Are People Really That Stupid, Or Is It Just Wishful Thinking?

I love MFP, I really do. I've made some wonderful friends there, and I am the first to admit that without their support, and the accountability that MFP gives me, I'm not sure I'd have shed my excess weight. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I wouldn't have started running or doing 30DS, were it not for MFP, and I absolutely would not now be thinking about P90x. I should point out that I am only thinking about it at the moment....but it's a start!

But oh my goodness...some of the people on there (who are not my friends, I hasten to add), are barking so misguided! A couple of weeks ago, someone claimed to have been told by their doctor that when you lose weight it's because the fat comes out of your body... in your urine! She attempted to explain the 'science' behind it, and even said it had happened to her. Then you have all the people who swear that if you inject a pregnancy hormone into yourself (or have it in drop form), you only have to eat 500 calories a day, and you'll be super-healthy and slim! And let's not forget everyone who cannot grasp simple physics - that if you have two things which weigh the same as each other, one cannot be heavier! Oh, and while I am on a roll....

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html

Hyperosmia post update!

Just a quick note to say that following my blog about hyperosmia, I was contacted by well-respected US journalist, Deborah Lee, who along with her colleague, Katie Gilbert, is writing a research piece about the condition. After several emails back and forth, I was interviewed via Skype last week!

We had a really interesting chat, during which time we both came up with several new ideas and theories. It was both refreshing and stimulating. Also interesting was that she said several doctors have debunked the claim that certain hyperosmians can 'smell through buildings' (for want of a better expression), yet I can, and the journalist said that she'd interviewed other people who can as well. We don't imagine these things! So much for expert medical opinion! I'm not saying that their opinions are invalid, but they are just that, opinions, not statements of fact. Perhaps once the condition is better understood, these doctors might revise their views!

Anyway, I am going to be kept in the loop regarding the research, and was asked if I'd be happy to give further interviews, to which I readily agreed. The more is known about this condition, the better, as far as I am concerned. They are also going to let me read the final piece - I'm really looking forward to it!

Oh, for the love of Whedon....would someone please just give me a job?!

I'm really not someone who is given to whining, and I'm rarely the kind of person who lets things get on top of them but honestly, I'm starting to feel rather fed up and demotivated by this whole job-hunting malarkey.

Please click here for image source  

YOU are what's wrong!

I am so tired of the constant whining by people about how all the ills of their lives are the fault of someone or something else. This morning on MFP, I came across a post by someone, blaming the US celebrity cook, Paula Deen, for making Americans fat and giving the nation diabetes! I should warn you now that there's a very scary Photoshopped image of Ms Deen on the home page!

Not examples of Ms Deen's recipes - just a load of high-fat foods, courtesy of the National Cancer Institute

Curvy Women/Real Women....Oh, Please!

So this year's hotly-debated topic on MFP is shaping up to be 'curvy'. Have we finally moved beyond all the HCG, ToM, muscle/fat weight, and starvation mode arguments, and replaced them with intense debates about curvy and real women? Already I am sick of seeing 'curvy' topics showing up on my home page (and I am sick of seeing it spelled 'curvey')! Who cares? If people want validation for their outward appearance, perhaps they should be looking within - it really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, surely?

What saddens me the most is that instead of sticking together and being supportive, women now seem to be taking a stance against each other. And the irony is that despite their claims to the contrary, if they had the bodies of 'not real women', I very much doubt they'd be looking at pictures of overweight women, wishing they looked like them.

Original image credits unknown

Because we all love a cat in a box.....

It's true - the internet is full of images and videos of cats in boxes. Forget porn, comedy moggies are the true reason the internet was invented!

Anyway, please bear with me...I'll get to the cat-in-a-box in a minute....

I'm 3lbs down since Jan 1st, which means that since October (when I got sick), I have gained 6lbs. Porca puttana! 

I'm not sure that's entirely accurate however because my scales have been rather temperamental for the past few months (even with a new battery) - I have to bash them a bit to make them work...which is probably not good for them! I think they are still under guarantee, so I shall see if the manufacturer will make good on it. Plus (and this may be TMI, for which I apologise profusely), I'm having 'digestive issues' right now, so perhaps that's a contributing factor too. It might be time to up my daily dose of aloe vera, and eat more live yoghurt...I'm feeling very bloaty and whale-like right now.

Recipe/Ricetta - Cauldron Curry

Yes, I really do cook curry in a cauldron! It's very good for outdoor gatherings such as the Summer Solstice party we had at the permaculture farm my friends and I worked on a couple of years ago...

And yes, that's an earth oven too - we have made some fantastic pizza in there!

Introverts....and the lies people tell about us!

Via my lovely chum Kirsty's blog, The Leopard Anchor, I came across Carl King's blog post about the myths of introversion...and nodded in agreement with everything he wrote. And smiled. A lot!

Here are his 10 myths - but do go and read the rest of his blog post, especially if like me, you are one of the 25% of the population who is introverted/introspective...which frankly, is a very good thing in my opinion. I wouldn't want to be any other way. And neither would amato mio, who is also one of the few! As are the majority (if not all) of my friends.

Recipe/Ricetta - Melanzane al Forno con Pecorino (Parmigiana)

This rich, tomato-ey, cheesy oven-baked food just may be my most favourite dish in the entire world, and I suppose it's considered by my friends and family to be my signature dish. It's not remotely Venexiano however; both Campania and Sicilia claim it for their own....but since Campania was formerly part of il Regno di Sicilia, this is not surprising. For me, this is the ultimate comfort food!

It is popularly known as Parmigiana Melanzane, which most non-Italians erroneously believe comes from the use of the hard cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano. However, the name actually reflects the arrangement of the melanzana; since each slice slightly overlaps the previous, it resembles the slats on a wooden shutter. In dialetto siciliano, 'parmiciana' means 'wooden shutter slats', while 'palmigiana' is the shutter itself. Parmigiana is merely a corruption of these words, and nothing to do with the cheese. In addition, Parmigiano-Reggiano comes from the northern Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna & Lombardia, so it's highly unlikely that it would form part of a southern culinary tradition!

Who says cookery is not educational?!

Crafty Photo Scavenger Hunt: December 2011

In a departure from the usual food and fitness talk, I am taking part in the Crafty Photo Scavenger Hunt, which this month is hosted by the lovely Emma over at The Gift Shed (do take a look at her amazing work while you're there!). Admittedly, I should have blogged this at the end of December, not the beginning of January; despite putting a reminder on my calendar for the 30th, I still completely forgot! Fortunately Emma sent me a reminder, saying I had until the end of this week! Phew! Thanks, Hedgie!

New Year - Old Routine!

Back on track today: I gained a couple of pounds between December 19th and today but since I currently have The Attack of the 50ft Hormones, it could be that, and not nomming and quaffing, which is responsible....although I doubt it! Hard to tell when I haven't actually weighed myself for two weeks.