Wednesday, 9/29/10:

WEIGHT before eating today:  156.5
 

Daily Calorie Goal:  1200 or less

Total calories eaten today:  Over 2000.  (Movie binge, BLAH.)

The first two-thirds of today's eating was much like yesterday's, and it was pretty easy to stick to it.  I was focused.  I knew my evening was going to be an un-counted calorie-fest, because I was planning to see a matinee at 4:40 with my teenager.  That would mean popcorn, pop, maybe movie candy, and quite possibly Cold Stone afterward.  I love Mommy-daughter time.  (And no, we don't limit our "fun" time together to eating.  That would be irresponsible parenting...)

I spent most of the day not eating much of anything.  I wasn't overly hungry, and because I had no carbs in my system, my hunger-pangs were never annoying.  I had a total of two cups of hot tea, two glasses of ice tea, a grapefruit, a few bites of baby's apple,  and 3 hard-boiled egg whites.  That was it - 375 calories total, up until 4:40 p.m.


Then all "fat" broke loose. 

"I SWEAR, I only eat LEAVES!"

I did try to reign it in - I had looked up the calorie-content in movie popcorn & pop, as well as Good & Plenty and even Cold Stone ice creams and toppings.  I knew it wasn't going to be pretty.  I toyed with the idea of skipping one or two of the looming treats.  I got a "kiddie pack" buttered popcorn (470 calories) and root beer (100 calories) and ate part of my box of Good & Plenty (about 200 calories), rather than snarfing the entire box.  But then, I polished off the teenager's pretzels bites.  With plastic-flavored cheese.  I have no idea how many calories they had, but they didn't taste the greatest and I ate them anyway, because I HATE throwing food away.  


We actually skipped Cold Stone - we were both too full for it (the miracle!) - and got home around 7:45 p.m.  


I'm not sure what happened once I was home, except to say that all the preztel and candy carbs in my system must have done it.  I was suddenly hit with this MASSIVE hunger.  I HAD to eat something.  I was looking in the fridge for anything; always a dangerous activitiy.  I was frantically thinking, "How can I not completely blow it???"  All I wanted was BREAD.  White-flour, globby-gluten.  The urge was over-powering, and kind of freaked me out, to be honest.  


I did the only thing I could think of that would control the situation; I grabbed a Healthy Choice 'All Natural Entree' "Pumpkin Squash Ravioli" frozen meal.  I LOVE these.  300 calories.

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I washed it down with a Mike's Classic Raspberry Margarita.  Naturally.  (235 calories.)

Where can I find the "Traditional Lime" flavor?!

I went to bed early, around 9:15, feeling pretty gluttonous.  But I was also hopeful, knowing that I had consolidated all of my carb-cramming into the last four hours of my day.  The Carb Addict's Diet only allows ONE hour for your reward meal, but I knew from prior experience that sometimes, when practiced rarely, even four hours of "reward eating" won't kill your diet completely.  The fact that I ate so little in the first nine hours of my day helped a lot.

I NEVER diet when there is a special occasion to attend.  NEVER.  I've tried, and I always feel like it's kind of... rude.  I mean, what's the point of going out to dinner in a nice restaurant if you're going to order a side salad and a glass of water, while you watch whoever you're with devour a fabulous meal?  I can't do it.  That brand of masocism never worked for me.

It's the same with the holidays.  I LOVE the holidays, especially the amazing food.  Traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, gravy, stuffing, gravy, fresh dinner rolls (white!) with butter, mashed potatoes, gravy, squash, mushroom-wild rice, GRAVY, jellied cranberries, pistachio-marshmallow salad, Chex Party Mix, etc.  I love it ALL, right down to the pickle and olive tray.  And the PIES!  Usually three different kinds, pumpkin with Cool Whip, apple and pecan with ice cream...Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I will NOT count these calories.

PURE decadence.

Also traditionally, after gaining my five Thanksgiving pounds, I look ahead to Christmas.  Another massive feast, nearly identical to the Thanksgiving blow-out, except with Christmas comes Grandma Plank's Danish Kringle smeared with powdered sugar frosting and globs of real butter.  I often begin the New Year ten pounds heavier than I was on Thanksgiving morning.  There's always the actual day of a feast, followed by however-many days of left-overs - turkey sandwiches on Wonder bread (OK, maybe I'll try Ezekiel this year for my sandwich...), more stuffing, more wild rice, more GRAVY, and more pie.  Let's face it; the holiday feasting takes days to really wind down around here.

Dough, brown sugar, almonds, BUTTER.  FABULOUS!

This year, I'll try to do better.  I won't count calories on those days, but I don't have to use an actual shovel to eat everything, either.  

Proof that these folks are human after all.