OK, probably the title is a little harsh, but I’ll try to explain why I chose it. Last summer I was hit by a very bad depression because of many things that were happening in my life and others that had been accumulating for many years. Anyway, I turned to cooking and blogging as part of the healing process during the fall and winter. However, I wasn’t very smart balancing the different aspects of my life. I was cooking and eating too much, spending too much time in front of the computer and not enough exercising. As a consequence I gained a lot of weight. I am 6′1″ tall and at the beginning of last summer I weighed around 180-183 pounds and by the end of the winter I was almost 210 pounds. Yeah, it was BAD! I am not blaming only the food here. It was the combination of too much delicious food and not enough physical exercise. I will not stop eating these dishes. I will only do it in moderation and when possible try to make them with less fattening ingredients:
1. Pumpkin Cake with cream cheese frosting. The name says it all.
2. Pastel Azteca. I just can’t stop eating this when I make it!
3.Pumpkin enchiladas. Again, only bad when you eat too much of it!
4. Yule Log. I have a love/hate relationship with the Daring Bakers. All you DBs out there know what I’m talking about, right?
5. Impossible cake. One of my favorite cakes. The picture says it all.
6. Molletes. Sometimes comfort food is way too comfortable, especially when it is -10 degrees outside.
7. Gorditas de piloncillo. If only they weren’t fried…
8. Arroz con leche. Another one of those desserts I can’t stop eating.
9. Empanadas. I don’t think I need to say it again…
10. Mexican Chicken Lasagna. So good with all that cheese and pasta…
11. Party cake. The DB’s did it again 
12. Stuffed portabella mushrooms. What is wrong with this one, you might ask. I won’t use so much butter next time.
13. Tres leches cake. Another one packed with delicious calories.
There you have it, thirteen foods that made me fat, not because of the foods themselves, but because of the lack of will power. Fortunately, I saw the problem and I am trying to fix it. I have been trying to eat more balanced meals, excercise 6 times a week and I am down to 190 pounds! The battle is not still over, but at least I am feeling really good now 
Are you fighting a similar battle? You can share your goals, successes and failures with us at the forum. We have a topic dedicated for that. You are not alone
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14 Replies
I think I just gained 10 lbs reading your post
Glad to hear you’re slimming down and getting back down to your normal weight.
Posted on August 14th, 2008 at 12:25 pm
Yo no podría hacer esa lista…no serían 13… serían cientos!!! jeje!
Y sí, te entiendo a la perfección con el problema de amor/odio que tenemos por nuestro grupo Daring Bakers! jejeje!
De la lista,lo único que yo digo que no es taaaan engordativo son los molletes… digo, esos si los puedes hacer más saludables!
de lo demás, mmmm está difícil! jejeje!
Saludos!!!!!
Posted on August 14th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Wow Ben, your dishes look fabulous. May be we should make Fat Chefs or Skinny Gourmets? Round 2, this time emphasizing on the Fat Chefs side (lol).
Posted on August 14th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
Are you trying to tempt me? Are YOU!? Because you’ve succeeded. I now have to make at least three of these delicious looking dishes.
Posted on August 14th, 2008 at 2:20 pm
Heck with the calories!!! All I want to know is are all these recipes on your website????
I have to have them.
Posted on August 14th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
Oh, It was fun while it lasted though wasn’t it? What a great post and how true your words are Ben! Why did you show us these 10 delicious and tempting dishes? It’s so hard to be good with all the great cooks there are out in the blogospere.
Posted on August 14th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Phew! I agree with Allen…i must have gained some weight just reading about them! But I do remember most of these delicious creations. Good to see you’re sticking with your goals amigo!
Posted on August 14th, 2008 at 5:35 pm
You go Ben!!! Good luck with the weight loss. I hope you reach your goals.
Posted on August 14th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I’m going to have to give the pumpkin enchiladas a try, probably often this fall.
I never really thought about food until I started running, which made me pay more attention to how I was fueling. I usually divide foods between what’s renewing and those that aren’t, and balance accordingly while making sure the majority are foods that are beneficial to recovery and that help me run better. Also, I’ve found that when I am not running I just eat less because I don’t need the extra energy, so I look for foods that have bulk and will fill me up without overdoing it. In the end, it’s about finding a happy medium that works for you.
Posted on August 14th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
I have gained over 20 lbs since blogging last year. You know how they say if you keep a food diary it will aide you weight loss? I think we all need to review our blogs for a reality check now and then. The thing is I hate waste. And I dont always or want to share or give away my food. So what do you do? Execercise and maybe cut back a little on blogging I guess?
Posted on August 14th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Willpower is one of those things that I just don’t have. Why should I, when these look just so delicious?
Posted on August 15th, 2008 at 12:58 am
I’ve found that since I started blogging I’ve lost weight… I always try to cook healthily, so my unhealthy meals would be the ones I’ve ordered in, or eaten out. Therefore, for me, cooking more = eating better!
However, if I could bake it may be a different story… :-S And discovering deep-frying maybe wasn’t my best move this year!
Posted on August 15th, 2008 at 9:50 am
These dishes are amazing, Ben! It’s all in moderation, as you know. You and D have similar tastes – he LOVES Pastel Azteca and he’d love the pumpkin enchiladas and he loves arroz con leche.
I have to get more active on the forums. And yes, I’m struggling with this, too. Down 20 lbs. – you GO! Congrats!
Posted on August 16th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
All of those look so delicious! Yum tres leche, one of my favorites. I just noticed today that my jeans that I wore a few weeks ago were much tighter today. Today I am feeling weighed down, moving very slow. I know that I really have to control my portions and get back to running again. I don’t want to give up my ‘foodie life’. I know I have to find a healthy balance. Thanks for the post.
Posted on August 16th, 2008 at 8:26 pm
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