Megan Bostic's Blog, page 5

The Hollywood Double Standard

Maggie GyllenhaalMaggie Gyllenhaal was recently told that she was too old to play the lover of a 55 year old man.
She's 37. It's a never ending trend in Hollywood that men get lead rolls well into their *cough* senior years, while as women age, their choice of rolls get smaller and smaller.

A quote by Lillian Gish, "Lionel Barrymore first played my grandfather, later my father, and finally he played my husband. If he'd lived I'm sure I'd have played his mother. That's the way it is in Hollywood. The men get younger, the women get older."

This has been detailed in Vulture.com, but I'll do a little summary of their findings.

Denzel Washington: Ages were fairly close in Mo' Better Blues (35), Malcolm X (37) and The Preacher's Wife (41), then as he ages, his love interests get younger. He Got Game, he was 43, his love interest Milla Jovovich was 22. Training Day, 46 to Eva Mendez's 27. Deja vu, 51 to Paula Patton's 30. That's just naming a few, but the trend is the same.

Harrison Ford: The difference in age for Mr. Ford starts as early back as Empire Strikes Back with him at age 37 and Carrie Fisher 23. From there his onscreen love life ranges from Sean Young at 22 (to his 39 in Bladrunner) to Virginia Madsen at 44 (63, Firewall).

Now Richard Gere has had an older love interest. Once. In 2004 with Susan Sarandon. The rest of his love interests range from 5 years younger (Debra Winger, 27, An Officer and a Gentleman) to 29 (Laetitia Casta, 34, Arbitrage).

Liam Neeson by Karen SetoOk, one more. Liam Neeson. He actually  had two older love interests. Jessica Lange and Meryl Streep, I mean, hello. Of course, that last one was back in 1996 and those two were still lead actresses at the time. Other than that, his onscreen love interests range from 5 years (Frances McDormand, 33, Darkman) to a whopping 32 years (Olivia Wilde, 29 Third Person).

The site also runs through Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Tom Hanks, Steve Carell, George Clooney, Tom Cruise. Some of them don't have huge differences and have dated older women in films, but for the most part, the trend is the opposite.

What is this teaching us about society? What is this teaching our children? Girls, you better land a man before you hit 40 because after that, you'll be lucky to find someone your own age. Boys, don't worry about your age, there will always be a woman out there for you, probably 20-30 years your junior, if you know what I mean.

Um, really?

Seriously, I think this translates to real life sometimes. When I was doing the online dating thing, most men my age were looking for women at least 10 years younger. Wow. Does that mean I have to go up 10 years to find someone to date?

There are plenty of actresses over 40 who can still carry a lead realistically get a younger guy.
Monica Belluci Monica Belucci by TsuiCameron DiazGwyneth PaltrowJulianne MooreSandra BullockCatherine Zeta JonesFramke JanssenHalle BerryJennifer AnistonJennifer ConnellyJulia RobertsMeryl StreepHelen Mirren Naomi WattsNicole KidmanSalma HayakCate BlanchettJane LynchDiane LaneJodie FosterThere are SO many more.

Lara Flynn Boyle before & after plastic surgeryIt's no wonder these already beautiful women get plastic surgery to keep up with Hollywood standards. Some of them in their 20s and 30s!  And some of these ladies look much worse for wear or totally unrecognizable. Go look up before and after pics of Daryl Hannah, Lindsey Lohan, Lara Flynn Boyle, Rene Zellwegger, Melanie Griffith, Kim Novack, Goldie Hawn...unfortunately, this list could go on and on too.

So, Hollywood is telling women that natural beauty is not enough. You need big boobs, and artificial beauty to be taken seriously. Looking at these photos, all I see is a bunch of beautiful women that now look like some semblance of the Joker - high cheeked, fat lipped clones of each other.

This trend is very sexist and is a complete double standard. Hollywood needs to stop being a bunch of mysoginistic sexists and let the ladies have some fun with a younger lover. What do they think is going to happen? Armageddon? Do they really think they're going to kill sales? Wrong. Women will eat this shit up.

Hmmm, maybe there's a book in there somewhere.

Rape Culture and the Religious Right

I'm so tired of people, mostly right wing middle aged men, trying to find the "positive" side of rape so they can advance their anti-abortion laws. Rape is a brutal, violent, traumatic crime that can leave victims with lifelong problems. There is no "positive" side.

In 2012 U.S. Senate candidate Richard Mourdock of Indiana thought that “...even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen.”

I'm pretty sure no one's God would wish that on someone.

Or how about the Former Representative  Todd Akin stating that  "...if a woman experienced a “legitimate rape” she wouldn’t get pregnant because “the female body has ways to try to shut the whole thing down.”

Hmmmm, what exactly is a legitimate rape?Are there different levels? This one is implausible, this one absolutely fake, this one is invalid...Really? 
Washington Congressional candidate John Koster noted on what he called the "rape thing," "...how does putting more violence onto a woman's body and taking the life of an innocent child that's a consequence of this crime, how does it make it better?"
First, "rape thing" sounds like he doesn't even believe the crime exists. Secondly...I don't know, how about ridding yourself of the reminder of being brutally violated instead of having to carry it every day for the next nine months? I think that makes it better.
Photo by Gage SkidmoreAnd we all know good old Mike Huckabee, right? Well, "Ethel Waters (who is a singer by the way), for example, is the result of forcible rape."
Wow. Okay, firsts off, like "legitimate rape" is there any other kind of rape than "forcible?"  Of course, that doesn't matter because you've sold me. I won't abort my rape baby because it could become famous! (I have no idea who Ethel Waters is).Representative hopeful Tom Smith compared having a rape baby to having a baby out of wedlock because, "Yes, it is similar."O.oAnd oh, good lord, is this a good one. "The facts show that people who are raped - who are truly raped (againt, "truly" raped. WTF?) - the juices don't flow, the body functions don't work, and they don't get pregnant." - former Representative Henry Aldridge.
I would like to see these "facts." Were they published in a medical journal? Complete bullshit.
"As long as it's inevitable, you might as well lay back and enjoy it." Another former Representative contender, Clayton Williams, comparing rape to the weather.Let's see if you would be able to "lay back" or in your case "bend over" and enjoy it if it were you.
And just recently, "Obviously rape is awful. What is beautiful is the child is that could come from this." Delegate Brian Kurcaba.
There are SO MANY MORE! Some from women. This disgusts me. The ignorance these politicians display is truly sickening. Here is a site that has some posted.
I'm so happy that many of these people are no longer in Congress or lost their bids. These are not the people that should represent us, especially women.
There is nothing "beautiful" about rape. Not even a baby conceived as the result. It's violent. It's traumatic. It's an invasion, an assault, a desecration of the female body.  Forcing a woman to carry the reminder around for nine months would be agonizing, tortuous, and morbid.  There would be mental and emotional consequences for the rape victim, again, probably life long.
What if the victim is a child herself? 17, 15, 13? You want a child having to bear that responsibility? What if it were your daughter? Or, what about a baby conceived as a result of incest? What then? Should we just expand the family tree?
These politicians have no way of stepping into the victims shoes to see the damage a forcible pregnancy would cause. So why should they have the right to determine what choices we make with regard to the fetus?I'm not for or against abortion, I'm pro-choice. I think abortion should be available for those who choose that option.  You could be a child, impoverished, too old, your health is at risk, a victim of rape or incest - the reason shouldn't matter. I will say that I do not think it's a good alternate to birth control. If you're having sex, you should be protecting yourself. But the fact is that people don't, and who am I to tell them what they can and cannot do with their bodies. 
If I was a rape victim, I would more than likely choose abortion. I have enough problems, mentally, financially, physically...I don't need to add another to my plate. You may not agree with my opinion, but I expect you to recognize that it is mine. I own it.
My life. My body. My choice.

Since I blogged about Thing Two yesterday...

Yes, I don't want to show favoritism, as both my daughters are cool, talented, beautiful and annoying. So today I'm writing about my older daughter, Mary. Mary isn't "classically" cool. She's funny, fun, friendly, goofy, a little on the airheaded side (sometimes I wonder if it's real of fake). This makes her incredibly likable. I can't say I appreciate her taste in music, but I'm sure a lot of people do. 
Her talent lies in soccer. At one point, I didn't think she'd excel in the sport. She was shy and lackedconfidence. She was a defender at first, and she got better. When she expressed a desire to play up front, I told her, "You have to prove to your coach that you can do it. You have to be aggressive and fight for the ball." The next practice, she did just that. She moved from defense to forward and in the next years she became one of the team's top scorers.

Now she's an excellent team player. Put her up front, she can score. She weaves in and out of players so smoothly she makes it look easy. I think her real talent lies in the midfield. She has a strong foot and can move the ball forward. Her passes are spot on. Plus, she can shoot for the goal from that position if she's open. I love watching her play. She's dedicated too. She eats fairly well, never misses practice, and exercises outside of practice. At her last physical, her doctor told her she was "pure muscle."





Let's talk about beauty. Mary is beautiful, there is no question. She has a confidence that I wish all teenage girls possessed. Her hair is always done when she goes out, unless she's going to work out. She dresses impeccably, when she's not in soccer shorts. And like I said, she's fit.





 There 's more though. You may not know it by looking at her, because she looks like any other popular girl, but she's as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She's sweet, kind and thoughtful.

Now for the annoying part. She usually doesn't complain when I ask her to do chores, but it sometimes may take a day...or two...or three...or a week. She constantly has friends over and I can never enjoy my TV room when she's home (because she's bingewatching Gossip Girl or Vampire Diaries, or something similar). She is an exhibitionist to a fault. That's all I'll say about that.

She's really a loving person. She visits her grandparents. She misses me when we've not seen each other in a couple days and tells me so. She also tells me she loves me every day. She helps me when she knows I'm struggling. We talk to each other about everything. 

There you are Mary. No need to be jealous of your sister now. Love you girl.

Blog me

"What should I blog about today?"

I posed this question to my daughter as she walked out the door for school today. She said, "Blog about me."

"What should I talk about?"

"How cool I am. How talented I am. How beautiful I am. How annoying I can be. How humble I am." Okay, I made up that last one.

She told me about Childish Gambino. I'd never heard of him. If you haven't, apparently he is a comedic rapper/singer. I watched a couple videos and...it's funny. He raps silly shit, but it makes sense, in a way, I mean, hard to explain. Here's some lyrics.

This one is from Sweatpants:

Hip deep in the Pepto, I got five on her like Ben Folds
I got more tail than that PetCo, you faker than some Sweet'N Low
Yeah, you got some silverware, but really are you eating though?

Here is some from Freaks and Geeks (warning, nasty nasty lyrics):

 Gambino is a mastermind, fuck a bitch to pass the time
Mass Appeal, orange rind, smoke your green, I'm spendin' mine
The beat is witches brew, but beware this shit is potent
E.E. cummin' on her face, now that's poetry in motion.

In his songs you can tell, or at least I can, or maybe I'm imagining it, what rappers he's making a parody of. But he does it so subtly, it's genius. He got his name from the Wu Tang Clan name generator. By the way, mine is Mad Scientist and Rachel's is Master Destroyer.

So, my daughter, Rachel, she introduces me to new things. New music, videos, interesting people. She's cool like that. She has great taste in music. I remember her first favorite band was the Beatles (she still likes them). She listens to many different genres, hip hop, rap, rock, alternative, indie...She plays songs that she's discovered for me all the time. She keeps a poetry notebook. She likes to draw.  She loves photography. She has many unique and different likes in this world.

Rachel is uber talented. Her talents began with sports. She could probably have played any sport she
wanted, but we put her in soccer and basketball. I don't know basketball very well, but I think her position was guard? She brought the ball down the court, great at passing. She was also a great shooter, but she was short. Get her at the free throw line though...golden.

She was an awesome keeper in soccer. I've seen that girl stop goals that looked impossible. From the time she was in about 3rd grade on, that girl was a menace on the field. Also, she could play any position on the field. The last year she played, she was reluctant. But I was coaching so I talked her into it. Her usual position, if not keeper, was defense. She had a great foot and could clear that ball with no problem. Same at midfield. Her passes were so accurate!! And she could score. She'd
sometimes get frustrated on the field and say she didn't want to go back in. I gave her a pep talk and told her exactly what I wanted her to do. Sometimes it was to  pass it up to the forwards. Other times, I would tell her to take it as close to the goal as possible and shoot. Other times (depending on team and keeper we were playing) I'd tell her to shoot when she got close to the 18. She had a strong foot, her shots were great and she wasn't afraid to shoot. I think she was my 3rd highest scorer that last year.

Her interests turned to music however. I was sad to see her quit soccer, but her musical talents rivaled her athletic ability. I put her in lessons for guitar and voice. Very soon, her teacher had her playing keyboards/piano and drums. One day she came home and said, "I need a bass."

Um...huh? "I'm in a band now. I'm the bass player."

"Do you know how to play bass?"

"I'm learning."

I think you could stick any instrument in that girl's hand and she could figure out how to play it. She even played the cello at an acoustic performance.

So, in this band she played mostly bass and  a little rhythm guitar. She also has a beautiful voice. She sang on some of their songs. And she writes originals. She fucking rocks.

At her high school, she's in both Jazz Choir and Concert Choir. Her Jazz Choir just took a gold medal at a competition in Seattle last month.

Okay, let's talk about her beauty. Yes, I think she's beautiful. Obviously the boys do too as she usually has a string of them waiting to be her next boyfriend.












 



 And she just recently went from long  hair to short. I was worried, but when she came home, it really did suit  her.

And yes, she's annoying. She's about the worst cleaner in the world (but the best mess maker). She doesn't always get her homework in on time. She's not found a job. She rolls her eyes when I ask her to do chores. But this is only a small part of who she is.

My daughter is cool and talented and beautiful. She walks to the beat of her own drum. She doesn't care about trends when it
comes to music, clothes. She doesn't care how people view her as long as she has friends and is happy. In many ways, she is my mini me.

So here you go Rachel. Here's your blog. You know I'm going to have to write about your sister tomorrow now.

Love you girl.

Well, it's 40 below and I don't give a...

Me, Jordan, & DeannIf you don't recognize what my title is in reference to, it's lyrics from the Rodeo Song. Look up the entire lyrics for a laugh, but only if you're not offended by swearing and inappropriate content. It's hilarious.

I use the song for my title because this last weekend I went to my first rodeo. The reasoning behind my traveling five hours away in a camper to a dust bowl filled with all the animals I'm allergic to is two-fold. 1. One of my best friend's daughter does rodeo. I've been wanting to watch her for awhile and rodeo season is almost over. 2. I've been thinking about writing a book about rodeo life. My friend, her name is Deann, moved to Wyoming way back after graduating college. She lived there for 20 years and now she's back in my hood, like, literally, she lives about a minute away from me.
This was the real traffic on our way out of town
On very very long drive, she and daughter, Jordan, schooled me on rodeo phrases, events, etc. I diligently took notes in a small notebook. During the rodeo, I continued to take notes and pictures so when I write this book, I can make it as authentic as possible.

Rodeo is an eye-opening adventure. You really have no idea about the skill, the danger, and the environment as a whole until you experience it, full force. Here is a run down of events:

Barrel Racing - This is done by females. They race their horses around three barrels in a clover pattern. Bareback and Saddlebronc - Males ride bucking horses until they fall off or reach 8 seconds. One with saddles, one without. Bull RidingBull riding - Males ride bucking bull until they fall off or reach 8 seconds. With this and the Bareback and Saddlebronc, they are scored by certain actions they do while riding. That's how they get different scores.Tie Down Roping - Males chase a calf, rope it, I hate to use the word throw but I don't know how else to say it...they throw the calf to the ground, and have to tie three legs together, The ties have to last for 6 seconds to get scored.Breakaway - This is the females version of Tie Down, however the girls only have to rope the calf, then the rope between the calf and their horse "breaks away." The time stops after the rope breaks.Steer Wrestling - Males chase a steer on their horse, when they're next to it, they lean over and grab it and leave their horse, then they wrestle it to the ground. They have to have all four Steer Wrestlinglegs in the air for time to stop.Team Roping - There are two riders, can be all females, all males or one of each. They chase a calf. One of them ropes the horns, after that is accomplished, the other ropes the back legs. Goat Roping or Goat Tying - This is a female event. Same as Tie down for the men, I think. I never got to see this event. Pole Bending - Same as Barrel Racing except instead of racing around barrels, the contestants weave in and out of 6 poles.I'm not the biggest animal lover, but I don't want harm to come to them either. I was assured that the animals used don't really feel the pain it appears they are enduring. Cows have a lot of fat on them, so when they're laid on the ground, it doesn't really hurt. They put protective gear on their heads during the roping events.  To make the horses and bulls buck, a strap is placed around their flank area, which is uncomfortable, but not painful (which is better than what I was led to believe, that their balls were cinched up). I was also told that when they're not doing rodeo, these animals are spoiled and have great lives. I hope this is the case.

Jordan competes in Breakaway and Team Roping.
Jordan doing Breakaway Jordan & Team Rope Partner Jacob










It's not easy. You can probably tell that from the pictures. In fact, many of the riders don't get times at all because they fail in their tasks. Bull, Saddlebronc, and Bareback riders don't get a time if they don't last 8 seconds. Pole Benders and Barrel Racers don't get time if their horse goes off course. Those who do Breakaway and the Tie Down events don't get a time if they fail to rope, their rope comes off, or they don't finish in the allotted amount of time (latter is for team rope only).

In Jordan's events only 9 out of 26 got times for Team Roping and 11 of 35 for Breakaway.

The Rodeo World is pretty tight. These same kids compete at the same rodeos all over the state. So they all know each other. Cliques form  just like with any other environment, and the kids are in competition, so there's bound to be conflict. The parents all seemed friendly and supportive, and there were many tight knit groups. It was a positive atmosphere.

Aside from learning rodeo skills, these kids are taught responsibility and manners as well. They were all very polite, they treated their horses well. It was up to them to feed and water them and clean the stalls when it was all over.

Our home for the weekend.I enjoyed the rodeo. It was interesting. It was fun to be a part of that environment for the weekend. Even staying in the camper was a blast, though close quarters. Over the weekend I was able to plot out some of the storyline of my rodeo book.

I think I'm going to go back with them in two weeks, when the kids compete for state championships. I'd like to see what it's like for these kids to win or lose.

4 years

Last night I came to a realization. I was looking through this blog of mine, for what I don't remember, but I was scanning through posts past. I came across one about the tornado book. I noted the date. It was 4 years ago!

I can't believe I started writing that back in 2011. That means I've not touched any other manuscript since then.

I'm absolutely melancholy over this. I mean, granted, I've been busy. Never Eighteen came out, then I released Dissected, but that was a year and a half ago!!!

So now I'm determined. I NEED to finish revisions on the football book and decide whether I'm going to query it out or self pub. I'd sure like to get another book  traditionally published, but my GOD, the process takes so long. I mean, either way takes a long time, but we're talking 2 years for traditional, whereas I could probably get it out by the end of the year *fingers crossed.*

Ugh. Where does the time go.?

Whole 30: Day 5 - How I get by

I'm still supposed to want to "Kill All The Things," but I still don't. That's a good thing. However, I think I may feel myself slipping right into "For the Love of Gosling..." A little bloat in other words.  I still feel good though. I went to bed WAY late last night, but still woke about around 6:30 feeling pretty well rested.

I've been exercising too...again...finally. I really love the way I feel right now. I'm happy, clear-headed. I like the idea of getting healthy again and love seeing all those nutritious foods in my fridge.

A challenge


It's the weekend. Which for me usually means going out at least one night (which I won't be doing), and watching Game of Thrones at my friend Heidi's house where we usually eat a fabulous dinner and drink wine. I'm still going to Heidi's house, but I told her I would have to bring dinner for us so I could stick with my program. And I'll be bringing a sparkling water mocktail. And Thank God GOT is on at 6 and I can just watch and go (well, not rudely, but you know, I won't be staying and drinking wine for hours before the show starts like

AND A SPIDER JUST CRAWLED ACROSS MY TABLE!!! I had to shove things on the floor to knock him off!


Okay, sorry, what was I saying? Oh yeah, like we did with The Walking Dead. So, that's how I plan to stick to the program.

Here are a couple...I don't know what to call them, they're not cheats because I'm not cheating on the program...tricks? Wait, I'm going to come up with a good name for them. Talk amongst yourselves, BRB...

The Whole 30 Megan Method, or  TW3MM.
Yes, I know, I'm a dork.Huh? What do you think?

Anyway...

I eat on a salad plate instead of a dinner plate. The other day, I was wavering between coffee with coconut oil or coconut milk. I've decided to go with the coconut milk. The taste is pretty bland for both, but the  milk doesn't have that oily texture that kind of made me want to barf. Anyway, blend the milk with your coffee in your Magic Bullet or Blender. It blends it really well and you get a nice frothy head that makes you feel like you're drinking cappuccino.My go-to spices: Fresh ground pepper, sea salt, garlic powder. After that base, you can add anything. Last night I added rosemary to my chicken. You could do curry for spice, red pepper flakes or cayenne for heat,etc, etc.If you don't want to fork out the cash for Tessamae's salad dressing and you get tired of oil and vinegar, do hot sauce. Many of them are Whole 30 approved. I like Tapatio. Make sure you read the book, It Starts With Food, or check labels before using hot sauces.I think I may have mentioned this the other day, but go to your store's discount meat section. I've found awesome deals on the London broil (which was grass fed), other grass fed meats, seafood (which is soooo expensive these days). It makes a big difference and you usually have a day or two to cook it. The other day I talked about my vegetable go-packs. If you're going somewhere and you know you may not be able to eat for awhile, take one with you. Or if you get hungry between meals, these packs will already be ready so you don't have to think about it, make something, or make a bad choice.I use leftovers in the next day (or two or threes) meals. Like the London broil I had the other night, I've been using in salads for lunches. The buttload of chicken I made last night I'll probably be eating in different meals through the weekend.Speaking of salads, this is a good lunch. You can mix it up with different types of proteins each © Rainer Zenz day, steak, chicken, tuna, ground turkey or beef, etc. Add your different veggies. Use different types of lettuce or spinach. Make a taco salad, or a chop salad. Mix it up. It would be hard to get tired of it (unless you hate salad, then you're on your own).Tessamae's dressing. These are really good. But they're fresh so the oil base coagulates while it's in the fridge. Take it out of the fridge 15 minutes to half hour before you  need to use it. Or a few minutes before you eat, run it under warm water.When it comes to balsamic vinegar, they are not all created equally. Vinegars have sulfites in them. Some have naturally occurring sulfites, others have added sulfites. Only buy the former. It will say right on the label in the ingredients. The bad ones will say "sulfites added" or "contains sulfites."That's all I can think of right now. 

So yesterday this is what I ate:

Breakfast
One egg with spinach and mushrooms
Pineapple and strawberries

Lunch Green salad
Leftover London Broil
Grapes
Balsamic vinegar and oil
Coconut water (I really do get tired of plain water all day, and I'd just worked out)

Dinner
Chicken thigh roasted with my basic spice mix from above and rosemary
Roasted asparagus (I like mine crispy. I know, I'm weird)

I made another mocktail for the evening. I used black cherry Arrowhead Sparkling, added frozen
berries and smooshed a fresh strawberry into it. I called it Megan's Cherry Berry Mocktail. It was okay, but not the best, and I added way too much fruit. Had to dump it down the sink.

You can really add any fruit, even to regular water to give it a nice flavor. Cucumbers are good too. I like cucumbers and lemon together, pineapple, strawberries...

On other notes, I had my unemployment appeal yesterday, so send me good vibes. I'll find out in a few days if they accepted it.

And I've put my tornado novel aside for awhile. Going to edit Girl in Motion. I need to do something different for awhile.

Happy Friday!!

Whole 30: Day 4 Kill All The Things!

Day 4 on the Whole 30 and I feel pretty good. I'm still not sleeping perfectly, but I'm rising early (like super early 5:30-6:30) feeling refreshed, which hasn't happened for a long time. And I feel slimmer. Now I may not in a few days according to the program, but for now, I do.

Today is "Kill All The Things Day" for me. So far, I don't feel like killing all the things. Of course, I haven't had my unemployment appeal ye It which takes place in 2 hours. Then we'll see if I want to kill all the things.

Let's talk coffee for a moment. Coffee is totally allowed on the Whole 30. However, anything you'd ever want to put in it is not. My friend Gae Polisner (author of books The Pull of Gravity and The Summer of Letting Go, which you should all buy) told me to try organic coconut oil in the coffee. I did that. It helped with the taste enough to drink it, but of course, there was that oiliness to it that was kind of barfable. I decided to try compliant coconut milk today. It didn't taste as good, but no oily texture. Soooo, I have no idea which I prefer. Probably the oil. I think. I think I'll have another cup and compare.

Even though you're only eating protein, fruits, veggies and fats, you still need to watch your portion size. Here is a guide (as given by the Whole 30, I didn't make this shit up).

Protein = size of your palm
Veggies = after you fill your plate with your protein, fill the rest with veggies
Fruit = I don't remember how exactly they explained it in the book, but pretty much a size you can hold in one hand with with fingers wrapped around it. Does that make sense?
Oils & Butters = Thumb size
Coconut and & Olives  = Handful
Nuts & Seeds = what you an fit in a closed handful.

If I'm explaining that horribly (which I'm pretty sure I am), they have a printout with pictures to show you. They have a lot of helpful printouts actually.

One more thing. I went to my local store to look for LaCroix so I could make the mocktails and my store only had two giant packs, lemon and grapefruit flavored. There is a store nearby that probably has more (I really wanted the coconut), but I was too tired to go there yesterday. I bought Arrowhead Sparkling (AS) instead. There are substitutes, just make sure you read the labels to ensure there are no added sugars.

So anyway, I bought AS in lemon, black cherry, and watermelon, er, I think strawberry (or kiwi, can't remember). I made the mocktail that LaCroix calls Mimi's Mimosa Mocktail.  Of course, instead of the juice, I used fresh squeezed. If you want the Cadillac of citrus juicers, get the Big Boss 8962. It juices oranges in seconds. I put orange slices in as well. It was pretty good. I changed the name of it to Megan's Marvelous Mockmosa. I bought frozen berries, oranges, lemons and limes to add. I also have kiwi and pineapple. I'm going to have a good time with these I think.

I'm going to hit the other store today and see about the other flavors.

So here's the menu from yesterday:

Breakfast
Pork sausage patty
1 egg
spinach

Lunch
Green salad with Tessamae's Balsamic dressing
Avocado (about 1/4)
Topped the salad with leftover grass fed London broil
Red grapes

 Dinner
Shrimp
Roasted sweet potatoes and brussell sprouts
(I couldn't eat it all)

The Whole 30: Day 3

I made it this far, but I feel like I can't see straight and that I got hit by a bus. So there's that. I'll
explain that in a bit.

The Whole 30. I didn't really explain it much yesterday, just that I was doing it and why. These are the basics. It's about taking foods out of your diet that have a negative impact on your well being. I'm just going to give you the skinny today. For in-depth commentary, you'll have to visit The Whole 30 website.

Don't eat sugar of any kind, real or artificial.No alcohol in any form, even for cooking.Do not eat grains.Do not eat legumes.Do not eat dairy. Do not consume carrageenan, MSG, or sulfites.Do not try to recreate baked goods, junk foods, or treats with The Whole 30 approved foods. That defeats the purpose.(There are a few exceptions, like you can use fruit juice but you can't drink it, you can only use it to sweeten things. You can use ghee or clarified butter. If you're on your death bed you can consume medication with alcohol in it, though they would want you to try to find a natural remedy first. Others you'll find at their website)You are not allowed to step on a scale or take measurements during The Whole 30. Yes. Do it before.You have to do it and be faithful to it for 30 days. If you go off, you start over. Then there are the first few days. I'm on day 3 and I'm about to explain about my first sentence in this blog.

Day 1: What's the big deal? You're feeling satisfied, it isn't hard. It's a piece of cake. You tell everyone you know about it.
Day 2 & 3: The Hangover. Yes, this is where I am. The pre-Whole 30 food bender of pizza, wine, nachos, margaritas and whatnot is hitting you where it hurts. The amount of bad you feel is proportionate to the amount of bad you ate prior to The Whole 30. Expect headaches, fatigue, and malaise, but don't give up. I took a 2 hours nap and I'm still tired. Drink some water and get through it.
Day 4 & 5: Kill All the Things: For some reason, I'm looking forward to this day. (JK) You are
overcome with the desire to punch people in the face. They have no idea why this happens, but it does. Just warn people in advance and ask forgiveness when it's over. Don't give up.
Day 6 & 7: I Just Want to Nap.  Your body is learning not to rely on those easy access energy sources like sugar and grains. Don't worry, it will learn how to give you fuel in other ways, so don't give up.
Day 8 & 9: For the Love of Gosling, My Pants Are Tighter! The process is still working, your digestion is adjusting. As your body processes this food effectively, you could experience, um, bloating, constipation, or diarrhea. Really, this phase passes quickly, so still, don't give up.
Day 10 & 11: The Hardest Days. Uh, yeah, you thought those previous 9 days were bad, I guess it's going to get worse. You'll get frustrated that the program isn't working it's "magic" yet. You're still establishing your meal routine, you'll start noticing the food you can't have, you'll see what hold food had on you. Find a way to reward yourself that doesn't include food. Yeah, you're intolerable right now, but you're closer. Don't give up.

That's all I'm going to give you. For the rest, visit this page: The Whole 30 Timeline.

So, I was going to mow my law today because I'm sure my neighbors hate me, but I'm not sure I have the energy. I think I'll try anyway.

So yesterday, this is what I ate:

Breakfast
Pork sausage patty
Mushrooms and onions
Banana

Lunch
Chicken thigh
Green salad with tomato, avocado and mushrooms
Topped with Tessamae's Lemon Garlic dressing ( only brand of dressing that's Whole 30 approved, I found it at my local store, but they also have a website. They will also tell you which of their products are Whole 30 approved)
Grapes
I tried Kombucha, but it tasted like butt, so I gave up.


Dinner
Balsamic drizzled pan-seared London Broil (OMG I got it on the "old meat" rack. It was cheap)
Roasted sweet potato wedges
Small spinach salad with tomatoes and strawberries
Topped with Tessamae's Balsamic dressing

I also get tired of drinking plain water. Sometimes I drink water with lemon, but that still gets boring. Yesterday I did this thing to the left here. I added strawberries. It was better. THEN I find out AFTER I sip the liquid of ass Kobucha (and if you see how they make it, you'll see why it tastes like ass) I find out that LaCroix bubbly goodness in every flavor is Whole 30 approved. WTF?!?

Sigh.

Going back to the store today to get some and going to try some of their Mocktails Most of them include fruit juice. Just squeeze fresh fruit into your water or use frozen or fresh fruit instead of the fruit juice.

Until tomorrow when I'll feel like KILLING ALL THE THINGS! Which really isn't so different from a normal day for me.

The Whole 30

I was going to write about the rioting in Baltimore or the Religious Bigotry, I mean Freedom Act, but I started the Whole 30 yesterday and a friend said she hoped I would blog about it. So here I am. I heard about the Whole 30 from a friend last week. She had not done it specifically, but done some Paleo eating and said she had never felt better in her life, plus she looked like she probably dropped some weight.

She used to suffer from Fibromyalgia. She said that after eating Paleo for a while, her fatigue went away and her aches and pains. She said it also helps with many other ailments, including Chronic Fatigue Syndrom (CFS) and other things we just may not like about ourselves.  If you've been reading my blog for awhile, you know that recently I was diagnosed with CFS. You also know that it took a couple years to diagnose and that I absolutely hate it. When my doctor told me I just had to live with it and learn how to love myself this way, I was like "Hell no!" So when my friend told me how it helped her, I thought I would give it a shot.

Let me say this first and foremost: The Whole 30 is not a "diet." Yes, it will probably help you lose weight, but it's more about your body, mind, and soul. This is a lifestyle change.  This is supposed to improve everything about you and make you realize that you don't need all the extras you eat and make you NOT want to go back to the way you were eating.

Now, I'm just starting, so I have no proof about this, but here is a list of only some of the things the plan can do for you according to the Whole 30:

Inner physical rewards:
 Fewer blemishesGlowing skinNo more circles under your eyesStronger nailsThicker hairFresher breath Flatter stomachDefined muscle toneLooking youngerOutward physical rewards:
Less stiff and painful jointsFewer PMS symptomsIncreased libido *cough*Less gas, bloating, heartburn, acid reflux and all the other nasty stuff that comes with a bad stomachFewer illnessesFewer allergies Less chronic fatigue (YAY!!)Less chronic painImproved blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugarEmotional rewards:

HappierMore patientLess anxiousLess stressedFewer mood swingsImproved depressionFewer sugar and carb cravingsBetter body imageMore self esteem  Brain function improvement:
Improved attention spanImproved work or school performanceImproved memoryFaster reaction timeFewer ADHD symptomsClearer thinkingI'm going to stop there because they tout SO MANY more benefits. Basically on top of all the above, you'll sleep better, have more  energy for EVERYTHING!! You will exercise more, harder and better. You will have a better relationship with food and rid yourself of cravings, emotional eating, using food as a reward, etc.

In a nutshell, you will be awesome.

For me, the physical, emotional and brain rewards are where it's at. If I can improve my energy, lessen my fatigue and allergies, and get a clearer head, I'm good to go.

So, what's involved? I will talk more about that tomorrow because this blog is getting really long. I want to tell you how my first day went.

It went fine except I didn't do proper shopping (which I highly recommend you do. Print out their shopping list and go to town) so I got a little hunger at night, but not until 8 or 9. Here's what I ate:

Breakfast
Palm sized pork sausage patty
Pineapple
I'm pretty sure I had something else, but I can't think of what it might have been.

Lunch 
Chicken thigh (I bought the kind with the bone because I'm going to make some stock out of it which you can use for the program)
Green salad with topped with hot sauce
Banana

Dinner

Grass fed Angus patty
Bed of lettuce, onion, tomato and Avocado
Pineapple (I had to finish the pineapple because it was very close to being bad).

I was fine through dinner. Not hungry at all. Then, like I said...I'm sure it's because I didn't eat any real hearty vegetables. So I'm going to pick some more up today.

I'm not really good at eating veggies. Mostly because by the time I eat I'm starving and I'm not in the mood to clip, cut, wash, etc. Probably why I've been eating popcorn the last few months for dinner. So, to help me fix that, I made these veggie packs for snacks in case I get hungry, or if I do a fail at a meal and still need my veggies. They contain radishes, mushroom, snap peas, carrots and grape tomatoes.


I will say this about yesterday, I was surprised I wasn't more hungry and I felt well rested when I woke up today. Which for me, is very good because I never sleep well, including last night. I tossed and turned a bit, but still felt really good this morning. Woke up at 6 am and stayed up. That hardly ever happens anymore.

Tomorrow I'll talk more about the program, if you want more info before them, you can always visit the Whole 30 online.