Hello. My name is Rachel. And I'm addicted to rice.

Not that I'm someone who always throws down the 'Asian Card' (okay, so maybe I do if it works) but this girl has GOT to have her rice. And no, I don't want the brown stuff, I want the good stuff. I want the simple, basic, sticky, or not, delicious, fabulous, meal-in-its-self, good, old, white rice.

And since I'm Korean, I think that means I'm allowed to have it ... right?

I mean, if everyone over in the motherland gets to have it at every meal, shouldn't I? Just because my zip code isn't the same, doesn't mean that my ethnic roots knows that fact ... right?

So I'm guessing that the big difference between me and them (those distant relatives that live beyond the sea) is a little thing known as PORTION CONTROL. I'm actually kicking myself now that I didn't bring back one of those little metal rice bowl & lid sets when I was in Korea. I think that would have been a great way to start off my portion control of rice. And yes, I would jam pack that baby as tight as I could with rice. Until I can acquire one of those nifty bowls, I guess I'll have to settle with a measuring cup. Which obviously will work even better, it just won't be as cute.

And why am I obsessing about rice? Well, it has a lot to do with my day today.

I started off good again. Had my oatmeal, and even followed it up with some hard boiled egg whites (thank goodness I hate the yokes - I always have - but I love the white part boiled) for protein. I even  pushed my 40+lbs of kiddos in the stroller for just over a mile. For lunch I was planning on having the same salad I made yesterday. So when lunch time rolled around, I went to pull out the chicken I saved from the night before. Except I couldn't find it. Seriously. Like it was NO WHERE in the frig. 

So I get stressed. I'm not good at 'pre-planning' and I thought I had planned ahead by setting aside the chicken. I call the husband at work thinking he snagged my chicken, which of course he denies. And of course I just get more frustrated that I can't find my stupid chicken. 

Now let me explain a bit more about what was going on in my house. Today of all days, I decided to transition my son to one nap (vs two). This kid is keeping me on my toes. He puts EVERYTHING in his mouth. He finds things that I had no idea existed and tries to eat them. And once you put him in his chair, he wants food, and he wants it quick. If you don't feed him immediately, he'll scream. Since I nixed the morning nap, I didn't have my normal 'alone time' to prep the his lunch. Also, when he's done eating, he.is.done. Which means he'll start screaming again. So I have to get everything prepped (his, mine, my daughter's) for lunch before he gets in that chair. Trying to juggle getting 3 separate lunches made and stopping the boy from choking on foreign objects, is nothing short of chaotic for me. 

So once I get him in his chair and serve him his appetizer of Cheerios, I go to the frig and pull out the easiest and quickest thing I can find. Which is white rice and this thing my Mom made. My Grandma made it up and they called it 'Chopped Suey' (I don't even know how to spell it). Anyway, there's not much to it, but I do know there's soy sauce, some beef, mung bean sprouts, celery? I don't know, but you put it over rice.  So I added some more bean sprouts to it and heated it up. 

Granted, I knew that the salt content was probably high, but the calories couldn't be that high. But the amount of rice I used was way over any typically suggested portion size. So that's when I identified one of many problems I have. PORTION CONTROL and RICE. 

I'll save you the play by play, but for dinner the husband picked up Chipotle. I had a burrito bowl that was rice, cheese, carnitas, lettuce and then I added tomato and peas (I bet you weren't expecting that last one). I went online and checked out the 'nutritional value' and of course it was higher than what I wanted to be eating. I was going to bake some chicken I had bought the other day, but when I took it out I realized it was 'past due'. And it was past any sort of window of time that you think you might get away with cooking it.

So to sum it up, I ate some good, but mostly bad, but I did get out and exercise. 

Oh - and does anyone have any suggestions for portion control for me? What is the most amount of rice I can get away with eating PER MEAL. I know, pathetic that I'm already trying to push the limits, but there is no way I can go cold turkey on my rice consumption. 

And on a random note:

these are my shoes which are on my feet.

and I'm planning on them taking me through my journey.

and I'm hoping that they looked trashed when I'm done. 

because right now, they still look new, even though they're not. 

*** I also wanted to say that I soooo appreciate all of the support you guys have already given me. I can't begin to tell you how much it means. Your words of encouragement actually make me feel like I can do this. Like when I coveted the tootsie roll I let my daughter have. I just left it at coveting, and I didn't turn it into stealing, which in the past, I may have done. Also, any suggestions/ideas/advice that you may feel like sharing - PLEASE DO! I'm so open to hearing everything and I know that I really do take to heart all that you share. I didn't respond specifically to 'comments' today, but from now on I will. I appreciate that you take the time to let me know your thoughts. 

And to those who have shared with me that you may have a pound or two to lose as well (both on here, and privately) please know that you can use this blog too! If it encourages you to 'check in daily' with what you accomplished  - use the comment section as your own form of accountability. I'll be doing my weigh-ins every Sunday morning. I want this blog to be a tool to help anyone who wants to use it! ***