How many times have any of us ever forgotten our lunch? It’s a pretty mundane event, we either skip or find a plan B and move on with our day. For Sarah Wu, it was not a common occurrence to leave her lunch at home. Making lunches for she and her toddler son was a part of her routine. However, one fateful day she did forget her lunch and what happened after that changed her life.
Sarah is a speech pathologist for Chicago Public Schools, and in 2009 she was working in one of the largest and poorest schools in the city (she remains there today). She forgot her lunch, but felt a little relief because for three dollars she could walk to the cafeteria and pick up that day’s hot plate. She admits to having ” a minimal understanding of food and scratch cooking” but upon receiving her school lunch that fateful day, she said “I knew there was something wrong with that meal.”
It was a bagel dog, a hot dog encased in a starchy white bagel crust, that was pretty soggy. This was served with a handful of tater tots (which qualifies as a vegetable serving), a Jell-O cup (a qualified fruit serving), and a chocolate milk. Almost immediately Sarah became “Fed Up With Lunch,” the title of her blog-turned-book in which she “outs” the goings on of the school cafeteria and how our children are being fed nothing more than processed, chemical junk.
“I didn’t think there was much I could do,” Wu told us, who took on the pen name “Mrs. Q” to protect her fragile anonymity. She agonized for weeks over what she was seeing at school before she finally started her Fed Up With Lunch blog, where she committed to eatinglunch in the school cafeteria every day for an entire school year. She photographed the meals each day, all of which are shared in a photo insert in the book, and wrote about what she was served, what she was learning about the school food industry, and even the effects she was seeing on her students as a result of these meals. Read Full Post >
You could say that Kim Fine resembles a typical up-and-coming 20-something: she lives in the big city (of Chicago), works in advertising and has a lot of friends. But one thing that was different about Kim than her peers was that she wasn’t living like them. She avoided social functions and a lot of the benefits of living in a city like Chicago, in an industry like advertising. Why? Because in January 2009 Kim was at, what she calls, an all-time high and low.
Kim weighed 321.6 pounds on January 20, 2009. The all-time high was her weight, the all-time low was feeling trapped within herself and depressed. She says she wasn’t living the life a 24-year-old should. “I distinctly remember thinking to myself for years I was absolutely meant to be fat because my body must not know how to be thin,” Kim told us. “It was all I had really ever known.”
That day in January would be the last of that life and the first of this new life. “I rewrote my life story,” says Kim, but she didn’t do it overnight. Today, Kim is 25 and weighs 168 pounds, a dramatic 154-pound loss that she says is still in progress and that has completely changed this woman’s outlook and approach to life.
Want to know how she did it? Impressively, the old-fashioned way with hard work, more exercise, healthy dietary changes, and a commitment to herself. “I am not superwoman or more inclined to success than anyone else in this world,” Kim says humbly.
Chicago, Chicago, Chicago!! This great city offers tourists and locals so many different things to do. From inner city adventures to hitting the beaches of Lake Michigan, the Windy City has a rich history and lifestyle offerings. Chicago also offers several amazing safe places to run; the best of which are listed here!
Best Places to Run in Chicago
Lakefront Walk: Located on the shore of Lake Michigan and extending over 18 miles of beautiful lake shore views. Simply amazing!! Read Full Post >
Daily, I am confronted with the challenge of how to maintain my newfound health in a city that is known for its amazing eats. There are so many temptations that it is hard to leave my apartment without worrying that I might be drawn to visit some of my Pre-Biggest Loser hangouts. Restaurants where I regularly visited and tended to over-indulge in foods that helped me land a spot on America’s favorite weight loss show. Recently I’ve caught myself not only avoiding my favorite restaurants, but more sadly, the entire city block on which they are located (which by the way makes for an awkward morning run!).
The realization that I’m starting to develop somewhat of a restaurant phobia concerns me, and leads me to ask the question “What am I so afraid of?” Do I not trust myself enough to know that I am completely capable of walking passed these incredible establishments without being mysteriously sucked in and devouring everything in site?
I am quickly realizing that there is more to this recent restaurant phobia than meets the eye; it’s not fear that’s been keeping me away its guilt. For far too long I have had a guilt-ridden relationship with food, I ate it then felt guilty afterwards. Its almost as if I felt the need to repent after enjoying a meal at my favorite restaurant. I would go home feeling as though I had done something wrong, and usually comfort myself by seeking that in which I found comfort- “FOOD.” It was truly a vicious cycle!
Well, I think its time that I take a stand and declare enough is enough. I refuse to continue this guilt-ridden relationship with food. If I feel the desire to go into one of my old culinary haunts I’m going to do it! If I feel that I have a taste for something that I haven’t eaten in a while, I’m going to eat it! Now don’t misunderstand what I’m writing, I have no intentions of entering these establishments and over doing it, rather I plan on taking the knowledge I gained while at the Biggest Loser and applying it to my visit. Simple tips such as not ordering appetizers, staying away from the complimentary chips and salsa, and asking the server to pack up half of my order to go before it even reaches my table are all ways that I can enjoy a meal without feeling guilty. Most importantly I plan on communicating with my server how I want things prepared in an effort to seek out the healthier version of foods I once enjoyed.
My plan moving forward is to truly make Chicago “My Kind of Town” by eliminating the guilt I once associated with its food and replacing it with the peace of mind that I now posses the knowledge to enjoy the great food Chicago has to offer instead of fearing it.
If you’re in a Chicago this weekend, it’s a good time to pull out your running shoes and gym clothes.
Tomorrow is Chicago’s fifth annual Chicago Moves Day. The event is sponsored by the Mayor’s Fitness Council, and dedicates an afternoon to encouraging Chicagoans to live a healthy lifestyle.
At the event you’ll find area fitness trainers, fitness classes for all ages, health screenings and more, or start the day with a 5k Run. The two-hour event is broken into 10 minute exercise segments, with classes like Firefighters workout with the Chicago Fire Department, Arthritis Exercise Class from the Arthritis Foundation and a Kids Cardio Kickbox.
Then, Saturday you can attend the final Self Magazine Workout in the Park. The event is similar to the one that took place in Central Park last week, just without the special appearance by Jillian (see our coverage). The cost is $25 at Lincoln Park, Grove 8, from 11am-3pm.
Whether you’re in Chicago or not, the 30 minutes of activity, 5 days a week that the Mayor’s Fitness Council recommends is an ideal way to incorporate more physical activity into your daily life. Ride a bike, take the stairs, walk the dog or swim laps- it all counts!
