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I have previously spoken a few times about my experiences and issues with food (here and here). I talked about how I dealt with these thoughts and ideas during the beginning and end of my pregnancy. Now that our little nugget is here and I have one of those "post-baby bodies", I thought I would give an update about how I'm feeling and coping with some of these new thoughts, feelings, and body images.

Food trucks are the new craze in delicious dining in lots of cities throughout the U.S. Chicago is no exception, with the caveat that there are some strict rules in place which have made it difficult for some folks to conduct business. I've been a huge fan of this movement an have seen some delicious food trucks come and go as some found it was easier to close up shop than to deal with the regulations. There are certain food trucks that I've been following for a few years now, deliciously devoted. I never really thought that so many NEW food trucks would be popping up along the way, so I didn't really frequently check out new arrivals. The other day I came across an article talking about some of the food truck laws and it cited some new truck names that intrigued me. Thankfully with Twitter, lots of these trucks are super easy to follow.

In July, I participated in the Foodie Penpal program through The Lean Green Bean's blog. My pal Kelly had participated last month and it seemed like so much fun so I thought I would give it a try. There are a few rules (of course), but basically you are assigned someone and you send them some fun food stuff in your area. You get their email so you're able to ask them some of their food preferences as well as their address. I wanted to send my person a fun Chicago box so I had lots of fun deciding what to include.

The person that was assigned my name was Melissa and she lives in Connecticut. I've never actually been to Connecticut before so I was looking forward to experiencing some food from different parts of the US! She listened to my weird pregnancy restrictions and wishes and what she delivered was fantastic!

The contents included:

• Ranch seasoning from a local spice shop. I've already used this seasoning on vegetables and it is quite outstanding. It would probably also be good mixed with some sour cream or greek yogurt as a veggie dip. With the fresh cucumbers we have in our garden, I just might have to experiment!
• Local honey. I haven't tried this yet but I'm sure it will be amazing!
• Lemon Lime and Sarsaparilla flavored soda from a local old-time soda shop. I love that she included caffeine free options for this pregnant mama! The Lemon Lime tasted like an unfrozen freeze pop. It made me feel like I was in a diner in a movie. The husband and I enjoyed the Sarsaparilla soda last night. It tasted very similar to root beer and was a nice after dinner dessert. :)
• Tomato-basil jam. We haven't tried this yet but I imagine it would be delicious on toast with an egg breakfast. Maybe we'll open it up this weekend?
• A lovely hand-written card explaining it all!

1) I had a really fun time meeting Anne this past weekend. Our in-laws both have cottages in Michigan and it was (strangely enough) easier for us to meet up in Michigan than in Illinois. We had plans to meet at this cute old time soda shop that also sold ice cream but when we arrived, they were randomly closed. Not to worry, we looked up a local Dairy Queen to walk to and still got ourselves some delicious ice cream. :) I love meeting bloggers in real life after you feel like you already know them from the internet. It is kind of weird yet cool all at the same time. One of the many reasons I love having my blog is all of the wonderful people I have met as a result. :)


2) This "30 signs you're almost 30" article from BuzzFeed has been making its way around the internet this week. Being 29 myself, lots of these things really hit home. Click on the link if you haven't done so already. My favorites were #3, 8, 9, 13, 17, 18, and soon to be #30.


3) I continue to be annoyed with pregnancy healthy food and snacking advice. I'm reminded weekly (if not more often) on the various baby apps that I have about what I should be eating and how I should be fueling. The most recent one included some tips on how to avoid ordering pizza and how to make a healthy alternative at home with an english muffin. Um, sorry but if I want pizza, I'm going to be ordering pizza. I did that before I was pregnant so why would I change now? Everything in moderation, just as in life.

What are some of your random thoughts this Thursday?

Recently, Steph at Run for Fun talked about her struggles with ED (eating disorder). It got me thinking about my own post on food, eating, and my own issues with disordered eating and how I've handled it throughout my pregnancy. I re-read that post and all of the comments, and I realized that a lot of folks were interested in following my journey and seeing how things went. How would I feel throughout the pregnancy? Now that I'm heading into the third and final trimester, I thought I would give some thoughts on how I got through the rocky beginning and how I've been weathering the storm. I am by no means an expert in any way, but here is how I was able to find the balance that worked for me.

1) Stay off the scale. Ugh. This is something I do pretty much in my every day life whether I'm pregnant or not. They weigh me when I go to the doctor and that is it. A few pounds here and there are so arbitrary (Have you had a lot of water? Have you taken a #2 yet today? Did you have a big lunch?) and I just know I would obsess over it if I knew about it. I like to know my progress at the doc, but I don't need to know things on a daily basis.

2) Listen to your cravings. This is something the doctor recommended too. I like it when my doctor and I are on the same page (which is often). If I wanted ice cream, I would have it. If I wanted a cheeseburger, I got one. If I wanted some french fries, gosh darnit I got some! (Hell, when I couldn't get my favorite donut, I even cried a little.) As long as I wasn't eating horribly every single day, I wasn't (and still am not) concerned about it. That isn't that different than my normal eating habits anyways. I always would want something bad after a run. Haha.

Enjoying a post-run cupcake

3) Treat yo self. This kind of goes along with #2 and can also be related to non-food things. It took me a little while to figure it out, but I'm pregnant. I can't do all the things I used to do. People have been very accommodating to me and my new restrictions. The hubs has said that I'm "milking this pregnancy thing." Well, you bet your butt I am. Pregnancy is hard work and so I'm going to take advantage oft this as much as I can. I know I won't have the luxury with future pregnancies, as I'll be chasing around other child(ren) in the process!

My ventures into the wonderful world of specialty donuts in Chicago. If you follow me on Twitter, you're aware of my antics.

And, I've decided to skim/skip the diet/weight tips in the baby books. I'd like to think that I'm kind of a healthy person. I have a basic understanding of nutrition and calories. I think I know enough to make sure my body is fueled for the day and that Baby is happy and kicking. I'm not going to worry about what some book tells me I need to eat. I know what I need to eat and that is what I'm going to keep doing. (Although, I'm still following the no-no list like sushi, hot dogs, etc.)

I think it was hard in the beginning as this whole pregnancy thing is new to me. I wasn't really showing, I wasn't feeling any kicking, yet I was gaining weight. In the end, now that I'm actually looking pregnant and feeling pregnant, I feel better about the weight I've gained. It is for the good of the baby and that's all I need to be concerned with. I thank you all for your continued love and support as I continue to make this long and strange trip, also known as pregnancy!

Mom and Dad-to-be on Father's Day 2013

Alright folks. As a fair warning, things are about to get real. I'm going to talk about some of my issues with food.

I've eluded a few times on my Facebook page that I have had my previous battles with food. I was in college and I didn't "technically" have an "eating disorder" but I definitely had an unhealthy relationship with food. I was going through some things in my personal life so food became something that I obsessed over. It was a major control thing. I had to have total control over my body and what I was eating. It was something that was starting to spiral completely out of control. There is one photo that I saw, of me at my thinnest, that really scared me and helped me realize that I had a problem. I also had some friends at the time that helped open my eyes to my issues (they actually talked to me frankly about it). I was able to retake control of myself and my eating and figure out the balance that I like to talk about from time to time. I added cheese and butter back into my diet and allowed myself to indulge in french fries occasionally. (I also found out how easy it is to gain weight. I ate a hot dog before bed every night for a week and that helped out a lot.) I also re-discovered running around that to help with that balance as well. I no longer worried about the number on the scale, but it was more about how I felt. It was about how I felt in my clothes and how they fit as opposed to how I looked when I didn't have any clothes on. I had a few points here and there over the next few years where I would catch myself starting to do some of the same things or obsess over something. But I was able to recognize the symptoms and make adjustments accordingly. I felt like I finally had everything under control, consistently, for years. I got married, ran a marathon, and did lots of other stressful things without falling into the same old habits.

And then I got pregnant. 

All over the baby books, websites, and everything else is all about eating. What foods you need to eat, how much of this vitamin you need, how much of this vitamin you need to avoid, eat this, don't eat that, listen to your cravings... all the while you have to only gain this much weight, stay within this range, this many weeks along you should only gain this many pounds... IT IS EXHAUSTING!! I am constantly thinking about food. Am I eating the right things? Am I eating too much? Am I eating enough? I ate some unhealthy things the other day(s), am I outside the normal weight gain range? I have little to no self control anymore; I am almost always clearing my plate. And I'm not even halfway through the pregnancy yet. I know all the stress I put on myself isn't good, so I try not to stress myself out. But then I'll weigh myself and see a number 1 pound outside the "normal" weight gain range for my pre-pregnancy weight, and that sends me into an emotional state that I'm not doing this right, etc. etc... I have a calorie counter app that I try to only half-heartedly use (to not become too obsessed) but then I still end up obsessing over it when I'm not using it.

The whole "balance" thing while pregnant is much more difficult than I ever imagined.

I keep reminding myself that I just have to try my best--that's all I can do! Many women go outside the normal pregnancy weight gain range and still have perfectly healthy babies (and also lose the weight post-pregnancy). I just need to not stress about the small stuff (1 pound, really?) and just try to have some fun. It isn't just about me anymore! I have to put my own issues aside and think about what is best for Baby Wilson! I want nothing but the best for this little bundle of joy, and I just have to try my best in doing so. :)

I guess this post is really just me venting about something that I've been thinking about and struggling with A LOT lately. As women (and human beings), I'm sure we all struggle or have our own relationship with food and every person's experience is different. I guess, I never thought I would be running into these feelings all over again. I'm lucky to have a supportive husband who never ever makes comments about what I'm eating or how something fits (in a negative way). This pregnancy stuff is hard work! But I hear it is all worth it in the end!

I feel a little better having just shared my thoughts with all of you. Thanks for reading/listening. :)

And in case you were wondering, here is what the bump looks like these days. I can barely notice a difference from week to week in these photos, but from my view, looking down... things have definitely gotten bigger. Also, all my dress pants fit terribly and I'm starting to venture into a few maternity things here and there. I'm open to suggestions on where to shop if you have some. I'll be putting a post together about my maternity clothes experience in the weeks to come!

A few Fridays ago, Kim and I had a dinner date planned. Since we hadn't been able to connect for a lunch at NFC, we decided to give a weekend dinner a try. Since we live so far from one another, Kim found a nice restaurant halfway between our two houses, Seasons 52. Despite the local traffic being an absolute nightmare, we arrived on time for our reservations and were seated right away.

Our waiter came by and was very friendly. I had a lot of questions about ingredients in the items on the menu (Is the cheese pasteurized? Does this sauce contain raw egg?) He wasn't at all a jerk about it, he was very accommodating. (which I greatly, greatly appreciated). They even had a special vegan menu just for Kim! They also had a gluten-free and dairy-free menu for other various food allergies. I thought that was a nice touch to a fancier restaurant.

As everything on the menu is under 450 calories, the portions were within reason and they didn't come with fried sides that are usually my downfall. Although it wasn't on the traditional dinner menu, they were able to make me the cheeseburger that I saw on the lunch menu. It wasn't just any burger, it was a bison burger. As bison meat is leaner and another good source of protein, I opted for it. (Yet another reason why our waiter was awesome.)

Delicious bison burger

Our waiter was attentive yet let us chat when we were chatting (which was a lot and often). Kim and I chatted about so many things. Even though we've only known each other for a short period of time, I feel like she is so easy to talk to and relatable. If you don't read her blog, I highly recommend you do so. One of the things I always try to be on my blog is genuine. What you see/read is what you get. I feel Kim is the same way too, which I think is always welcoming in the blogging world!

After dinner I didn't leave feeling I over ate or was too stuffed, which is a nice feeling. That is, until the dessert tray came by. Everything looked so delicious I just had to try one. As I'm not a huge chocolate person and I haven't been digging coffee during the pregnancy, I went with key lime pie while Kim went for the delicious, tropical looking vegan option. The desserts really were a perfect individual size!

When the bill came, they were accommodating once again and were able to split up our credit cards. That is always a nice plus for any restaurant! Of course since we are bloggers, we had to have the waiter take our photo. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that Kim and I dressed alike without even realizing it.

We are just awesome like that

I hope you guys aren't creeped out by ultrasound photos because you're about to get another one! Kim brought me a delightful gift that made me (and my husband) smile. It is currently in our transforming guest room/nursery and is also the background of my phone.
I couldn't think of anything more perfect. Thanks Kim and Seasons 52 for a wonderful dinner! I hope we can meet up again more often because I always have so much fun when we do. :)

As a disclaimer, I have never been contacted by Season 52 and I was not compensated in any way for this review. I just thought I would post about my great experience.

A few weeks ago, I went with a coworker to a nutrition seminar put on by our company. It really opened my eyes to lots of things that I hadn't really thought about before. Soon after, I had a girls night with some friends and my friend Kate S was talking about the Paleo diet. Also, I ate a frozen dinner recently that left a nasty, filmy, chemically after taste in my mouth. All these things added up together have got me thinking a lot about the food we all eat.

I'm not at all interested in the Paleo diet or lifestyle, but it definitely got me thinking. I have started reading the ingredients of everything I eat. Do you always read the ingredients labels of things before you eat them? I would skim the labels on certain products (looking for meat items to see if something was vegetarian) but wouldn't normally for "every day" products. It really did change my perspective.

So the biggest thing I've gotten out of this is that I've decided to stop eating frozen dinners. I have eaten them regularly for lunch over the past few years just because they are easy to grab and go. (Of course, I would have other things in addition to them because a girl can't live on a 300 calorie meal for lunch.) After actually reading the ingredient label (and having a filmy, nasty taste in my mouth for several hours after eating one), I've decided to make my own pasta with marinara or fetuccini alfredo to freeze. Thinking about this more and more, I've decided to do an even bigger overhaul. Why stop there?

Looking through my iPhone photos, I found some gems. I made some of these recipes because they are delicious. I made others because they are easy. I try to share with you those that are both.

The evils of too much soy have really been haunting me lately. Since Toph is vegetarian, we eat A LOT of soy and soy is in EVERYTHING. I'm trying to cut down on the soy that I buy, therefore cutting down on the soy that we eat. I found a bunch of recipes on Pinterest for seitan, black bean burgers, lentil burgers, sweet potato burgers (all soy free) along with vegetable stock and breakfast sandwiches. (If you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know!) I just plan on storing these in various storage containers to keep in the freezer for easy transport. I already switched to making my own oatmeal varieties versus the packets, and I switched to almond milk too (less sugar and more protein than regular milk). There is also the "dirty dozen" produce list that I have been trying to watch for too. I think getting into these types of habits now is really important, especially for when we plan on starting a family some day. Do you pre-make meals ahead of time? Have you thought about doing something like this before? Do you always buy organic or just try to follow the "dirty dozen" rule? Let's see how ambitious I continue to be with all of this because it definitely takes more effort and time.

If there is interest in doing it, I may set up a submission post where different people send in their favorite make-ahead pasta or burger recipe and I will do a summary post. We can have different themes to the recipe and I can create a tab up at the top to help keep track. We can do it once a month or once a week, depending on the interest level. Let's take a stand against frozen, processed, chemically enhanced tv dinners!

P.S. Don't forget to enter the Running on the Wall giveaway. You have until tomorrow (Wednesday, January 9th) to enter.