Wagons, Vitamins, and Lamb Meatballs?

I must confess something. I'm not doing well with this whole diet thing...

Okay, here's what happened. Yesterday I went to Caribou Coffee soon after posting. As you all know, the 7-grain oatmeal is my favorite thing they have. It wasn't till I was half-way through it I realized what I'd done... Gluten Guilt!

And then there was today. It started off in class, when I arrived to my lab to discover that it was fermented food day! So we made yogurt, and tried a verity of things including olives, pickles, and fermented tofu... yes, there's gluten in tofu. Of course the tofu was very strong-tasting so I immediately ate a cracker... gluten there too.

I also fell off the wagon with the chocolate, but I had reasonable cause and nobody can fault me! I talked to a friend of mine this morning. Instead of hearing the usual chipper "Hell-o!" I get from this dear girl, I got a sniffly "Hi." Apparently her dog died last night. It was unexpected, and she loved the dog very much. I really didn't have a choice. As soon as I was done with class, I went to the convenience store and bought two pints of chocolaty ice cream. (At this point some may say that I could have just gotten her one pint, but it just doesn't work that way. It's not healthy to drown your sorrows in ice cream by yourself.)

So that's where I am today. I didn't have a chance to exercise because all my exercise clothes are in the bottom of the laundry hamper...

So that vitamin incident. I've been taking Women's One a Day Active Metabolism for a while now. A month ago, I was having a terrible time sleeping. Meng likes the mattress extra firm and I was convinced that our bed was at fault for my tossing and turning. I tried sleeping on the couch a few nights. The first night I had been studying and barely even brushed my teeth before crashing into the soft cushions. I didn't stir all night. The second and third nights I tossed and turned again. Next we talked about disorders. I was considering having a sleep study done. Then one day I made a discovery...

Actually, Emma made a discovery first. When you shake a pill bottle, it makes the coolest noise! We negotiated for a while over who the bottle belonged to, until we compromised with a trade (crinkly book for pill bottle). As I casually returned the bottle to the bathroom, I noticed a teeny notice on the label:

"This product contains about as much caffeine as a cup of coffee."

So That explains a lot. I had been taking it at night right before I went to bed. That one night that I slept so well on the couch, I had forgotten to take it. Moral of the story is: always read the label.

Anyway, I'm off to try and make Lamb Meatballs. I'll let you know how they turn out. Ground lamb is surprisingly inexpensive!

The Battle Continues

Well, it's been how long since my last post? And I've actually gained 5 pounds. This weight loss thing sucks. So here's what I'm changing this week, because if I tell everyone, I actually have to follow through:

I'm on a gluten free diet. That's right. No more wheat. No bread, pasta, brownies, cake, cereal. I'm down to rice and corn

as grains. So far it's pretty difficult. It doesn't help that we've been traveling, but I shouldn't let that be an excuse.

My little red dress is hanging on the bedroom wall. I needed motivation. This is a picture of me wearing the dress in high school. I thought I was fat back then, but I can't even get this dress over my incidentals now. I can wear this dress again. I know I can do it. So it's hanging on the wall next to my bed. It's the first thing I see in the morning, the last thing I see at night.

I'm exercising daily. Last night Meng and I walked the mile and then some to Target and back. Then we came home and we stretched. I'm making it a point to go to the gym every day that I'm up at school. I'm looking into classes at the local YMCA. And I'm taking Women's One A Day Active Metabolism, which I recently discovered has caffeine in it. (That story later!)

No more *gulp* chocolate or soda. This is going to be the really difficult one, and I'm going to be as honest as I can be with you all. I don't know if I can do it. I love both so much. But it's necessary, and there's a dress staring at me.

Now it's getting rather late in the day, and while I've fed the baby and basically gotten her around, I have not yet actually showered. So I'll be back tomorrow to tell you about that little caffeinated vitamin incident.

Rolling Over

You know you have a mobile baby when you set your computer on the bed, walk to the dresser, and then instinctively turn to make sure it hasn't followed you.