Love's A State of Mind: Why is Everyone Around Me So Overweight?

Maybe it's because I'm writing this blog, but suddenly I am noticing the number of women around me who are overweight. Like yesterday at Sam's, I'm there during the early business hours so there are a smaller number of people in the store - and mostly women. Women who are much younger than I and not one appeared to be under 200 pounds - some didn't even appear to be under 300 pounds. What is going on? How does this happen to these poor women? Please know I am not judging. I am old enough to remember when being that size was not the norm. I look at these women and feel like they must have accepted their size and all of the health conditions that go with it. They must feel powerless to do anything about it.

So my question really isn't rooted in "why is everyone so overweight?" but really more in "why does everyone feel so powerless?" For one I suspect that losing that kind of weight must just feel OVERWHELMING - especially when we all have other responsibilities in our lives. I have not experienced the need to lose major pounds and I can only imagine the struggle it must be. I also suspect that because it's a struggle, these women feel like failures. It's hard to stay motivated when that little voice in your head is saying "you're fat, you're not disciplined, you're a failure." That alone makes weight loss overwhelming, even if you have only 5 pounds to lose! But how did they get to that weight in the first place? That's really the question.

I am here to say that we are not failing ourselves, our food system fails us. The way food is managed in this country sets us up for nothing but failure. We're busy, we're working, we're raising families and we're encouraged to buy foods that are in a box and we just throw them together. That is if we're even cooking at all which I suspect most of these women are not. It takes time, it takes energy, it takes planning and I'm sure some are afraid it takes skill. (I would disagree.) The whole idea of preparing healthy food to care for the one and only body we have is also OVERWHELMING. And besides, if the food in the stores and we see on TV isn't good for us it wouldn't be there, right? Wrong.

This is all exactly why I am out to prove that I can lose pounds, prepare easy and quick meals with as little effort as possible (with Rachael's help) and fuel myself and my family with healthy, delicious food. I know it's going to work and I hope my little experiment will help at least one other person.

So last night was Beef Stew with Buttered Noodles from Everyday with Rachael Ray October 2009. This meal was SPECTACULAR. It is not beef stew in the traditional way - the only vegetable is onions - which made it especially good. The beef was tender. The sauce was delicious without being loaded with fat. The addition of the vinegar and the cocoa powder along with the subtle sweetness of the tiny bit of brown sugar gives this dish a rich flavor unlike a plan old pot roast. And best of all - it was super easy. I made mine in my crock pot. It took less than 5 minutes to put together and then 8 hours later - tender, delicious beef. I did not use the noodles - I had broccoli on the side instead - but my family loved it on the noodles too. This one is a 5 star keeper.

Beef Stew with Buttered Egg Noodles