If "Fast Food Nation" didn't stop your McBinge-ing, then "Super Size Me" will.

Well, whee. Saw "Super Size Me" with Steph and a friend from her Health class at the Embarcadero today. Very informative, if somewhat gross (in parts) movie. And it actually got to me in a way "Fast Food Nation" did not. Yes, what Morgan did was extreme, but he got statistics, and he proved a point. This guy, a perfectly healthy 186 lb. guy, rocketed up to over 200 lbs. in the course of a month, on a daily McDiet.

And in just over a year, he lost ALL the weight he gained and got his body to go back to normal.

So does someone care to inform me why, when it takes less than 2 years on a strict diet, to lose that kind of baggage, why America is so DAMN OBESE? I should consider myself immensely lucky, for having the high metabolism I do. I still think any fat I have is entirely in my thighs (and my "J.Lo Bubble Bottom"). I don't exercise regularly. My idea of exercise is whenever I DDR for 15 straight minutes, or when I dance. I wish I could be the type to do 15 sit ups every morning, and 25 push-ups every night, but I'm not.

Physical exercise and me do NOT get along. In ROTC, I recognized that it was for a good cause, and that staying fit was major important-- but I suffered trying to "get healthy." My lungs are smaller than normal, and when I try to do any running, hiking, climbing (even stairs), I get out of breath VERY easily. I've had asthma attacks even standing still, which is pathetic. And don't get me started on stretching-- I pulled my back trying to practice for the swim test, and I've since been diagnosed with sciatica. My GRANDPARENTS have sciatica. They can't believe that me, their youngest granddaughter, does too.

But I try to stay fit. I don't exactly stick to a pyramid diet every day, and you couldn't get me to eat a THIRD of the vitamins my MOM shovels down-- but I do have a somewhat healthy diet. Every day at work, I survived off sandwiches, which, though packed with carbs and sugars, still had a decent level of health to them. And I love salads, especially with raspberry vinegarette. I really don't eat McDonald's all that often.

Something interesting Morgan did in the movie-- he went to schools around the country and looked at their PhysEd, and at their cafeteria food. I noticed something about the kids in the movie, same as I did at my school. People would just get a bag of chips and a soda, and THAT WAS IT. That's lunch.

Okay, maybe it's mean of me to say, being a twig and all, but I LOVE FOOD. It's great. There's so many different kinds, so you can never say you've had everything. There's SO much to love, so much to hate-- and new stuff being created every day! Food is comfort, food is solace, food is GOOD FOR YOU! We can't live without food. There's a sign that says "All you need is love. Oh yeah, and food." I LOVE FOOD! It's like Iron Chef, where REALLY GOOD food might just reduce me to tears.

I could never understand why so many of my classmates survived off that. But then, maybe their parents were like mine-- and they just handed their kids a fiver and said "Have fun." How many people do you see bringing your lunch anymore? I only did it when I was BROKE. I survived off Bagels and Cream Cheese for most of my high school career. My drink of choice was either Wild Cherry Pepsi or Cherry Coke. I sometimes had a cookie. When they were out of bagels, I opted for Bean and Rice Burritos (from Taco Bell, no less). Once in a blue moon, I'd have a Ramen. When they got Sandwiches my junior year, I survived off those-- whole wheat and tuna sandwiches. But I still had sodas and cookies, and since I was in ROTC through the middle of my junior year, I never had phys ed.

Sure, the requirement for the tests in Spring was tough as any PE class, but it wasn't the same as working out all year round. And you know schools in Illinois REQUIRE Phys Ed for every grade, K-12!? Why don't we have that!? Sure, 45 minutes once a week is hardly enough to affect a growing body, and lord knows that the health classes these days seem to focus more on sex than eating right.

It was just RECENTLY that sodas were removed from SFUSD school campuses, and that didn't deter kids any. I remember I got in a big huff over that (even though it didn't take affect until after I graduated), but if you consider how many kids would buy an orange juice over a cola... well, the numbers are pretty small, even if they're the same price and the same amount in fl. oz.

Who really is responsible for all this obesity and the disease (diabetes, heart failure, liver problems, colon cancer, etc.) that comes with it? Just a few things I think SHOULD happen:

* McDonalds MUST have their nutrition facts posted accurately... and they have to have copies of them to take away. It also has to be current, so that means the new McGriddles better be on there, and so should the Active Happy Meal things.

* School districts should look into getting their food from places like Natural Oven (I think that was the place). Even with open campuses like my school, at least OFFERING the option for healthier food gives the impression that the district, the school administrators, and the parents, especially CARE about their kids. It's easy to get out of heavy exercising in PE, but when you only have a few bucks and don't want to go to that restaurant with the enormous line, hey, why not have a salad at school? The option would have been fantastic.

* Okay, even if schools think they'll lose revenue from the major companies like Coke and so on, there's other ways to get money. And really, the health of the students is more important than anything else. Even if you can't make the switch, then amp up Phys Ed classes-- don't cut them or offer alternatives. There are federal requirements for Phys Ed and testing, and if schools can have swim and weight classes, then PE classes should be able to use the same space and equipment to stay just as fit as team members.

Hm... I really think I've got to start re-evaluating my eating and exercising habits. Mom bicycles every single weekend-- just the other day, she went all the way to Mill Valley, across the Golden Gate Bridge! I think she's crazy, but she's a few inches taller than me and MY weight. That's ridiculously fit for someone her age.

Anyway, I'm working on Part 1 of my new fic "Family." Yeah, I got plot bunnied. If anyone wants to beta it for me, let me know. Yes, it's YGO, and yes, it'll be S/A. If no one betas, I'm just going to post it tomorrow. Er, today. LATER.

Ah well, back to the fics... I go to the DMV tomorrow. TEH JOY!

OMG! Less than a week! I'm not ready! TIME STOP!

>_< Fanime is almost here! I'm not ready! Gah. I spent something like $70 in the past two days-- there was $40 on bowling night, and then at least $30 yesterday for food and the books (Book Market. Nice stuff). BAD MER! I'm going to owe mom major for the hotel room, not to say all the food costs, transportation costs-- don't get me started on what I'll "need" for the dealer's room. I suppose having less money will help me control my usual spend-crazy habits, but hello, going to college! I'm going to be broke for the next 4-6 years, so shouldn't I get to have one big blow out celebration before I go?! >_>... It's either Fanime or Magic Mountain... or Disneyland. ^_^

Hey, so yesterday at the theater, I saw a preview for Monty Python's THE LIFE OF BRIAN. Dudes, we SO have to go see that. And by dudes, I mean EVERYBODY, but most especially Vince, Jimbo, Joe, Anthony, Cris, PsyJoe, Marc, Mikey, and everybody in between. I forget all the people who have had "Monty" experiences at various people's houses, but now that there's a new movie coming out this summer, we HAVE to see it together. A big massive group. PLEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAASE!!?

Finished Chapter 1: Everything Changes of "Family." Even worked on the planner to the point of story completion, but obviously plans for the fic vary greatly from actual prose. So if anyone's up to beta'ing the first part, let me know! :D MOOSH!

I gotta head to the DMV-- but sadly, the new ID will cost $20, and I won't get it for another 3 months. o_O So I'm contemplating which address to give them-- SF or LA? Blech.

Things to do today:
(1) Dishes (don't I always? I'll be glad to be rid of this chore come July.)
(2) Clean my room a little (I found a dust mound the size of my arm.)
(3) Work on some fics (I'm in the mood to work on Prophecy Girl and Something to Somebody, oddly enough.)
(4) New layout for "The Rose Chronicles" based off the Duelist of the Roses game
(5) Blouse for Anzu cosplay-- need to get it/borrow it. Also need to get white thigh-highs. (WHERE!???) Should assemble an Anzu deck, as well.

I got 8 minutes before I gotta jam, and with the way I get distracted, I suppose that means now. ^^;

We have been plot bunnied.

Before I left I caught sight of guardian_kysra's post, and it made me laugh out loud-- and also remember how she's entirely at fault for inspiring me to write a new oneshot-- a companion piece to "Pop." I just finished it in one sitting, spell and grammar-checked it, and sneaky impatient girl that I am, I'm going to post it NOW. So look for it up at FFnet and MMorg, and tell me what you think. When I get the layout for The Rose Chronicles done, I'll post the first part of that and anything else missing on my website.

So, the DMV trip was easy enough-- though it took forever for the 21 Hayes to get there, since it stopped on 7th and Fulton and just SAT there for 15 minutes. I amused myself looking through my new Tarot book, which is really quite cool, showing all these different decks... and even talking about the history of the tarot! Uwau. I'm thinking about making a Yu-Gi-Oh tarot deck! Or maybe a set for Wise Tarot, so that people can use it on their own compie? ^_^

Anyway, at the DMV, I waited for a few minutes and finally got called up- filled out the form, paid, yadda yadda. I left the address as the SF one, since that's where I'll need them to mail it to. I suppose there's no problem with that even when I'm in LA; I'll just write my address there on the BACK of the ID, when I get it.

I hope my picture turns out okay-- the lady made me take my glasses off, which automatically makes me feel weird. I looked SO good in my last ID with my glasses on, which is odd. Normally when I take pictures with my glasses on, there's a bunch of glare, and it looks like I'm a robot. But without my glasses, I look like Bunta (Initial D) or Chichiri (Fushigi Yuugi). Some people have actually thought I'm Asian when I don't wear my glasses. Which is silly. I'm not. And I didn't get a ton of sleep last night (I tried!) so there might be "unsightly bags." BLECH! But hey, at least my signature will be good-- I kept a steady hand and practiced it, so it shouldn't say "Suet" like last time, but "Sweet" which *IS* my name. Har har.

I really should post all my fanart up. Touch it up and all. But here's the problem-- still need a Tablet. Still need to get my PS2 modded, which is of much higher priority. But as of today, I have about $200 in my bank account, and that MUST GO TO FANIME. >_Resource? Kysra and Atlantis both have me contemplating writing an eventual lemon or lime-- for "Family," or "The Rose Chronicles." WDKY's sequel might have one, but that's uberdistant in the future. So the question herein lies-- and I do pose this to my two experts, Kysra and Atlantis-- how do you write a lemon/lime/steam scene? I've read them before sure, but how do you WRITE them? Inform me so I don't sound like a copycat should I ever try my hand at it.

La la... I suppose I'll do the dishes and maybe nap. Or play FFX-2. Think a Dark Knight would be good at holding off the Mega Tonberrys?

Hehe, this song makes me feel OLD SKOOL.