Day 7: End of Week 1

Well, it's after midnight and Steph and I actually made it through the first week! We both stuck to our food and exercise plan and avoided arguments! I am insanely proud of Stephanie as she has been a motivator both to herself and to me!

So, as Steph mentioned, we have been attending support groups for overeaters. I am a self-proclaimed food addict and chronic overeater. One of the coping mechanisms for overeaters is to distract yourself with positive activities when you are likely to binge. For me, this is in the evening. We decided to avoid boredom by going to see African Cats at the local discount theater (3 bucks, baby!) To avoid lardy butter popcorn and candy, I packed my bag with light popcorn and Skinny Cow candies (delicious, by the way!). I longingly stared at the lardy butter topping and Bunch a Crunch boxes behind the concession counter but was comforted by the healthy(ish) snacks in my bag. Hahaha. No fatty snacks for me! "I'll just have a large Diet Coke, please."

I was very pleased with my cleverness and foresight. Immediately after ringing me up though, the 16-year-old behind the counter stared suspiciously at my protruding bag and pointed to a sign which listed the list of prohibited items including "outside food." "Can I please check your bag?"

Bitch!

I decided to go the honest route. "Well, I don't think you should do that since I do, in fact, have outside food in here." I grinned cheesily and placed a $1 bill in her tip jar. "Can't you pretend you looked?"

Clearly insulted by my modest contribution she replied, "My manager will check again at the door anyway." I glanced to the theater door. There was no one standing there. Trying to be cute, I placed another $1 bill in her tip jar and then did this really weird side lunge tip toe walk thing toward the door while calling back "I'll take my chances!" I am pretty sure I came off far more creepy than cute. Apparently, she decided it was not worth the effort to turn me in and in the end, Steph and I enjoyed our semi-healthy snacks rather than the greasy (and overpriced) theater food.

Later that evening I felt yet another urge to eat when I was not hungry. I grabbed Dolly and dragged Stephanie on a late night walk down the block. I relished the warm night air and the breeze. I am not making this next part up and I have pictures to prove it. Just as I congratulated myself on going for a walk rather than staying home and stuffing my face, I looked up and guess what was sitting right there in front of my face? If you guessed "A delicious-looking juicy cheeseburger," you are correct! Let me clarify. I did not walk by a burger joint and see people leisurely enjoying a meal. That would be normal and I would have my normal reaction: drool and stare at the eaters until 1.) they became uncomfortable and forced me to look away or 2.) they were out of sight. I mean I was walking on the sidewalk, passed under a bridge and practically tripped over a perfectly intact cheeseburger sitting in its original container resting on a pillar. Alone. Abandoned. Sadly unconsumed. I should adopt this cheeseburger, take it home and make it my own. There is absolutely an argument to be made that this demon temptress burger was laced with hallucinogens and under surveillance by a concealed panhandler, waiting to kidnap and eat us (a very smart panhandler, by the way, for using the perfect bait). But nonetheless, it just doesn't get more FML than this; going on a walk to avoid eating only to have to hurdle jump over your favorite (free) food just begging you to eat it. And to answer your question, yes, I would consider eating an abandoned gourmet cheeseburger that I found on theside of the road and yes, I am aware that I have issues. No, I didn't actually eat it. Stephanie wouldn't let me.

Highlights from Week 1:
1.) Steph increasing her running time by over 300%!
2.) Hiking at Lettuce Lake Park!
3.) Saving a ton of money this weekend by not eating out like I normally would have.
4.) Being told that our blog is "inspiring."

Food Recap:
-Ate out only once this week at the semi-healthy Pita Pit.
-Made a bulk batch of light chili and chicken stir fry, both heavily vegetable-laden.
-Lots of snacks (3 per day)
-Lots of water (half our body weight in ounces)
-Grilling! Grills are a God-send for dieters, especially in the summer. Our main grill items this week were corn on the cob, Boca burgers, and turkey burgers.
-Eggs for breakfast every day for protein!

Workout Recap: 3 mini-workouts a day
1.) Pool: 20 minutes - 5 reps of this routine: 2 laps, 30 plié squats, and 100 bicycle kicks
2.) Gym: 30 minutes - 10 minutes of squats, crunches, and arms followed by 20 minutes of intense interval cardio (treadmill/elliptical/bike)
3.) Leisure: 20-30 minutes of walking, usually on Bayshore at a comfortable pace
4.) Challenge Activity: Lettuce Lake Park nature trail and fitness stations

And my favorite quote to sum up my feelings about this week come from the wise Dr. Seuss: Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.


XOXO
R HollEwud