The BookFetish Blog

So, I forgot to post yesterday.  Oops. Making up for that now.  Day 3 (Friday) really wasn’t all that bad. I think I mentioned before that I work from home, so it makes it a lot easier to not be tempted.

My neighbors invited me over for Pizza Friday that evening, so I made sure to have a good meal before I went. Usually, dinner and hanging out with these friends also involves wine, so I was prepared with sparkling water and lime. I had something to keep in my hands,  and I didn’t really miss the wine.

Saturday I had a good breakfast, then went out to run some errands, thinking I would get home in time for lunch. Some friends asked me to come meet them at a brewery, so that caused a bit of an issue. I needed food, but knew it would be tough to find something compliant in a drive through. Thankfully, I was in Target when they texted, so I was able to grab an approved protein bar and some nuts (and, had I thought more clearly, I could have grabbed tuna or canned chicken) and ate that on the way.  I’m not a beer person, so no temptation at the Brewery, just glad to spend some time with friends.

Stayed in Saturday night and cooked a delicious salmon meal and tried one of the “mocktails” to break up the water, water, and more water I have been drinking.

Today is a pool party, so I’m taking things I know I can eat, but this will be the first real temptation. After that is a cookout tonight, and I am taking things I know I can have.

Happy Sunday!

Day 2 wasn’t quite as easy as Day 1. I got a pretty obnoxious headache late in the afternoon.  I think not quite enough of the right kinds of food, and certainly less caffeine. I went  to dinner with some friends. My dinner?  Burger, no bun; mustard only with lettuce, tomato, and onion, and a side salad. Club soda with lime to drink.

Nice perk, though, was the bill. It’s a lot less without wine on it 😉

I’m planning ahead for the holiday weekend. And realizing that restaurants are going to be really challenging.

The Whole 30  “what to expect on Day X” seems to be right on track. That means I may be grumpy tomorrow, so it is a good thing I don’t have plans.

Happy Weekend!

A friend of mine liked this photo on Facebook today.  I’m not sure who deserves credit for it, but it started me thinking about something.

The phrase on it, “Here’s to all my girlfriends who will help me cause trouble in the nursing home” made me think about my mom’s time in assisted living, when she was still mobile.  Her mind was already not the same, poisoned by the cancer or dementia, I don’t know which.  This particular visit was the first time I think she didn’t know who I was.   My cousin Jennifer was with me. Mom didn’t know either of us, never said either of our names, or recognized I was her daughter; Jennifer, her niece. But she knew we were friends, that we were safe, that we meant her no harm.

Earlier in the week, Mom had pulled the fire alarm in the Assisted Living facility. Naturally, this is frowned upon, for a number of valid reasons. It was also completely out of character for my mother. So when Jennifer and I arrived to visit that Sunday, it made sense that all the fire alarms were covered with white paper, trying to distract my mother so she wouldn’t pull them again.

Except she really wanted to.  As we walked around with mom, she kept trying to get close enough to pull the alarm.  We constantly had to distract her.  We physically had to stand between her and the alarms.  What I remember most about it was this mischievous glint in my mother’s eyes.  Like someone who is good-naturedly trying to get away with something they know they shouldn’t.

It made me wonder about my mother as a child, before her father died when she was thirteen; Before her mother was left to raise ten children on her own, the youngest only just over a year old.  Before she married, before she became a parent herself. Before she was a Responsible Adult in the Garden Club, with  Golf outings  and PTA meetings on the calendar.

Don’t get me wrong, she had a great sense of humor.  But until that day, I never saw that mischievous side of my mother. This glimpse of who she may have been when she was younger, playing with her siblings.  I don’t know that it was even a real glimpse of her. Cancer and dementia are insidious things, changing and warping people. But I like to think that the parts of my mother I saw during this time were pieces of her.

And I hope that when my girlfriends and I are in the retirement home together, we have a gleam of fun in our eyes, and that we are causing (harmless) trouble.

Planning is key!  You have to have the right things on hand to make sure you aren’t tempted.  The thing I noticed most was the little cravings- oh, a piece of dark chocolate would be really good right now- and letting that go.  I miss gum and mints.

Yesterday wasn’t too bad. Working from home certainly helps. If something isn’t in the house, it is hard to be tempted by it.  I made a big tomato, celery, cucumber, and avocado salad for lunch, with a bit of balsamic, and about 3 ounces of chicken.

Dinner was spicy chicken sausage (no sugar added) and vegetables. I was skeptical of it as I was cooking it (and this was not a Whole 30 recipe), but it ended up tasting really yummy.

The Whole 30 effort is worth it for the Perfect Boiled Eggs recipe alone! I now can make the perfect soft/medium boiled eggs.

I like to cook, so that is one great thing about the Whole 30 plan. I’ll have plenty of recipes to try out.

Day 1 down, 29 to go.  I know there will be big challenges coming up  (hello, long weekend parties) but I can work through those.

The last couple of years have taken a toll on my health.  I’m heavier than I want to be.  My bloodwork earlier this year showed cholesterol on the cusp of bad levels. My blood pressure is periodically high. My blood sugar is edging towards bad numbers. My allergies drive me crazy.  I feel like I’m carrying a stone around in my belly.  I’m tired. I’m puffy.

I have a certification in holistic nutrition. I know what I need to do.  But after nearly a year of meal replacements and pre-packaged meals comprising most of my diet (and wreaking havoc on my digestion), I have been struggling with eating real food again. Or at least the right real food.

After a year of drinking less than one soda a month, I was back to an unhealthy amount of Coke Zero.  I just don’t feel good. And I know the culprit is a lot of what I have (or have not) been eating.

I decided to do Whole 30 for a few reasons.  First, it is very similar to the elimination diet I did a few years ago to help determine root cause of some allergies.  And within days of eliminating those things, I felt much better.  Second, my first thought when contemplating the plan was “Wow, thirty days with no wine! What?”   And that was a big wake-up for me, because I don’t want anything like food or drink to have a hold over me.  Third, the Whole 30 plan is all real food, that I can select and prepare, and I can eat out with only a few modifications.

There might be some ugly moments over the next 30 days, but I want to feel better and be healthier. I think fueling myself properly, getting better and more consistent sleep, and moving more are the best ways to do that. If I happen to lose a few pounds in the process, great.

I’m planning to post daily about my experiences. This is also for a couple of reasons.  First, I need to get back in a regular blogging habit for the books, and blogging about food will help get me back in the blogging habit.  Second, posting every day will help keep me accountable to this commitment I have made.

What is Whole 30? You can check it out at http://whole30.com/

But, if you’re normally here for the books, don’t fret. I’ll have a new review up by the end of the week. I just finished a book last night.