This Is What Happens When I Don't Pay Attention

Today I ate a big brownie!

Let me set the stage -


I was at work. I was juggling 8 different things and very distracted. My coworker pops her head into my office and asks if I want a brownie. I nod my head in what I hope seems like I am listening, but I'm not.

She holds the plate out and I grab one, eyes still on the computer screen. I mumble 'thank you' and without even stopping to think about what I am doing (it was close to lunch and I was already starving), I ate it.

I ate it in huge bites. That is until I realize that I am eating a large chocolate brownie. Then I exclaim "damn it!" and my other coworker looks at me like I am crazy.

It was too late. I had one bite left and had already consumed the majority of the calories, so I sighed and stuffed the last bite in my mouth.

(This was me, but staring at the computer)

I think I need to learn to do one thing at a time. I have always been a multi-tasker, but this time, my diet suffered because I couldn't take a second to think about what I was stuffing into my face.


Good job Alissa. Jeez!

Anyhow, I swapped my traditional lunch of a sandwich and fruit for a salad and made sure to add 30 minutes more to my gym time this evening. I did what I could.

As disappointed as I am that I mindlessly ate what was probably 300-500 calories, that brownie was DELICIOUS. Well at least the last bite was. I didn't really appreciate the first 6.

I'll update you as soon as I reach my next goal. I am hoping to lose another 2 lbs this week if I can keep the gym time strong and quit eating brownies.


But it's so hard! I love chocolate! Damn you sweet tooth!



Eggplant Had It's Chance - Now It's Banished

Eggplant.

I can't do it.

I tried.

I baked it with bread crumbs, threw some tomatoes and Parmesan cheese on top and drizzled it with Italian dressing.

It's still a NO GO.

Sorry folks. I wanted to like it and had high hopes for this recipe, but the texture of the eggplant makes me want to throw up.

I had about 3 bites and I seriously thought I might be chewing snot. It was disgusting.


Well! I tried. I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried to learn to like this vegetable. It didn't work, but I made the effort. And it's too bad really - it's such a pretty color!

So long eggplant! I will not miss you.

Next On The Agenda

Ladies and gents, I am currently eating oatmeal and liking it.

I found a way to enjoy it!

I get the maple brown sugar oatmeal, pour a little less water in than advised and mix it with some of my gluten free granola for some crunch. Blackberries or another fruit will top it off! YUM!

And I am also proud to announce that I believe that I have conquered pineapple as well. I keep eating it, making sure I am getting ripe pineapple and now...I think I like it!

I have to tell you that I am fairly proud of myself right now. My 'learning to love it' is working so far.

Next up is eggplant. Meh. I will be scouring the internet for some fabulous recipes and hopefully I will find a couple that look appetising.


Also, in news, I think that Michael and I might have found our next vacation! We've been talking about it for a while and have been trying to figure out what we can afford right now. My original idea was to hop on a cruise (that hits up Central America) for a week and spend a few days in the port of call, New Orleans. But the more I looked, the more I realized that this trip would end up costing $1000 more than a couple of the others I had mapped out.

How perfect would that have been? Going back to the city where we got engaged, for our 5 year anniversary...

ahh well.

I did find a good deal on a different place that we'd never been. Playa Del Carmen, Mexico!

I have wanted to go there for a while, but it was always just a little more expensive than going to say Cabo or Puerta Vallarta. But, this time I found a deal for 7 nights!

The best part is that it's close enough to travel about 30 miles (back toward the airport) and spend some time in Cancun (another place I have never been). Or we could hop a ferry from Playa Del Carmen and head over to the island of Cozumel for the day (which I have been to). There are some Mayan ruins a little south of Playa also that I know we will want to check out. Other than that, we will be beach bound on a beautiful aqua shore.

All that's left is to request time off, book the trip, and get in some kind of bikini shape (yikes)! Oh and maybe go tanning a bit before so as not to burn like a red-head. Cause I will.

When is this all taking place you might ask? Late May! Yes folks, I am avoiding Spring Break like the plague. I am old enough now that I don't want a gaggle of 18-21 year olds puking in the pool next to me or keeping me up until 4am. I want a nice relaxing, romantic vacation with my husband and maybe a few margaritas.

Be happy for me friends...I need this like I need food.

Food Challenge - Learning to love it

I ate oatmeal this morning.

I know, this doesn't sound monumental, but in fact it is.

I hate oatmeal. Always have. The consistency is no bueno.

But, in my quest to become a healthier, shinier, thinner version of me...I ate it.

I may have gagged a bit. I may have thrown in some brown sugar and blackberries to help me out. But I ate it.

It goes along the same lines as the pineapple and soon-to-be eggplant. I don't care for either, but they are good for me and I need to learn to like it. It's the mature thing to do. It's the smart thing to do. And I like to think I am both mature and smart. Thus - oatmeal.

I know you are thinking "that's not so hard!", but I beg to differ.

Have you ever tried to deliberately eat things you don't like "just because"? It's not easy. But I know it's what's best.

I don't enjoy being a person who doesn't like things. Granted, I like a lot and I don't consider myself picky...but there are things I could like more and should like.

So as part of my new year’s diet, I will learn to like things. I will continue making and remaking those foods I dislike until I either grow accustomed to them or find a way to prepare them in a way I can enjoy.

So far, I have mostly grown to like or at least appreciate pineapple. I like how juicy it is and that it is sweet. I will have to continue eating it to feel confident in saying that I now enjoy it. I’ll let you know when the transformation happens.

Next on my list of foods to learn to love is: oatmeal (in progress), eggplant, soft tofu, raw sushi, mango, papaya and kiwi. If you happen to know of more things I am leaving off (that are healthy), let me know.

As for the rest of my diet, it’s going well. I've been eating lots of veggies, have limited my carbs and have cut out most all excess sugar. If the progress seems too slow in the coming weeks, I will tighten up my portions and maybe count my daily calories. This is not something I like doing, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. This extra flab needs a firm hand!

 What's on tonight's menu you ask? Salmon, couscous, and broccoli. Sounds delish right?

I think so too.

Treats!

Day 116 - Sweets Strike!

Last Wednesday was 4 months and going strong on my sweets strike. So tomorrow, Saturday the 17th, I will have my cheat day. Just in time for my Brother-in-law's birthday! Happy Birthday Philip!!! (Well it was technically today, the 16th). I already have plans on how to spend this day and it includes a cupcake from the new cupcake shop that opened off Front Street and a piece of cheesecake from the Cheesecake Factory.

In thinking about my surprisingly strong will on this journey, I also began thinking about treats. Go figure! The other day I was talking to Michael about how I wanted to learn to bake pies. I love baking deserts, but in light of the fact that I am always on some diet or another, I rarely actually do it. I was thinking that I had baked bread, cake, muffins and cookies but never really baked a pie. I want to try to make it from scratch too. Starting with a Blackberry pie!


Since I have never done this, I went out and bought a cookbook of deserts and printed directions for making the perfect crust. Not sure how it will turn out or when i will tackle this challenge but I am determined. Assuming I only get my one cheat day a month, it will be hard to actually make the pie on that cheat day, so I may have to give myself one extra day and treat myself to the finished product. The rest I can give away or make my hubby eat I suppose.

If I really enjoy this new "thing", you may be in luck to find yourself with one of my creations. After the Blackberry pie, comes Peanut Butter pie! Watch out waist line!

Life Update~

Let's see...it's been a while and I am not too good at keeping up on this, but here goes!

I am still on my Sweets Strike. DAY 42! I am allowing myself one cheat day at the closing of each month and still eating fruit like nobody's business. My last cheat day landed around the time of Elsa's birthday so I made sure to wait until then to splurge. Mike and I went to get a shake at Jack in the Box (yeah, I know, not too special) and it was SOOOO good. Some people say you will lose your craving/taste for sugar after a while. Well I hope for that, but I highly doubt this will happen. That fast food shake was so darn good! Then after dinner we all had Costco Cheesecake with strawberries! YUM! So here I am back on my low sugar diet and doing just fine. Well, I can't say it's been easy, I mean, I miss sour patch kids with a vengence! But it's doable.
Next topic:
I am getting the travel itch. I don't have anything set up and it is truly hard on me. I feel bored and antsy and just feel like I am gonna freak out if I don't do something about it. We are planning a Memorial Weekend trip to long beach with some friends, but beyond that there is nothing! Now, we are really trying to save money and put it towards practical things like building a new computer and paying off debt. But I get to thinking about how healthy it is to be stuck in a "dead zone", So to speak. What is really important in life? Always doing what is logical and practical? Or destressing your mind and body when you need it most? I am looking into some different vacation options beacause I feel that although staying home and saving that money would be the 'right' thing to do, I don't think it is the best thing for me. Wish me luck on finding a way to juggle our limited funds!

Next: I am beginning a journey into the past. My family's past to be exact. I am slowly gathering information about my mom's family history. Who was related to who and where they came from; Geneology stuff. It's quite interesting and time consuming. But, I have the time and there is no rush so it's the perfect side hobby. Boy, this would be easier if I had a computer program to store all the information in! Ah well...

Other goings on:
I will be attending 3 weddings this summer (1 in July and 2 in September). I do love my weddings! I will be doing the hair and Make-up for one girlfriend and taking some daytime prep. photos for my sis-in-law Amy. She booked a great photographer for the wedding and reception, but wanted me to take some throughout the day of people and preparations. Exciting stuff! The third wedding will be on Orcas Island and I am very excited to make a weekend out of it with my good friends Elan and Ash.

I am also hoping to spend some quality time at a concert and some Mariner's games this summer. Just need to wrestle up more cash after my supposed vacation, computer building, wedding gifts, and out of town wedding overnighters...Yikes!

All in all, I think I will keep myself busy. The rest of my down time can be devoted to work I suppose.... But I may just decided to replace that with Bennett time. :) Sounds like a much better time to me.

Check back in later! Oh, and by the way, whoever gave me this blasted head cold is going to suffer!

Sweets Strike still on!

Today is day 20! I have been pretty under control thus far. The last couple days have started getting a bit tough. At night, I get some pretty mean cravings for ice cream but I have managed to dig in to the fruit or sugar-free popsicles instead. It hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be on a daily basis. Learning to say 'no' to things instead of 'sure', replace higher sugared items with natural sweets, and not completely depriving myself has been working okay so far.

My goal is to get through 1 month without eating any sweets, then I will let myself have one big treat. Not sure what it will be yet, but it will be amazing. Then it will be back to the sugar strike again. I have probably lost a couple pounds, which is great, but not really my main goal.

I have 10 more days before I get a cheat and am really looking forward to that day. I am thankful for all my family and friends who are helping and encouraging me through this. Refusing home-made cake is pretty tough, but I have been managing. And my dear hubby is making my life much easier by not buying sweets and having a bunch of temptations in the house. So here's to the first 20 days!
Cheers!

Strike

It's been 5 days. 5 days without eating sweets. This is a difficult thing for me. I LOVE sweets. Cookies, cake, candy...it's really hard for me to resist my sweet tooth. Just looking at the picture of brownies I posted is making me regret this decision. But as I get older (yes I am getting older...), I find it harder and harder to stay in shape. Part of it is biology and age and the rest is a combination of food cravings and a hatred of the gym. I try my best to eat healthy foods as well and take vitamins every day, but it's just not enough.

I decided to test myself a little and see how hard it would be to stay away from the sweets and only eat one healthy snack after dinner. For me, this will be a challenge to say the least. I naturally stay up later so I feel hungry again around 10 at night, which usually causes me to munch later than I probably should. I know getting hungry every 4 hours is normal, but it's my choice in food that's not ideal.

So! I am on day 5 of my challenge and feeling pretty good. I will track my progress on here every once in a while and let you know how I am faring. Hopefully I will get lucky and drop a few pounds in the process, but mostly I am attempting to curb my sweet tooth a bit.
We will see how it goes...wish me luck!