I woke up Saturday morning for the last time in my bed for the next month or so. My master bedroom, bathroom & closet are being redone by my pops, so the morning was full of moving stuff to the spare bedroom. I finally got in breakfast around 10 and had a bowl of strawberries and bananas. Quite a way to start the day. Around noon we began the demo of the bathroom and didn't stop til around 3 when I was famished! I ate a falafel patty and found my new favorite snack of the challenge: edamame. I love edamame normally, so I bought the frozen stuff and it was great. I threw on some soy sauce, probably not challenge approved, but Kate approved, and ate up the treat.
I went to my parents' house for dinner, mostly because I was exhausted and they have the air conditioning on. We decided to have whole wheat pita pizzas for dinner. I haven't had bread in a week, so it was a welcome meal. I had tomato sauce, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, tomato, onion, mushroom and black beans on my pizza. Stellar goodness.
My mom had had a brunch party earlier in the day and had made a tea with apple juice and two kinds of tea in it, so I tried that. I'm not sure if that was what made me feel horrible Saturday night or what, but boy oh boy did I not feel well.
I had weighed myself before I left my parents house and I've lost 9 pounds in one week. I think maybe my body is having problems adjusting that fast.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Day 5: the Picnic challenge
It is shaping up that each day of this challenge poses another obstacle.
This morning I was going golfing with the family for the Croatian Open. I had an apple for breakfast because I didn't want the green smoothie effect on my system while I was in the middle of the golf course without easy access to the facilites. I took a banana to eat halfway through the morning, but when I went to leave my house my garage door wouldn't open. My car was stuck inside. I had to call my dad to come and get me and in the rush to switch all my stuff to a different car, my banana got left behind. Oh boy did I want it bad around 10:30am.
We finished golf around 1:30 and I hadn't eaten since my apple at 6:30am. We went to the after-picnic and there was an entire spread of ..... meat. Sausage, turkey, brisket, ham. Yum. Potato salad and baked beans were also in attendance. Oh, and also there was lots and lots of cold beer. I sat at the picnic table and talked with family without eating a gosh darn thing. It was torture. Somewhat disheartening, but torture. This challenge will only last 42 days. I understand completely what is and is not good for me, and the social aspect of food and drink is good for me. Anything else makes me sorely unhappy. It is one of the reasons I will probably never stop drinking beer. It's what one does after a round of golf, while sitting at a baseball game or at a backyard bbq. I get that "customs" can be changed, but only if the necessity of changing is readily acceptable. It isn't for me.
I slowly enjoyed falafel and broccoli when I got home and felt a little proud for holding out, but also a little empty too. Not just of the food, but of the social sharing. It is what it is though, and probably for the better.
Mom made cashew stir fry for dinner with oodles of veggies and brown rice and it was quite yummy. Another keeper for even after the challenge is over.
The second obstacle of the day came at a birthday party. There were chips and dip and cookies and pretzels and oh.....tortilla chips. Man I love tortilla chips. I could eat a whole bag in one sitting. I resisted it all though and didn't drink anything because all they had was beer.
Work week 1 is complete and the challenge is still intact.
This morning I was going golfing with the family for the Croatian Open. I had an apple for breakfast because I didn't want the green smoothie effect on my system while I was in the middle of the golf course without easy access to the facilites. I took a banana to eat halfway through the morning, but when I went to leave my house my garage door wouldn't open. My car was stuck inside. I had to call my dad to come and get me and in the rush to switch all my stuff to a different car, my banana got left behind. Oh boy did I want it bad around 10:30am.
We finished golf around 1:30 and I hadn't eaten since my apple at 6:30am. We went to the after-picnic and there was an entire spread of ..... meat. Sausage, turkey, brisket, ham. Yum. Potato salad and baked beans were also in attendance. Oh, and also there was lots and lots of cold beer. I sat at the picnic table and talked with family without eating a gosh darn thing. It was torture. Somewhat disheartening, but torture. This challenge will only last 42 days. I understand completely what is and is not good for me, and the social aspect of food and drink is good for me. Anything else makes me sorely unhappy. It is one of the reasons I will probably never stop drinking beer. It's what one does after a round of golf, while sitting at a baseball game or at a backyard bbq. I get that "customs" can be changed, but only if the necessity of changing is readily acceptable. It isn't for me.
I slowly enjoyed falafel and broccoli when I got home and felt a little proud for holding out, but also a little empty too. Not just of the food, but of the social sharing. It is what it is though, and probably for the better.
Mom made cashew stir fry for dinner with oodles of veggies and brown rice and it was quite yummy. Another keeper for even after the challenge is over.
The second obstacle of the day came at a birthday party. There were chips and dip and cookies and pretzels and oh.....tortilla chips. Man I love tortilla chips. I could eat a whole bag in one sitting. I resisted it all though and didn't drink anything because all they had was beer.
Work week 1 is complete and the challenge is still intact.
Day 4: The BBQ Challenge
Day 4 brought one of the hardest challenges yet. The morning started out perfectly ok. I had a variation on the smoothie I've been having lately with banana, spinach, mango, strawberries and apple, but instead of almond milk, I switched it up for coconut water. From the time I woke up, my stomach just wasn't settled. Of course Thursday is my day of meetings, and I wasn't feeling great, but gotta power through.
The Senior VP of Business Development came down around 9 and asked if we (my boss and I) wanted to go to lunch with a visiting retailer. I asked where we were going and he said Johnny Carino's. He indicated that they have a salad bar and soup station. Perfect, I can make that work perfectly with the challenge.
When we were pulling in the parking lot of the restaurant though, the VP asked the visiting retailer which she'd rather have, Italian or BBQ. She chose bbq because in her words "You can have Italian anywhere, but when in Kansas City, one should get bbq."
Absolutely true statement, but as soon as she chose my boss and I looked at each other and laughed. What the heck were we going to eat?
The restaurant was Arthur Bryant's. Now here's the thing, I have an appreciation for the point made in this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/dining/a-vegetarians-struggle-for-sustenance-in-the-midwest.html?pagewanted=all, but bottom line is you don't go to a bbq restaurant and try to eat vegetarian or vegan. It is like going to a Chinese restaurant and asking for a taco. It just isn't the place.
I didn't have any choice though, this was where we were going. Nothing on the menu fit the stipulations of the challenge. The only meatless options were coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans (possibly?), french fries, and sweet potato fries. Another consideration was a smoked chicken. After much internal debate I went with coleslaw and sweet potato fries. I have no idea if this was the best option, but I tried to evaulate what I had to work with and came up with that. The coleslaw was filling, but unfortunately the sweet potato fries had a seasoning on them that included brown sugar. They were good, but not idea for a main entree.
I survived the challenge though. Of course we got a few questions as to why we weren't eating meat, but at least I felt good when my boss said he would have caved and had meat if I wouldn't have been there to lead the way. It really is best to do these things with support.
I didn't feel great after eating, I had a headache, but after I got back to the office and scarfed down a banana and half of an avocado, I was feeling better.
Mom made black bean tacos for dinner that were really yummy and having those and a big salad rounded out the first REALLY challenging day of the challenge.
The Senior VP of Business Development came down around 9 and asked if we (my boss and I) wanted to go to lunch with a visiting retailer. I asked where we were going and he said Johnny Carino's. He indicated that they have a salad bar and soup station. Perfect, I can make that work perfectly with the challenge.
When we were pulling in the parking lot of the restaurant though, the VP asked the visiting retailer which she'd rather have, Italian or BBQ. She chose bbq because in her words "You can have Italian anywhere, but when in Kansas City, one should get bbq."
Absolutely true statement, but as soon as she chose my boss and I looked at each other and laughed. What the heck were we going to eat?
The restaurant was Arthur Bryant's. Now here's the thing, I have an appreciation for the point made in this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/dining/a-vegetarians-struggle-for-sustenance-in-the-midwest.html?pagewanted=all, but bottom line is you don't go to a bbq restaurant and try to eat vegetarian or vegan. It is like going to a Chinese restaurant and asking for a taco. It just isn't the place.
I didn't have any choice though, this was where we were going. Nothing on the menu fit the stipulations of the challenge. The only meatless options were coleslaw, potato salad, baked beans (possibly?), french fries, and sweet potato fries. Another consideration was a smoked chicken. After much internal debate I went with coleslaw and sweet potato fries. I have no idea if this was the best option, but I tried to evaulate what I had to work with and came up with that. The coleslaw was filling, but unfortunately the sweet potato fries had a seasoning on them that included brown sugar. They were good, but not idea for a main entree.
I survived the challenge though. Of course we got a few questions as to why we weren't eating meat, but at least I felt good when my boss said he would have caved and had meat if I wouldn't have been there to lead the way. It really is best to do these things with support.
I didn't feel great after eating, I had a headache, but after I got back to the office and scarfed down a banana and half of an avocado, I was feeling better.
Mom made black bean tacos for dinner that were really yummy and having those and a big salad rounded out the first REALLY challenging day of the challenge.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
It's Day 3 and I'm cranky.
I'm not really sure if the crankiness has anything to do with the challenge, but I know it isn't helping.
I had the same smoothie for breakfast this morning that I had yesterday morning, but this morning I woke up starving. I guess the bean soup last night wasn't as filling as necessary.
For lunch I came home and had a cauliflower soup that my mom made for her and my dad last night. The soup was just too spicy for me. It wasn't hot spicy, well it was, but I think that spice was pepper. I'm not a pepper fan. I know that is a weird dislike, but I'm really not that fond of it. If I do use it, I do so very sparingly. But then again, I realized I'm not a big spice person in general. My favorite spice? Cinnamon. Or maybe cumin. I do like herbs, especially basil, but spices, especially curry are just not my thing.
I digress.
I did try to eat most of the soup because it was all I had, but I only made it about 3/4 of the way through, which was ok because, as per last night's reviews, the soup was very filling. I had some cherry tomatoes and grapes to finish off the lunch.
I had to have some peanuts when I got back to work to feel a little more full, but I was in a work meeting from 3pm on and I felt like I was talking forever. I started to get cranky then because my stomach was growling.
When I got home, I just couldn't decide what I wanted to make for dinner.I had to have a spoon of natural peanut butter to tide myself over while I decided. I wish someone would just provide me a list of what to eat each night and this would be better. I need to just make one in advance so I don't play this game all the time.
I ended up having falafel from a box. It was....spicy. Ha. I think it was corriander, but I masked it a bit with salsa and ate some broccoli with it and made it through. At least I was full. I have 9 more mini falafel patties in the fridge, so I better suck it up.
I had the same smoothie for breakfast this morning that I had yesterday morning, but this morning I woke up starving. I guess the bean soup last night wasn't as filling as necessary.
For lunch I came home and had a cauliflower soup that my mom made for her and my dad last night. The soup was just too spicy for me. It wasn't hot spicy, well it was, but I think that spice was pepper. I'm not a pepper fan. I know that is a weird dislike, but I'm really not that fond of it. If I do use it, I do so very sparingly. But then again, I realized I'm not a big spice person in general. My favorite spice? Cinnamon. Or maybe cumin. I do like herbs, especially basil, but spices, especially curry are just not my thing.
I digress.
I did try to eat most of the soup because it was all I had, but I only made it about 3/4 of the way through, which was ok because, as per last night's reviews, the soup was very filling. I had some cherry tomatoes and grapes to finish off the lunch.
I had to have some peanuts when I got back to work to feel a little more full, but I was in a work meeting from 3pm on and I felt like I was talking forever. I started to get cranky then because my stomach was growling.
When I got home, I just couldn't decide what I wanted to make for dinner.I had to have a spoon of natural peanut butter to tide myself over while I decided. I wish someone would just provide me a list of what to eat each night and this would be better. I need to just make one in advance so I don't play this game all the time.
I ended up having falafel from a box. It was....spicy. Ha. I think it was corriander, but I masked it a bit with salsa and ate some broccoli with it and made it through. At least I was full. I have 9 more mini falafel patties in the fridge, so I better suck it up.
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
Recipe Stumped: Day 2
The thing about this challenge is that it is easy for breakfast, somewhat easy for lunch and impossible for afternoon and dinner. I really have no problem eating green smoothies for breakfast. I make them the night before (today's was strawberries, blueberries, mango (which I won't eat again cause it is hairy), pear and spinach in it) and scarf them down quickly. I had grapes for my mid-morning snack and hit up the salad bar at Hen House for my lunch. There sure are some things that I love that can't be on my salad these days, like cheese, boiled eggs and croutons, but I made it through.
After work was WAY harder. I had unsalted peanuts for mid-afternoon snack, but had to bust out the celery and peanut butter directly after work because I wanted crackers or bread so much. I resisted though and managed to make it to dinner. I did have to pop open a bottle of wine, partly because today was stressful, and partly because I was hungry and needed something to do. Not a great reason, I know, but I started from the beginning saying my cheat was going to be wine.
I was having quite a time deciding what to make for dinner. I really wanted something with black beans which is totally random because I never crave black beans, but I ended up making a red and white bean soup with the veggies and spices in my parents' house. I would have loved a piece of bread with my soup, but had to settle for sliced tomatoes instead. A healthier option to be sure. I did have a piece of cheese before bed. Somehow the block has to get eaten so it doesn't go to waste.
I made it through day 2 after some serious doubts on whether I'd be able to do this. Can only take it one day at a time.
After work was WAY harder. I had unsalted peanuts for mid-afternoon snack, but had to bust out the celery and peanut butter directly after work because I wanted crackers or bread so much. I resisted though and managed to make it to dinner. I did have to pop open a bottle of wine, partly because today was stressful, and partly because I was hungry and needed something to do. Not a great reason, I know, but I started from the beginning saying my cheat was going to be wine.
I was having quite a time deciding what to make for dinner. I really wanted something with black beans which is totally random because I never crave black beans, but I ended up making a red and white bean soup with the veggies and spices in my parents' house. I would have loved a piece of bread with my soup, but had to settle for sliced tomatoes instead. A healthier option to be sure. I did have a piece of cheese before bed. Somehow the block has to get eaten so it doesn't go to waste.
I made it through day 2 after some serious doubts on whether I'd be able to do this. Can only take it one day at a time.
Monday, May 14, 2012
Eat to Live: day 1
A few people I work with bought a book last week: Eat to Live. There is a much longer and fancier title, but the gist of it is how to eat healthy and lose weight. After much hubub, these colleagues decided they were going to do this "eating plan". Ok, for real, it's a diet, but supposedly leads to a lifestyle change instead of just a temporary diet.
The initial plan is for 42 days and the food one can eat consists of vegetables, fruit, nuts and beans. In other words, not much. I decided that I would take this challenge with my colleagues, and decided against buying the book because I have read enough about not eating animal products and dairy to know that it isn't the healthiest way to live. My mom decided her and my dad were going to try the diet change too, so this past weekend we did what we could to eat meals that we would miss while on the challenge.
Saturday I had a burger, Sunday lasagna and apple pie. We went grocery shopping and only went to the produce department and the bean aisle. My house is sufficiently stocked. Except I had tuna and white bean salad in the fridge and a block of cheese.
We started the challenge today, but I didn't officially start, and won't, until the tuna and cheese are gone. Probably by the end of the week. I decided not to waste food, but won't buy any more dairy until after the 42 days.
This morning for breakfast, after the chest and back P90X workout, I had a green "popeye" smoothie with strawberries, blueberries, a banana and spinach. Yum.
Lunch I didn't really think was going to be difficult until a retailer decided to take a co-worker and I to Chili's. Let me just help you understand that Chili's is not a place to go if one does not eat meat or fish. There were two options. I was going to get fire roasted corn guacamole with a side of black beans, but they couldn't take the jalepenos out of the guac, so I got a salad with a bunch of fruit on it. Not exciting, but pretty tasty. The biggest problem though was after lunch. I was starving.
I had to eat some unsalted peanuts at my desk to hold of my stomach eating itself, and one of the other women came by with a sliced up apple to help. This is gonna be rough.
Dinner was the tuna and white bean salad.
After golf I came home and had two slices of cheese and a bowl of peas. The biggest challenge of this whole things is that I think about food for a living. We'll see how it goes. I'm going to try and blog everyday about what I eat. I hope this will keep me accountable and chronicle the challenge for anyone interested.
The initial plan is for 42 days and the food one can eat consists of vegetables, fruit, nuts and beans. In other words, not much. I decided that I would take this challenge with my colleagues, and decided against buying the book because I have read enough about not eating animal products and dairy to know that it isn't the healthiest way to live. My mom decided her and my dad were going to try the diet change too, so this past weekend we did what we could to eat meals that we would miss while on the challenge.
Saturday I had a burger, Sunday lasagna and apple pie. We went grocery shopping and only went to the produce department and the bean aisle. My house is sufficiently stocked. Except I had tuna and white bean salad in the fridge and a block of cheese.
We started the challenge today, but I didn't officially start, and won't, until the tuna and cheese are gone. Probably by the end of the week. I decided not to waste food, but won't buy any more dairy until after the 42 days.
This morning for breakfast, after the chest and back P90X workout, I had a green "popeye" smoothie with strawberries, blueberries, a banana and spinach. Yum.
Lunch I didn't really think was going to be difficult until a retailer decided to take a co-worker and I to Chili's. Let me just help you understand that Chili's is not a place to go if one does not eat meat or fish. There were two options. I was going to get fire roasted corn guacamole with a side of black beans, but they couldn't take the jalepenos out of the guac, so I got a salad with a bunch of fruit on it. Not exciting, but pretty tasty. The biggest problem though was after lunch. I was starving.
I had to eat some unsalted peanuts at my desk to hold of my stomach eating itself, and one of the other women came by with a sliced up apple to help. This is gonna be rough.
Dinner was the tuna and white bean salad.
After golf I came home and had two slices of cheese and a bowl of peas. The biggest challenge of this whole things is that I think about food for a living. We'll see how it goes. I'm going to try and blog everyday about what I eat. I hope this will keep me accountable and chronicle the challenge for anyone interested.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Perks of the Job
One of the perks of my job (there aren't a ton), is random tickets to Royals games. On Friday, the group sales manager brought me tickets to today's game against the Yankees. I called the only Yankee fan I know to see if he wanted to go to the game, but he couldn't because he already had two family events planned. Today is my parents' 34th wedding anniversary, and they decided they didn't want to go, so I invited some friends. Going to a game with these tickets is only slightly different than going and having to buy tickets. We got a parking pass and didn't get in the park til the top of the 2nd, but since it had poured rain this morning, the weather wasn't as hot as it was yesterday. We took our seats and admired the view. Not too shabby at all. The beers were still $9.50, but after settling in under cloudy skies, we only had to deal with a bit of hot sun. Sadly, we also had to deal with a 10-4 Yankees win, but that didn't diminish the fun had.
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