Posts by marenzi

Original Post by orangejumper:

If Israelis drink it, it is probably fine for you to drink it. If they don't then you shouldn't either.

Keep in mind that anyone native to the area would have acclimated to the water - just because it doesn't affect the locals who have drank it their entire lives definitely doesn't mean you'll be unaffected.

Obama

halloween

roughly how many calories in halloween candy did you eat on halloween?: None!! I was so incredibly proud of myself.

what kind of candy did you eat? (reeses pb cups, gummy worms, etc): N/A

what's your favorite candy?: Plain Hershey's bars. So yummy.

what's your least favorite candy?: Almond Joys.

if you had leftover candy, what did you do with it?: Sent my trick-or-treat candy & leftover house candy to my dad's office.

christmas

what's your favorite food at the christmas dinner table? (stuffing, cranberry sauce, etc): We do different ethnic Christmas dinners each year - last year, the theme was Greek, and the dolmas were to die for!!

what's your least favorite food at the christmas dinner table?: I'm an adventurous eater - can't remember actually disliking anything.

favorite christmas dessert?: Freshly baked candy cane cookies.

do you cook christmas dinner yourself, or do you go somewhere else for christmas?: I cook it for my dad's side of the family, and then I cook it with my cousins for my mom's side of the family.

is christmas your favorite holiday?: That would be Halloween!!

I agree that he likely intended it as a compliment. Some of my guy friends have commented on my weight loss in a way that is really poorly worded, but I know that they think they're complimenting me. I just try to take it in the spirit they meant and thank them anyway.

Original Post by javagen3:

 I still say stupid things on occasion. We all do and we all should get called on it! That too is not an age thing. I'm very glad to hear that you are thinking on your own and not buying into your parent's racisim. I hope I never get to the point where I don't listen to my child about the world and he's embarrassed to introduce me to his friends! Well you can hope your parents change, but that's not your job for sure-- it's their responsibility.

My friends are incredibly diverse - six different religions from all corners of the world - and (cliche as this is) it's taught me so much. Hearing their perspectives helps me recognize that just agreeing my family definitely isn't right, even if it's simpler.

Original Post by betzc:

Oh my gosh marenzi if all the 17 year olds were like you and my daughter, I would be so excited about the future!  Congrats on your intelligence, beauty and courage. (And your weight loss) Best of Luck, your future is bright!

That is quite possibly the best compliment I've ever recieved - thank you!

Am I really the only girl who uses the word rhyming with punt? Side effect of growing up with boys, I suppose.

For guys, it rhymes with sock if they're using it & it rhymes with tick if they're being one.

I'm in the same sort of situation - my family eats very unhealthily. What helps me is that I always offer to do the grocery shopping on the way home from school, which cuts out the excess junk.

Since it's nearly Halloween, I've been surrounded by sugar, especially at school. I bought a small bag of trick-or-treat-sized candy and I keep it in my room. If I'm still REALLY craving sugar at the end of the day, I can have a piece. This helps me avoid ice cream or cake or whatever dessert my family's having, because I know I can satisfy the craving with far fewer calories.

Also, to echo cindolin - eating fruit really helps my sugar cravings! After substituting fruit for candy all the time, I've come to associate green apples with dessert, so they're like a treat now. :)

I'm currently in Virginia, right outside DC - our summers are miserably hot and the winters are freezing cold. I grew up in Idaho, so I'm perfectly accustomed to the cold and I melt in the heat, but if weather's a big factor that I wouldn't recommend out here.

I'm not in college yet, but all my friends are teenage boys - they regularly order massive amounts of pizza, Chinese, or Mexican for everyone. I don't see it as annoying so much as them just not understanding - they can eat all of that and lose weight, so they figure that it won't really hurt me.

I definitely second the gum suggestion - I do this all the time, because it keeps your mouth busy. Also drink extra water, because it'll help you feel full and remind you that you really don't need the junk food.

In my situation, I know they're not trying to tempt me - they honestly think that I shouldn't worry and ought to just enjoy it because it isn't a big deal. Chances are that these girls aren't intentionally trying to sabotage you, they just don't understand how serious you are.

Honestly, I see this the same way as I see a boyfriend telling his girlfriend she needs to lose weight - either way, he's not being supportive. It's your body, and if you feel that what you're doing is right, then do it regardless. If he loves your body more than you, then you really might want to think about the relationship.

My high school cafeteria has very few options, all of them soaked in grease - I usually end up having a banana, then eating decent food when I get home.

I stayed at colleges for several weeks last summer, though, and the food there was incredible! The salad bar alone would have made me happy for an entire year, what with so much variety. Even the hot food had nutritional information posted, and it really wasn't bad at all.

Read it freshman year for English, currently discussing it in AP Psych - I love the premise, because it's such a chillingly natural progression for the boys, but Goldman's writing style is too slow for me. :/

I agree that watching movies & recording yourself will be the most helpful. Singing along to songs by American artists might help as long as the lyrics are clearly enunciated - your instinct will be to mimic the singer.

It looks impossible to type on. :/

To repeat PG - I don't give my Muslim friends traditional gifts because they receive those from their families. I plan to make several of their favorite desserts, things that I'm 'known' for in our circle and that they can't/don't often make themselves.

The food will be absolutely delicious - I really recommend trying a little of everything!