My 31st Birthday Reflections

scooper

Full Member
I'm sorry this post is so long. I just felt like I need to share this on my Birthday as I'm reflecting on my 31 years of life!

I should start of by saying that I am American which I don't share that much because I didn't want to be treated differently as I have had some people being not to nice to me because of my place of birth. It's bad enough being the fat chick, but worse being the fat chick with the funny American accent. I do have Indefinite Leave To Remain and am about to send off for Natuaralization. I know you ladies won't judge me so I thought I'd share what I posted on an American Ex-Pats web site I frequent. I revealed my diet to them which was a bit scary. It's who I am and I am proud of it and I'm tired of hiding or thinking I need to be ashamed of who I am.

Before I moved over here, I LOVED-I mean I LOVEDLOVEDLOVED to cook. I can remember being two years old and sitting on the cupboard watching my mom make scrambled eggs and knowing how to make it. I think it stems from them owning a bakery when I was little and getting my sister and me up at 3:30 a.m. every morning and watching my whole family-aunts, dad, mom, and cousins make beautiful food all the time. Then when I was a bit older my parent's ran a small cafe in a posh area called Mountain Brook and I would help her by waiting on tables and I'd get great reactions.

Then when we moved over here..the whole way I cooked was shunned. They didn't understand savory with sweet. Cornbread and butterbeans. You know the whole Southern Home Cooking with butter and the lot. I gradually just stopped cooking and left it to my husband to do as he really enjoys it. I gained fifty pounds in five years thanks to him(it's nice to blame him and not myself, lol)!

I have recently started the Lighter Life Diet which is pretty strict at first and all I have atm is meal replacement packs. But, something's happened while I've been on this diet and I've discovered why I stopped cooking and the real reason was I felt guilty for comfort eating when I was lonely, mad, sad-the whole thing. It was because I had a gastric bypass in 1999 and I knew that eating how I was was just defeating the purpose.
I love it. I make all kinds of dishes even though I can't eat them. I've lost 44lbs and have another 67 to go. I had bloomed up to 256 which was bad being 5'3. Now I weigh 212lbs.

I cook all the time now. I love it. I make all kinds of dishes even though I can't eat them because of the diet. I have to say that the site Hexamgirl(thank you) posted Recipezaar: Where the World's Recipes Are has been such a joy to me. I've made so many things from there now. My family love you guys for it. LOL.

I just have to say that all my dusty cookbooks-I have tons are now gleaming and I've been pouring over them. I love having found my joy again. I feel like I've gotten in touch with an old friend again and some of the sadness I have had about not having many friends here has gone because I have a hobby again and I have made some friends that I hope continues after Lighter Life.
 
Welcome.....I wish I could cook...I was brought up on basic rations, my father would buy himself lovely food but myself and my brothers were brought up on fish fingers, burgers, mash or chips.....thyen if he was in a good mood he would let us have shepherds pie.
Well as this is all I have ever seen being cooked this is the rough limit of my skills.
I would love to be able to cook nice healthy meals for me and my boys when I get to goal.
 
Hiya
first of all just wanted to say 'Happy Birthday' :p

Its great to hear that you have made some discoveries about yourself whilst on the lighterlife programme :p You'll be able to enjoy tasting some of those receipes, all in moderation of course once you're done with the programme;) although of course management is for life!

Hope you're having a nice day
love
geri
x
 
Happy birthday and well done on the weight loss so far! Great that you're enjoying cooking and you'll not be far from munching some stuff yourself! Keep on going & welcome!
 
Happy Birthday Scooper

I hope you've had a lovely day. Well done on seeing why you eat and also how you can cook, enjoy cooking and not have to eat it. You're doing brilliantly :)

Cath
 
Well done and happy birthday scooper. I really enjoyed reading your piece, very inspirational. One thing I have always wanted to know though, what is cornbread and how easy is it to make? I have only ever seen it on american tv shows and it sounds lovely.
 
Happy Birthday Scooper :party0016:

Good to meet another taurean (mines on sunday). Great post, I really hope that you get back into your love of cooking (a taurean trait I think) - I too find myself mooching through cook books looking at all the healthy food I can eat when I am in management.

Have a fabulous birthday!
Johnny :D
 
Thanks everyone for your well wishes :). I've had a very lovely and quiet day. I'm saving all my partying for Vegas in July!

I'm definitely making healthier food for the family and loving every single moment of it. I have that website Recipezaar: Where the World's Recipes Are that I use for things as I mentioned earlier and it's the best recipe website I have ever come across.

The best way I can explain cornbread to you is to quote wikipedia:
"Cornbread or Johnny cake is a generic name for any number of quick breads (a bread leavened chemically, rather than by yeast) containing cornmeal. As maize (also known as corn) is native to North America, it is not surprising that the various kinds of cornbreads are more prevalent in the New World. However, in Italy, the corn-based mush known as polenta is sometimes fashioned into a fried form resembling cornbread."

I don't know how to put picture on here but they do have a great one so that you can actually see it.
 
Happy Birthday scooper!

Happy Birthday to you!

I hope you had a wonderful day and all the best for the year ahead.



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I have just noticed you are in stapleford Nottingham....I was born and lived in nottingham for all my life.....though not really missing the place but my brothers and friends.
I love Plymouth though and would not move back.
 
Thanks for the rep comment...I LOVE corn bread! I used to work for an Americal family who came from buffalo & texas...when we went to Dallas had THE best ever take out chicken, mash, corn & corn bread with gravy...seriously yummy & never been beaten!! Have bookmarked the reipe site as loks great. I too love cooking but loathe cooking for 1!! Its quite nice being on LL and not having to even think of food and as I live on my own the whole house is empty of any food!!
 
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