Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Me Hungry

Casey is now over a year old, and I think it's official.  The "baby" weight has turned into my weight.  It's all mine.

Despite my best efforts, I am just not looking like my pre-Casey self.  And yes, I know, pregnancies change you and you'll never look exactly the same, but really?  Really?  This is how it's going to be?

This summer, I put my nose to the grindstone and said enough.  Enough!  I did Jillian Michaels every friggin day for weeks (and I hate that woman).  I counted calories - as in, every time a morsel of food or liquid went into my mouth it was recorded on a scrap of paper in the kitchen.  I bought disgusting weight watchers microwave meals and endured them.  I stopped watching Top Chef reruns, because it was just too painful.

My efforts were rewarded, and I did end up losing weight.  I got down to my pre-pregnancy weight, plus one pound.  Which I figured isn't so bad.  I'd allow myself the excess pound if it meant I could cut Jillian Michaels out of my life.

Once I had gotten to my baseline, I figured I was in the clear. I mean, one can't live like this forever, right?

Since then, my life has been lived in five pound increments.  Eat like a normal person, gain five pounds, freak out, put myself through misery for a few weeks, lose five pounds, and then rinse and repeat.   Right now I am in the down cycle.  Aka, Jillian Michaels, apple chips, misery.

And I. AM. HUNGRY.

Yesterday was a low day.  A low, low, day.  Yogurt and toast for breakfast, with milk and then a coffee.  By noon, I was famished.  But no, no, I mustn't eat.  I must suffer.  Which only makes me cranky and emotional. So emotional, in fact, that after reading Mona Simpson's eulogy for her brother, Steve Jobs, I couldn't stop the crying.  As in, I picked Braden up from school and my eyes were still puffy and Braden's teacher asked me if I was okay, and all I could mutter was, "Hungry. Steve Jobs." 

The day continued, and I indulged myself in an Amy's vegan spinach and cheese enchilada, which was in a word, nasty.  I then treated myself to a 100 calorie bag of popcorn, which was the highlight of the day, but not fulfilling at all.  There's a reason those bags are only 100 calories. There is hardly any popcorn there, people!

Then I did a Jillian Michaels video and cursed every damn minute of it.

Once dinner time came around, I fed the kids and held out for my reward for the day.  A salad from my favorite place, Sweetgreen.  Hubby would come home, and I would pass him coming in as I walked out the door to pick up my salad with tofu, wasabi peas, hearts of palm, goat cheese, beets, and miso ginger dressing.  (My own concoction and SO yummy).

Around 7:00pm, Hubby calls to break the news that he would not be coming home anytime soon. He said this, but all I heard was:  You will not be getting your salad.  

I cried.  I cried big, heavy tears for the salad that should have been, but wouldn't be.

The kids went to sleep, and I ordered Thai food.  It was disgusting.

I NEED SOME GOOD FOOD.

I am in luck, though.  November is my birthday month.  There are all sorts of visitors and celebrations and dinners out.  So this morning, I did what any normal person would do.  I reviewed the menus of all of the restaurants I will be visiting this month, and decided what I would order at each one.  Because that's what one does.  Here are the results:

Food, Wine & Co. (Bethesda, MD)
- I shall order the Crab Dip and the Crispy Tuna Salad.

Continental (Philadelphia, PA)
- I shall order the Szechuan Shoestring Fries, the Crispy Calamari Salad, and the Lobster Mac-n-Cheese.

Spice Market (NYC)
- I shall order the Spiced Chicken Samosas with Cilantro Yogurt and the Halibut Cha Ca La Vong.

Rasika (DC)
- I shall partake in the chef's tasting menu with wine pairings and enjoy every minute.

Alright, now I am officially starving and drooling at the mouth.

Why, muffin top.  Why?

8 comments:

  1. Enjoy Rasika. We've done the chef's tasting menu with wine pairings and it is awesome.

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  2. @ Jodifur, thank you! My husband always gets to go there for work lunches, and I get jealous. So I picked it as my birthday restaurant this year. :)

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  3. I too loathe Jillian Michaels, but I do her exercise videos anyway. Why do we subject ourselves to such pain? I hate her.

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  4. Dammit, now I need Sweetgreen. To Ballston, to Ballston, to BUY A DELICIOUSLY ADDICTIVE FANCY SALAD!

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  5. I've found the Chopt salad calculator to be really helpful when trying to watch what my calories! A life saver for my diet!

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  6. Wait, there's a Sweetgreen in Ballston? I must try! I have heard about it, but never tried.

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  7. Spice Market is AWESOME. And, apart from Spice Market, you should not be hungry. It's nt fair Try eating protein in the morning (hard boiled egg, greek yogurt) along with the carbs (toast, oatmeal, fruit). If you are hungry by 10, make your morning serving bigger. Eat alot of veggies and whole grains. These will fill you up! No one should EVER suffer through 100 calorie packs of anything or diet food. ick. If you concentrate every day, or week, one a different goal (like, today I will eat 4 servings of fruits and veggies. next week I will switch half of my processed grains to whole grains) it is manageable.

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  8. This is hysterical! I loved it. All the restaurants and their foods made me want to visit them now. Only we are a little far away. On my next trip to DC I will be sure to visit SWEETGREEN and Rasika...delish! Diets suck, eat moderately and enjoy life. We only get one of them!

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