Thursday, March 25, 2010

Salivating at a Salad Bar

Is this even possible?  I was standing before the wonderful Salad Bar at Wegmans today at lunch time before Jose's Soccer practice, (our lunch date out in Mechanicsburg), looking at salad greens, green peppers, cherry tomatoes and the "dry" things - not even the juicy, prepared side of the bar, and I was salivating!  It is even happening now as I right these words.  I am hungry.  Today is the first day of a much needed sugar cleanse.  I'm not sure how much of my calories per day was made up of sugars and refined grains, but it must have been a lot, because now (and for 10 days total) I am down to maybe a bit of sugar in a whole wheat pita, and those in some vegetables. 

What is it that Larry and I am doing?  The Sonoma Diet, publ. 2005, and first ed. found at Ollies!  Yes this is an old, maybe out of fashion diet, but it is a very smart way to look at food and in the later parts of it, the cooking is basically Mediterranean and very much like we have been eating, only with more meat than the vegan meals I have been making since January.  So as I was on my vegetarian and whole grain start-up, Larry was reading through The Sonoma Diet.  He would bring up things from this book and I was already doing them in my cooking.  However, what was left to do was actually follow it in some order.  This plan has 3 Waves lasting different time frames until a healthy habit of eating is established.  Wave 1 "is designed for fast initial weight loss as well as overcoming your sugar and refined grain cravings" ( i.e. getting the white out).  Sounds good to me, I need to lose between 30 and 40 pounds.  Yes, there I said it. Yes it is true. And yes, I don't remember which weight it was that I felt really good and could wear my size, what I think is my natural size. Perhaps that would include fitting into my wedding dress again, or some of those ridiculous L.L. Bean shorts that have women's natural waist line cutting in at the top. Wait, maybe I don't want those. As may be evident, lack of sugar on the first day is making me ramble, forget and have huge run-on sentences . . . and salivate.  What the heck!

Larry has already lost 10 pounds since January and thanking me all the time.  And me, I have gained about 5 pounds - really!  I know it is snacking and sugars and white flour and all the things that mindlessly went into my mouth and which occupied me so that I never had time to salivate.  Now, my hyper-time while multitasking and eating along the way, is going to be multitasking solo, sans treats.  This challenge is all the more difficult considering the kitchen is literally the center of our home.  I told Larry this morning that whenever I feel a craving coming on that I would pause and do some of the 30 yoga poses on this cheat sheet I have.  Good idea he says (I think he said that), just don't think of yogurt instead.  Nice encouragement there dear!
 
At least we are starting this together.  I looked at the calendar and noticed that today through to the Saturday before Easter Sunday, is exactly the 10 days needed for Wave 1.  And so we begin.  We can rejoice on Easter and hopefully see renewal and Spring awakening!
 
I will beat this thing, and along the way, well maybe I can practice something else that needs much work, a nice neat stream-lined spit.  I have the resource.  Sugar cravings be damned!

Monday, March 22, 2010

February - SNOW!

True winter hit us three times this February.  This led to much shoveling and snowblowing and plowing help from our wonderful neighbor.  Snows also led us to sledding and snowshoeing (Jose got his first pair - thankfully Dad had a work trip up to Mass. and found a pair on sale - none to be found in our area).  Yes, record snows in D.C.  and much hoopla in news.  We all loved being out in it as much as possible. 

As I am writing this 2 days into spring - I find I don't have as much enthusiam for the past cold weather - reminiscing is not cutting it!  But I do want to have photos up for goodness sake!  And there were great vegetarian dinners throughout the month, and all through to present.  I'll write more about that later.  Lists and bulleted lists and photos - yes, that will help me keep up with this journaling thing.  And the thought that Jose may read this someday - if the format of a Blog still exists in 5 or 10 years - transfers to new ways will be forthcoming I'm sure.

Snowdrift on hill (Larry's pic!)


"Pull Daddy" - Back up hill at Co. Denning


On his own  - even up the small hills


Snowshoeing around the yard. 
Not as many deep drifts by the time Jose got his snowshoes.


Ohh the wind!!  Too funny - Abbey girl!


O.K., March 22 and T-ball tonight with Dad. "Step, stand like a scarecrow, swing the ball past your ear, twist at your waist." This is how Jose described to me how to throw a baseball! How come no one ever told me this? No wonder I always threw like a wet noodle with arthritic spasms. My 5 year old knows more than I did in his first day out with a coach. I can live vicariously through his t-ball wonders and hopefully erradicate all bad memories of softball tryouts in 7th grade - of which I did not make the team (who cuts kids from the 7th & 8th grade team anyway?!) The track team was sooo much better - and I could run and jump - thank you legs!