Thus, when our friends suggested that we try a diet they had just completed with their cross-fit brethren, I immediately said "HELL NO." But the husband for some unknown reason, was insistent that this was something we had to give a chance. So rather than completing an 8 week challenge, I agreed to four weeks of no bread, cheese, sugar or beer. Luckily for me the diet does not prohibit wine, although it does caution only one glass per day is permitted. (This rule is one that I openly admitted I would be ignoring, for Christ's sake, I have three kids, you cannot take my wine from me. Ever.)
The diet started two weeks ago, when I loaded up the grocery cart with fresh vegetables, chicken, salmon, low fat yogurt and a variety of other no carb-no-fun foods. I actually felt a little excited by this challenge and curious about how eating differently would make me feel.
With the exception of wine and a few sour patch kids, I have done a pretty damn good job of following the diet. Part of the challenge includes "reflection," so I thought I would reflect right here for you, my lucky *three* readers.....
1) IT SUCKS
2) IT SUCKS
3) I miss carbs mostly in the morning, and I struggle to find something that I enjoy for breakfast. My go-to has always been half a bagel (or a whole if it was a particularly good bagel) with cream cheese. Now I am trying to scramble eggs while doing my hair and and screaming at my kids to get ready already, or else I'm left with a sad bowl of cottage cheese. One day at the recommendation of my husband, I tried oatmeal ( an option noted as "acceptable" on the holy grail/ cross-fit list of appropriate diet foods.) I was hopeful that the boost of carbs would give me the energy I needed for a morning run, however one bite of the gelatinous slop and I was back to cottage cheese. God damn, do I miss bagels.
4) IT SUCKS
5) Snacking is really hard, you have to plan, and I am not good at planning. On a recent afternoon at the office I was starving and scrounging the kitchen for snacks. Turns out the company's idea of healthy snacks include, pretzels, granola bars, "fun-sized" bags of mini oreos and cheese sticks. All of which are listed as no-no's. So instead of a snack I sat at my desk and cried into my diet coke. (YES, I know it should have been water.)
6) Holidays are hard. We had Easter last weekend, and while I am not particularly tempted by jelly beans or Peeps, it was hard creating a dinner that felt special without... carbs and cheese. We ended up with a ham, some green beans, and some sweet potatoes. MEH. It didn't feel special. It felt sad.
7) IT SUCKS
8) Most of the best foods have cheese. And I can't eat them, thus, this diet SUCKS.
9) I no longer look forward to meal time, because it's either cottage cheese, or a hunk of meat and some vegetables. BORING. (Spare me Gwyenth Paltrow and your super healthy recipes, I have no personal chef and I do NOT have the time to make your marinated-yellowtail-with-plums-fennel-and-pistachio dinner. )
So there you have it folks. Our friends who suggested the diet had tremendous success with it and lost a significant amount of weight. I have a no-weighing-myself rule, so I don't know if eliminating all good foods has made any impact on my body, but so far, my guess is, not really. But lets be honest, in the end I am just doubling up on ham and haven't given up my wine.
So friends, two weeks of the sucking diet to go.... and tonight it's veggie chili, which I usually like,(ton top of a glorious pile of noodles, or in a heavenly bread bowl.) But I will persevere. I will not give in to my intense cravings for an everything bagel smothered in cream cheese, I will finish the task, complaining all the way.
Special thanks to my unnamed Cross-Fit-Freak friends (you know who you are.) All I can say is I must really respect you to try this shit. xoxox
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| Not giving up my wine, thank you very much. |
Great stuff :)
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for reading!
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