Am I Insane?

The answer is a huge and resounding YES.

I am insane. Certifiably so.

Why? Well, obviously I'm going to tell you. Wouldn't that be kind of funny though? If I just left it at that. Not going to do that, though. I'm much nicer. Crazy, but nice.

Okay, back to why I'm insane. I have (as of this morning) embarked on a diet. Today is December 14 for those of you who don't know... eleven days until Christmas. Christmas-- not only the season for Jesus, but the season for food. Mostly for Jesus, though.

Being the huge foodie that I am, the holidays are always a joyous time for me. I look forward to the main dishes, the side dishes, the desserts, the recipes, the magazines, and everything else that has to do with food. This year, however, the problem has arisen that NONE OF MY PANTS FIT. I have never had this problem before and although I would love to go out and buy some new pants for myself it is A) not in the budget and B) I like the pants that I have in the sizes that they are. So, my options are A) lose some weight and the preferred option B) lose some weight. I am just waiting for the moment when some well meaning person asks me my due date. If that happens, you can surely count on seeing me arrested for assault on the news the next morning. Poor Tyler would be alone for Christmas then and we can't have that.

SO.

I am going on a modified diet until the new year. Modified meaning that I won't deprive myself of all the goodness that holiday food has to offer, but I will make smart choices when I can in my lunch, dinner, and snack choices. I also need to get my ever-expanding rear end into the gym because THE LORD KNOWS WE ARE PAYING OUT OF OUR EARS FOR IT.

I have taken a very organized and methodical approach to this since that has seemed to work for me in the past. I also know I can do this, even though, strangely enough, my biggest fear is that I can't. Last May, I was in the best shape of my life. I was eating right, my clothes fit, I was at a healthy weight and I trained for and completed a half marathon. I really, really am looking forward to that feeling again. I am planning on running the half marathon again barring any unforeseen circumstances and I need to start getting ready. After school today, I am going to head on over to the gym and WALK on the treadmill since my body has forgotten what exercise even is. I will build back up to that run soon enough.

I'm also going to make much better food choices. I have taken all my change out of my wallet so I can't just "drop by" the vending machine when I'm feeling the urge. I have brought some snacks to work that are good for me and that will curb my appetite. I made Texas Caviar and am munching on that for my lunch today. I was also very intentional about my meal plan this week and shopped ahead of time (with Tyler) so that I didn't buy random snacks at the store that I don't need. This was also helpful for our budgie*.

*Budgie is what I call our budget. It just sounds more friendly and pet-like.

My diet is really not a diet but a way of eating that has worked for me, my mom, and countless others. Basically, you cut all sugar and white flour from your diet. Add in exercise and the weight practically falls off. However, if you are addicted to carbs (like someone I know), it is hard to get those cravings out of your system. Persistence will pay off-- I promise. Here is our meal plan for the week:

Monday: Chicken Parmesan and Homemade Tomato Sauce with Whole Grain Pasta and Zucchini Crisps
Tuesday: Buffalo Chicken Tenders with Blue Cheese and Green Salad
Wednesday: Vegetable Beef Soup and Homemade Whole Grain Bread
Thursday: Crispy Chicken and Sweet Potato Fries (I will substitute sweet potatoes for white potatoes-- I think sweet potato fries are WAY better!)
Friday: We usually eat out on Friday. I will have to remember to share my (hopefully positive) meal choice afterwards.

I figured if I blogged about all of this, it would give me some accountability. I have to say, it feels good to know my cabinets are full of everything I need so I won't have to stop at the grocery store on the way home.

Today is going well so far, but lunch is looming. I'll keep you updated. Have a great day.