This isn't living...

5 days... I want to say I've noticed a difference, but I don't think my body works that fast. This diet though is starting to feel very ... I dunno, boring seems like the best word to describe it.

Remember, that for almost an entire year now, I have eaten the same breakfast, the same 3 mini-meals consisting of fruit and protein, and the same chicken salad for dinner with some exception as a treat, and I didn't find THAT boring.

This fella eats some random things for dinner, but the same thing for breakfast and lunch everyday! I LOVE salad, but even I find salad for two meals a day tedious.

I remember being hungry in the first week, and I am again this time. I go to bed a wee bit hungry, but I know that this is about re-training my indulgent tummy to need less food. But this guy is eating the same vegetables all day, no fruit, no full grains. Something in my head is screaming that this is not an healthy way to lose weight.And again, it's kinda boring.

So what to do? I think I am going to use both diets, mashed up and see if that makes me a little happier. A little of this, a little of that is always the magic recipe that my honey uses to whip up his delightful meals in the kitchen.

*I'll keep the 'no booze' aspect. That's just good for my wallet.
*I'll keep the 'monster salad' for dinner, since that is essentially what I do regularly anyways.
*I'll keep up the 'no sugar', but revise it so that it's more about no 'refined sugar' and allow myself some fruit as a treat.
*I'll introduce some whole grains to my breakfast because I can't cook omelets at work and really wasn't enjoying having the same veg in my omelet that I had in my salad for the TWO meals!
*I'll have to figure out some of the smaller meals, but I will keep fruit and dairy to a minimum. - this will need a bit more thought.

What really prompted me to write this today was the 'going away' party that occurred for a co-worker. One of my favorite treats, in steady competition with Peanut-butter cups, is mini coconut cupcakes from 'Cupcakes'. I FRAKKIN' love these tiny crack-cakes and there they were just asking to be devoured by me. I was literally huffing the smell of them as I passed them on. Believe it or not that actually helped me with my will-power. Yes they would be delicious but it would also make me feel guilty. But I DID pass them on.

I was proud of myself, true, but the denial of pleasure I would have derived from that decadent morsel made me question why I am doing this. I am a FOODIE people! I LOVE food. Next to my loved ones, it's my passion. I watch the Food Network religiously and believe that it's the only reason to have cable other than "Game of Thrones". (If I could have HBO and Food Network only, I'd be a happy customer - hint hint ROGERS). Anyways, this whole denial thing feels terrible. Isn't this why we live? To indulge in what makes us most happy?

Ultimately, I think my lesson learned here is portion control. I eat pretty healthy most days, but when I indulge I indulge BIG, so let's see how I do with moderation. :)

Here's to happy tummies.

Battle of my bulge

Ah weight gain... FUCK YOU!

ahem, well now that that is out of my system allow me to continue in a more lady-like manner.

I'm on a diet again. Y'see, I was born with an inactive thyroid. The useless gland just sits there, and has caused me many, many years of grief with regards of my weight. It is the roller coaster that I am constantly riding in the background of my life. I go for blood tests regularly, have seen specialists for most of my life and take a pill everyday, the dose of which changes regularly depending on my weight.

Last year, at the heaviest I've been since I was 18 (I was 190lbs at 18, about 160 last year), I was finding that all of my clothes weren't fitting and I was struggling to want to get dressed in the morning; in general I was pissed off at my weak-ass metabolism, and moody. So I started this awesome meal plan that was super simple, and suuuuuper effective. My co-worker had concocted it for himself, then modified it for women, it worked and I loved it.

The Plan: For breakfast I had the superhero breakfast, a protein bar for a snack, 1/2 cup pineapple and 3/4 cup cottage cheese for lunch, an apple and egg for afternoon snack, and then a chicken salad for dinner with a tablespoon of oil and one of vinegar. I ate like this repeatedly for 6 weeks, and lost about 40lbs! I did yoga for exercise about 3 times a week. None of that wimpy 'Yin' yoga, it was allllll about Hatha and Power yoga!

I was in bliss.
I felt amazing!
I wore clothes that I had held onto for yeeeeears and had fantasized about wearing but never thought it was possible. I didn't have 'skinny' clothes, I had 'fantasy' clothes.

I managed to hold onto that weight and fitness for a whole year, and still drink beer! I met and fell head over heels for my BF, Bry-man, and felt sexier than ever!It was so effective that I just kept on eating the meal plan for most of that year.

But then... just when happiness was at it's zenith for me, I went back on the birth-control pill and seemed to balloon over night. BOOOOOOOOO MOTHERFUCKIN HORMONES! Whoa, I lost my calm again!

Yea, I blame the hormones..... combined with Bry's and my love affair with IPA and other craft brewed beers.... combined with that shitty, useless thyroid, and weak-ass metabolism. I just want to scream at them and tell them to wake up, get to work, earn your keep!

Well, I'm back up to about 160lbs (it's approximate because I loathe scales and prefer to base my happiness on what fits vs. my weight). And now I'm giving myself 28 days with no booze, dairy and super minimal sugar to see if I can get back into at least some of the new clothes I bought while fit in the last year.

I'm following this fellow's basic diet on www.blobmosis.com. I'm on day 4, and I'm doing good. Eating healthy, looooots of water, and actually not craving any of the stuff that I've cut out. The fantasy of fitting back into clothes I love is a very strong motivator.

All of that said... it's frustrating to think that if I want to be happy and eat and drink the way I'd like to, I will just go back to the same weight. I enjoy big Indian dinners, paired with a nice wine, pizza, burgers, beer.... but alas... my metabolism keeps putting in Workers Comp claims and the work keeps piling up in it's absence.

Gosh, it'd be nice to plateau for longer than a year so I could keep just ONE wardrobe! :)

I'll keep you posted on my success. I'm feeling pretty good right now, but haven't noticed any weight loss. Probably because I make HUGE salads. Well, hopefully I'll see some results!

Day 28 lands on my birthday, on which day the champagne will be free flowing!
Wish me luck, or don't. Either way, it ends with Champagne! :D

D&D live at the RIO

A few months ago, (and every month since) Bry-man and I had a nice date night break to alleviate my major project deluge and took to the Broadway and Commercial area for dinner and a show.

Dinner needed to be nearby the Rio theatre (our entertainment venue for the eve) so we headed to St. Augustine's pub .... This isn't just ANY pub! It boasts 40-odd craft beers scrolling on a large screen TV, displaying how much of each keg is left. So you know before you order if your choice is available.
 

They have the most impressive selection of IPA's that I've ever seen on tap (with Toronado's in San Fran, the title holder) and most of them, if not all, were from the west coast. Bryan and I dove in. I had a light, jasmine-infused beauty from Seattle first and a second from Oregon that claimed to have all sorts of flower and spice essences, but yielded a standard but delicious IPA flavor.

They have some pretty incredible nachos (but Bryan's are better) which we elected to add the pulled pork to. Damn fine choice, and I can't believe we finished them!

Spitz takes it in the face--AGAIN!

At 7 we headed to the Rio Theatre to enjoy a D&D live improv event called the Critical Hit Show. Joanna Gaskell (Edda the Barbarian) from Standard Action was present, along with her co-stars "the players", namely: Shaun Stewart (Thrask Hellbeard), Allen Morrsion (Spitz Lube'n), Ian Boothby (Benoit the Anointed), Lauren McGibbon (Grima Windwords) and the DM: Eric Fell. Each played out a D&D character armed with toy weapon and power reference cards.

The show was interactive, and audience members were brought up to play the villains! It was a hilarious night, and is fun for anyone that does or has ever play D&D.Though haters be warned, they play 4th Edition. I could easily see this becoming a dress up event as popularity grows!

The Rio is licensed and offers wine, beer and some cocktails! Some decent beer selection too! Local Granville Island selections and Red Racer were available.

Be sure to check out the next Critical Hit Show, happening the last Wednesday of the month. Good fun for $8 bucks!