weird connection with keurigs
Don’t eat carbs, they make you fat
Unless it’s this specific kind of carb that of course how did you not know is perfect for you?
You  need to eat while you run
No. Not pizza, dumbass.
Never eat on a run
Gatorade will change your life
Gatorade will make you shit your pants on a run.
Chipotle… see above.
Everything in moderation
You need 3500 calories today… for breakfast.
Eggs are bad and filled with cholesterol
JK… eggs are great, egg whites are bad

It’s enough to make you want to running screaming into the hills or to the nearest nutritionist
Let’s not even get into the organic/free range/vegan/vegetarian fight.
I like meat. I prefer it to be raised ethically and sustainably. I also prefer to not pay $20/lb for a hamburger because the cow as happy before it DIED.
Oh god. I just made so many people angry. I am sorry… I take it back.
Also veal is delicious.
Dammit…. That last one slipped out.

Anyways… it’s hard.
It’s hard to find what works for you
What your body agrees with
What you agree with
What your family will eat
What they won’t eat
Where you can go to eat when you and your stove have a disagreement
When to eat
How much to eat
Calories

Food is Fuel
My engine is running (literally) damn near all the time
And its running long miles
I need lots of fuel
Good Fuel
None of that unleaded shit
(damn I miss pizza)

Saturday I went for an 11 mile run before breakfast
My goo’s didn’t sit right with me for whatever reason
And when I got home the last thing I wanted to do was eat (I know I was just as confused as you are)
I love to eat
I love to cook
I wanted food
My stomach wanted nothing to do with food
So I waited
And I waited
And then I finally ate, I forced myself to eat 3 meals.
None of them were shockingly healthy but they filled the requirements
Protein, carbs, veggies, fruit
But it still didn’t replace what I had used up
And I had a big bike ride the next morning
So I did my ride…
Low and behold I still wasn’t starving
I went through the same routine
Protein, carbs, veggies, fruit
Still not enough and I knew it
Well then Monday shows up like the reliable bitch it is and guess what?
I am a starving mess of hulk hangry empty bottomless pit-ness
And I am at work where I limit my food
The train has hit
The avalanche has fallen
And now I am just wandering around looking for survivors

Oh look... a carrot

Monday, June 15, 2015

#FoodPrepSunday #It'sNotRealIfYouDontHastagIt #hashtag

Hi everyone! I am still learning the art of hashtagging, if its an art  I never perfect I will be ok with it! 
I had a couple of people request some of my recipes, here are a few that use as a basis of many meals. Let me know if you like them. Thanks! 

4 requirements for my meal prep... Portable, Cost Efficient, Tasty, and Healthy

Baked Egg
This is one of my favorite breakfast recipes because it’s easy, portable, and holds up well throughout the week.  You can adapt the base recipe and add whatever ingredients sound good to you. I have done artichoke, sundried tomato and feta (seriously awesome), ham and cheese, Spinach sausage and mushroom, the possibilities are endless!

This week I did a Beef Chorizo, bell pepper, and cheese baked egg.

1Lb lean beef chorizo from Sprouts  $2.08 (on sale)
16 eggs (.25/egg) you can also use one of the big egg white cartons
1 Green Bell Pepper ($0.88)
1 Red Bell Pepper ($0.88)
8oz shredded sharp cheddar (On sale $1.25)

This makes 8 servings at $1.09/serving. This can be cut into smaller pieces for little humans but Scott and I have big appetites. I usually supplement this with a green smoothie, toast with avocado, or a bowl of fruit.

Directions
Heat your oven to 425 degrees
Brown the chorizo on the stove until almost all the way cooked, set aside
Chop your bell peppers into small chunks
Crack the eggs into a big bowl and beat until all the yolks are broken and everything is mixed well.
Spray a 9x13 pan with Pam
Spread the chorizo and bell peppers across the bottom and then top with the egg.
Bake at 425 for 45 min, the egg will set and no longer wiggle when you gently shake the pan.
At 45 minutes pull the pan out, top with the cheese and place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes.
(I usually turn my oven off at this time and let it finish baking while the oven cools down)

I leave it in the pan and cut it a slice at night for the next day.


Meatballs

I will do my best to estimate amounts, this is a tweaked family recipe that I have made as long as I can remember and I don’t use measuring tools anymore. I love using meatballs because they are easy to eat at work, I can just cut them with my fork and dive right in.

2Lbs Ground meat of preference, I usually use chicken or turkey because its readily available.
½ cup finely shredded Parmesan
1 cup bread crumbs
1 egg (you can use 2 egg whites as a sub to cut a few calories)
I toss seasonings in randomly. This week I used Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.

Mix together and roll into meatballs, 2 lbs usually gives me 16 meatballs.
Spray a large frying pan with your oil of choice (I love the new Pam coconut oil spray)
Let the pan get hot and then start adding your meatballs, the pan should be hot enough to sear the meatball.
Keep turning until all sides are browned. You can let them finish cooking in a pot of hot marinara or place a lid over the meatballs and let them keep cooking.
You want the internal temp of the meatball to be at least 165 degrees, you can check using an internal meat thermometer.


Breakfast Burritos

I am still on the hunt for the perfect tortilla. I want one that will hold up, taste good, and not be filled with lard. I am filtering my way through the hippie tortillas at Sprouts, it’s a hard job but somebody has to do it! Heads up, this makes 5 Lauren sized burritos (mfp est cal is 450/burrito) on large tortillas.

5 tortillas (pick your favorite)
1 carton egg whites (again you can always use whole eggs)
1 can drained and rinsed black beans (patting them dry helps too)
2 tomatoes chopped
Sausage of choice (leaving this one open, sometimes I use chicken sometimes I go right for the pork! You can also use ham or bacon or leave it out all together) should be around 16oz of meat. If you choose to go the bacon route, think 1/2 slices per burrito. 
8 oz cheese (give or take)

Brown  and crumble your sausage, set to the side
Cook your scrambled egg whites in a large pan, add in the sausage, tomato, and black beans.
Mix together until every bite of egg has some sidekick yumminess with it

Lay out the tortilla, scoop about 1 cup of egg mixture in the center, add ¼ cup of shredded cheese, and roll that bad boy up!
Wrap in foil or saran wrap. You can freeze or throw in the fridge, they last about 4 days in the fridge before the cheese gets weird.
Reheat in the morning or lunch or dinner or all three if you are feeling extra burrito-y and enjoy!
I put mine unwrapped in the microwave for 2 minutes (increase time if frozen)

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

The Battle Rages On...also a cameo by Amy Poehler.

I battled the fat kid all day long. 
Not in the usual sense, I wasn't trying to shove my face full of pizza and donuts at every turn. 
Don't get me wrong.. I was HUNGRY.
I ran hills last night and I could have happily dove face first into whatever was readily available. 
However I made sure to pack my prepped foods so I was able to stay the MF'ing course. 
Today wasn't about telling the fat kid no. 
No, no pizza for me thanks. 
No, Beer isn't really my thing. 
 It was about telling that little asshole to shut the f*$k up. 
Anxiety, fear, and self doubt were the name of the game today. 
That little voice in my head was screaming today. 
I am not fast enough
I am not skinny enough
I am not working hard enough
I will never follow through with anything
I will never finish an Ironman
I just wanted the voice to go away. 
I don't give a shit if I am not fast enough. I am out there pushing my body and working to be faster. 
Fuck. Skinny. 
Yeah I said it. 
I am strong, I am healthy, and I am working on tailoring my birthday suit. 
That stupid number on the stupid scale doesn't define me. 
It doesn't make me less of a person. 
It doesn't tell you who I am. 
I am a strong badass woman. 
Yeah I wear a fanny pack when I run and I own something called Hoo Ha Ride Glide. 
I still Tri 
(see what I did there)
I will finish an Ironman. 
I will finish if I have to drag my legs behind me like a dog. 
Hell or high water
Blood, road rash, exhaustion, knee pain, sunburns, and black toe nails. 
I will finish.
That little voice inside my head just told me that I just jinxed myself and my finish. 
I am going to crush that stupid voice like a bug. 

The battle rages on. 
Its not always physical. 
Sometimes the mental aspect is worse. 

When in doubt, listen to Amy Poehler. 

smart-girls-0

(Side note, go buy her book. It's amazing. I laughed, cried, and snorted)

amy-poehler-12.1

Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Cookie Monster

Today was a day that I could have happily planted my ass on the couch and curled up with a pint of Ben and Jerry's finest. 
I could have pulled up speed dial and let the good folks at Barros talk me into a large sausage and double cheese pizza. 
I wanted to
I realllllly wanted to
I still want to

Instead I went tearing through cabinets and pinterest trying to find a way to make something that would satisfy both my sweet tooth, my hormones, would not require a trip to the store and not help me gain 12 lbs. 
Banana Oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies
#Winning 

3 bananas, 1 cup of oats, 2 tbsp PB2, and 1 cup of chocolate chips later the beast has been soothed. 

I fixed a flat on my bike (all by  myself!) while they were cooking (20-25 minutes at 350). Then I burnt the roof of my mouth, my tongue, and my fingers trying to eat them straight out of the oven. 
Patience and eating slowly have never really been my thing. 
After devouring a cookie and coating my tongue in aloe I jumped on my bike trainer.
Bike trainers are the best. 
Seriously. 
It's 100 degrees outside and I was able to get in my ride in the comfort of my own home (and AC) while watching Super Troopers. 
and eating cookies. 
whoops. 
I only had 2!
I followed it up with a big ass salad and a Disney movie. 
Because.... I am an adult.

The more I thought about the cookies the more I realized I may have stumbled onto pinterest gold. 
150 calories and other than the chocolate they are filled with good things. 
I think they would make good race food both pre race and race fuel. 
I might try adding a few other things to them like switching the pb2 and  chocolate chips for a little brown sugar and dried cranberries, I could add some flax seed or chopped up dates. 
I could even add some coconut. 
The possibilities are endless
This also means the cookie testing is endless. 




Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Nacho Lucky Day

I saw the most amazing picture today. 
Can you guess what it was?
It wasn't a sunset 
It wasn't a beautiful newborn baby
It wasn't a pudgy adorable puppy
It was nachos. 
Glorious, cheesy, and topped with pulled pork.
I was able to refrain from licking my phone but I wavered on that decision. 
Who needs a long, low cholesterol life when you have chips with melted cheese. 
I looked at the picture, drooled over the picture, then tried to figure out a way to work nachos into my life. 
Because I am trying to lose a couple pounds, train for a 1/2 Ironman and generally improve my lifestyle; nachos are not on the regular menu. 
I would have to run a stupid amount of miles, bike to Tuscon, or swim around Lake Pleasant for a couple hours in order to enjoy a face
full of cheesy goodness.
Now most rational people without major food issues are thinking "why don't you just get in a good workout, make sure your other 2 meals are healthy, and split the nachos with your husband?"
A. We don't share food. ever. 
it works for us and helps both of us avoid missing fingers. 
B. Portion control is not really my thing
I'm actually eating my salad out of a mixing bowl as I type this and I may or may not have accidentally spilled cheese on my computer. 
C. I don't feel like biking to Tuscon. 

So I guess that means I am shit out of luck, eh? 

Well I am nothing if not resourceful when it comes to finding a way to eat things I want 

Thats why as I was drooling over my phone and my boss was wondering if I was exhibiting stroke symptoms I decided I would make a Nacho Salad! 

Pulled pork, black beans, corn, red onion, cilantro, cotija cheese, and guac for dressing. All piled on top of  a big ass bed of lettuce. 
Not bad right? 
Its not a plate of melted cheese and deep fried corn tortillas
But it also won't give me a massive food hangover or lead to a downward spiral of food guilt. 
I know it will still be pretty calorie laden but those are all pretty wholesome ingredients. 

I will leave you with this...

I googled "how was cheese discovered" and " Nacho meme" for this blog. 

I was not disappointed. 




Since animal skins and inflated internal organs have, since ancient times, provided storage vessels for a range of foodstuffs, it is probable that the process of cheese making was discovered accidentally by storing milk in a container made from the stomach of an animal, resulting in the milk being turned to curd and whey by the rennet from the stomach. 



I probably should have stopped 3 memes ago.