April 24, 2011

Easter Sabotage

I am so full. This whole Easter thing is killing my diet.
I love ice cream. I love dessert. I love pie.
I am an intelligent, rational, aware human being. I know that I should eat fewer sugars. I know it. But, without fail, the after dinner urge for a "little something sweet" always takes control of my brain.

So, in an attempt to be healthier (and to dull my addiction for dessert) I resolved to cut myself off from sweets of any kind for 7 whole days. I've read about other people trying to wean themselves off sugar completely (not possible for muah) and they all say the cravings in the first week or two are killer. Needless to say, I was going into this experiment with the expectation of torture.

I made it five whole days without eating any kind of dessert/refined sugar treat. Then my mom/church sent me a big box of easter candy. I gave most of it away to my dorm friends, promising to limit myself to one piece of candy a day for an after dinner treat.

This was all I kept for myself out of a big flat rate box:
Then my grandma sent me chocolate chip cookies. It's sabotage I tell you!
I should have thought about the Easter Holiday before I planned this little experiment. I fully intend to try it again because it (surprisingly) wasn't that bad. I thought that I was going to be having withdrawals after the first night, but that wasn't the case. Thinking that the "ritual" aspect of eating something sweet after dinner may have been partially to blame, I allowed myself to eat something after dinner, just not something processed or high in refined sugar; a piece of whole wheat toast with almond butter, yogurt, or fresh fruit. I also started drinking English Breakfast Tea at night, and it really seemed to curb my cravings.


I spent Easter Sunday with my Grandma who lives in Corvallis, Oregon. She drove up to Portland and we went to church and then to brunch at Jake's Grill, an established Portland restaurant.
They had a special Easter brunch menu and I ordered traditional eggs benedict; something I love but never make myself. We had to wait a really long time for our food, but the atmosphere is pleasant and my grandma can talk!
My brunch was really good. It was supposed to come with breakfast potatoes, but I was feeling so guilty from devouring a complimentary hot crossed bun, that I opted for fresh fruit instead. Go me!
I also talked my grandma out of ordering dessert (berry cobbler, one of my favorites). Go me again! Then I came home and promptly ate one of her cookies. Fail me.

I am definitely not a runner. Especially a distance runner. The elliptical is my home, but I did go for two outdoor runs this weekend because the weather was so nice! An epic one on Friday (epic for me) and a shorter one on Saturday. The longer run was about 7.6 miles, which I completed in 1:10. Not bad for this **quadzilla! This is me post-long run, in my sweet gear, doing the ever-classy-cellphone-and-mirror-shot. Note the look of exhausted shock:
I was so stoked about that run, that I thought I could do it again the next day. Never before have I been so wrong. I made it 4.6 miles in 45 minutes and was suckin' wind like nobody's business. I think part of the problem was the location. The Portland waterfront is a great jogging path, but on a sunny day (yesterday was glorious!) people are out in droves. Weaving in and out of pedestrian/bike traffic really threw off my pace, and I couldn't find my rhythm. I also did a ton of walking earlier in the day. Today my hips are feeling it (I think from pounding the pavement?) so I'm going to hit the gym, do a little weight lifting, and return to my low impact elliptical friend. I gotta do something to work off this sabotaged weekend!

**Quadzilla was my nickname from my high school softball team. In my family, big thighs are genetic, and while mine aren't fat, they are really big in comparison to the rest of my body. When I would go up to bat, my team members used to scream and yell "Oh no, it's QUADZILLA!" I love them. Good times.
I'm the one on the far left with the shades, making a nasty bro face:

1 comment:

  1. I always get a strong sweet tooth craving after dinner as well! Something small and then I'm good!

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