Caloric Intake

I am attempting to consume 2500 calories per day in an effort to maintain my current weight while breast feeding. What I am finding is that, even trying, eating more than 2000 calories is really hard! Even on days where I eat breakfast, second breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, and dessert on top of snacking.

5/21/2013
Calories total: 2287
Calories after breastfeeding: 1787

5/22/2013
Calories total: 1849
Calories after breastfeeding: 1339

5/23/2013
Calories total: 2338
Calories after breastfeeding: 1838

5/24/2013
Calories total: 2387
Calories after breastfeeding: 1887

5/25/2013
Calories total: 1944
Calories after breastfeeding: 1444

5/26/2013
Calories total: 1486
Calories after breastfeeding: 986

5/27/2013
Calories total: 1750
Calories after breastfeeding: 1250

In a roughly a week I did not manage to meet my goal of 2500 calories a single time. In fact, I even managed not/barely to break 1000 on a few occasions. Ugh! And I'm not a health nut eating only fat free sugar free bird food. My diet consists of meat and cheeses and even fast food. How the hell do people manage to eat more than 2000 calories by accident?

Example Meal Plan:

Breakfast
2 servings of oatmeal
1 serving of Chai latte

Second Breakfast
1 serving of waffles with butter and maple syrup
1 serving of chocolate milk

Brunch
An everything Bagel with cream cheese

Lunch
Grilled cheese sandwich on buttermilk bread

Dinner
1 1/2 servings of pork potstickers
1 serving of white rice
2 servings of sugar snap peas

Dessert
1 coconut popsicle

Snacks
1-2 servings pita chips with hummus
1-2 servings of rice cakes
4 servings of Fig Newtons

Memorial Day

Thank you, for everything.

Mother's Day

In honor of Mother's Day, my favorite pictures of my mom!

Her smile here makes me so happy.

It's the 80's, as if our hair didn't say as much.

She's having trouble reaching the top!

I'm not supposed to post this on Myface (aka The Internet).

Margarita Ville, Population: 2

Cheers!

Yes, I am the whitest person in our family.

My mom is the shortest though.

We are trying really hard to be srs.

But we cannot.

She's probably telling me not to take pictures of her when she doesn't know it.

She got up at 3AM to wait at the airport with me before I went to CA for a month.

Mom and Papa, having fun.

Peace.

Her's was empty.

We are talking on the phone AND the computer. Haha.

Monkey babies.

lol.

Pffft.

Zzz.

Karaoke night!

 
I love you, Mom. Thanks for everything.

Phone Induced Anxiety

I've never been an anxious person really. However recently I have developed a severe case of phone-related anxiety. Notably when someone I care about tells me, "I need you to call me ASAP." Especially if ASAP isn't for hours or even a whole day. I just sit there imagining what tragic news they're going to break to me and eat Tums like a fat kid with a tub of M&M's.

I wasn't always like this, but this past year or so almost every time someone has said those words it has been bad news. Not even bad news, more like the worst news you can imagine at the time. To the point where hearing or reading them just sets my stomach to churning.

It could be something as benign as scheduling an impromptu lunch date with a friend who unexpectedly found themselves in the neighborhood -- but if they don't specify and just tell me to call as soon as I can, I set to panic mode. It's quite absurd, I know. It's just been programmed into me lately that an urgent need to talk is inherently going to be terrible.

Sunscreen

Studies show that the correct amount of sunscreen applied to the body for it to actually work as directed is 1 ounce. If you need a visual, that's about a shot glass of sunscreen. You're also meant to reapply it every 2 hours, regardless of whether or not you were sweating or swimming. That means if you have a 6 ounce bottle, it should only last you about 12 hours in the sun, not all season!

If you're relying on make-up as a sunscreen, you need to apply an entire teaspoon of liquid foundation for your face to gain the full benefit (who the hell wears that much foundation?!) and if you use powder you need to apply a gram of it or half a compact worth. wtf.

Now of course if you're only getting minimum exposure, and only some of you is even being directly hit by the sun, you can get away with less. If you're at the pool or the beach however, you better stock up! And remember, sun can damage your skin through clouds and glass so apply appropriately even if it's overcast or you're just spending a day at the office in front of your big picture window.

What Are You Doing Macy's?

So, Macy's, care to explain why you are charging so much more for the exact same piece of jewelry? Both are sterling silver (not gold as Macy's price might suggest) with the exact same measurements and include an 18" chain. I am very curious as to why Macy's price is so different? I understand that prices must be higher when you operate a store with an actual storefront, but marking up prices this much can only be out of greed.

Mother & Child Locket from Amazon, price includes free shipping.
List price: $50.00
Price: $25.00

Mother & Child Locket from Macy's, price does not include shipping.
List price: $150.00
Sale price: $79.00

Even their sale price is absurd. Looking through a few of their other listings reveal a lot of other questionable things. Suchas silvertone and plated jewelry starting at $45.00, I'm sorry but at that price you can get actual silver elsewhere. The whole thing seems intentionally misleading. Anyone who trusts an old name like Macy's may not realize how important it is to shop around, and may not read the fine print to realize they're not in some cases buying actual precious metals.

It's no secret that Macy's is a pricey place to shop, but prior to this I thought it was due to quality. It used to be that way. However if I can buy things made by the exact same designer, in the exact same condition, with the exact same materials, for less than half the price basically anywhere else... what the shit, Macy's?

Creating a Nemesis

If you believe your life so mundane or inconsequential that you require an adversary, I feel bad for you. If in your need for a nemesis you are willing to take an innocent person and cast them in the role of villain, you aren't a good person. In fact, I'd go so far as to say you're a remarkably bad person.

Georg Simmel once said, "nothing unites a nation, or any group of people for that matter, quite like having a common enemy," I don't think however that he meant for you to make one up. I definitely don't think he meant for you to make up several just so you can move from one to the next without pause. That's just unhealthy in a you-need-a-psychologist way. Perhaps even in a you-need-to-be-medicated way.

You may feel more important for a day, perhaps even a week or two, but in the end you are still alone. Your life is still mundane; you still feel inconsequential. And the object of your undeserved malice? Their frustration and bewilderment has faded and they've moved on with their life. Creating enemies for yourself is a band-aid, but you're still bleeding out.

What you need to do is take a step back and review your life and your choices and try to discover the underlying issue. Else, your life will be filled with enemies, but you'll never find fulfillment. Any friendships you do have will continue to be fleeting and about as deep as a puddle.