Miracle Fruit

So...I just read an article on the New York Times website -read this- about Miracle Fruit!

Apparently the stuff makes sour things taste sweet. The sensation lasts about an hour per berry which is good because the berries run you over $2.00 each! I doubt I could get them here in town. These are definitely special order material!

Maybe if I ever get a decent job I'll treat myself and some friends to a sour/sweet taste party with some of these.

Month 5 Check In

Well as if the last post didn't give it away I've made some big inroads, at lease as far as weight-loss goes. How did the month go...

Food:
I didn't cook much this month. I've been eating less and spreading out what I had on hand. I have been going to the Farmer's Market every week since it opened (with the exception of 1 week when I had to be diverted). I haven't bought much but I haven't been cooking so it is ok. better to not waste it, I say.

Exercise:
I got in to the gym infrequently maybe 6 times this month. But with the weather being nicer out I've been walking a lot more. I have a pedometer and in the winter i was getting an average of 6000 steps a day and now I'm getting 9000 every day and over 12000 most days.

Self-Denial:
Well as of a few days ago I no longer have to deny myself alcohol! Yay! I'm still not touching the Ramen and I intend to keep it that way. The booze still presents a problem as I can't gauge how many calories are in any particular drink. I expect mixed drinks, like those I prefer, are fairly high in calories so...I've decided to make a new rule: No drinking at home. This should limit the alcohol I'm getting in my system because I am too poor to go drinking all the time. I will lift this self-imposed ban after the next 20 come off.

Weigh In:
190! Now officially , at least according to the official starting weight, this is not a full 20 pounds of weight loss but it is close enough for horseshoes and hand grenades.

Total weight loss in 5 months….17lbs!

Plan:

I want to lose the next 20 in 4 months. To do this I need to be a little more on the ball with exercise and cooking.

Today's food log:

Breakfast: The very small leftovers of the smothered steak and mashed potatoes from Claddagh Irish Pub and a Red Bull

Lunch: Home made shrimp with Arugula Risotto and a pasta salad from Pinkus

Dinner: A BLT from Amy's Cafe and A Sprite and a Pepsi (both standard cans)

Gym: Nope and only 6285 on the pedometer.

Cheers!

Wow, it's been a while! I bet you all are wondering what happened to me...Not much actually. I lost my job and I've had to scramble to find a new one and make enough money on e-bay selling some crap I had in storage to make rent. I've been very tired at night and haven't had time to drop any notes here but I hope for that to change.

I have not been cooking much but I have been working out when I can and the result is here to see...

CHEERS!

20 pounds gone! Or at least what I'm going to call 20 pounds. I've come to the decision that I can't really be sure how heavy I was when I started this mess because I was not weighing in regularly and on the same scale so...I've decided to call 190 the point at which I get to drink again. I hit the magic number last week and on Saturday night I toasted my success with some friends at La Hacienda on Park Street. And later that night at Maduro's on King Street. I decided to go ahead and drink for a variety of reasons and now I'm glad I did.

There is a country song that with some minor adjustments could have represented me these last few months, at least if you ask my friends: “You ain't much fun since I quit drinking”. The difference of course being that I sobered up and I stopped being fun. Apparently “There is a kingdom called Passive Aggressiva, and I am their Queen”~Addison from Grey's Anatomy. Everyone seems to think I am more forgiving of faults when I know that there will be a drink available at the end of the day. Granted I didn't drink every day before I gave it up for the diet but hey...These have been some rough months and I have been without any vises all year. (Last year I broke-up with my boyfriend so that go rid of the sex, I don't smoke or do recreational drugs, and then I quit drinking) So I was starting to take up the vise of being mean to everyone and everything I guess. Well, no more!

I have lost weight to reach the first milestone and now I can have the booze back, but not the Ramen. That is gone for good. There is nothing that the Ramen can give me that I can not get from a better source! (Although it is pretty much the perfect hang-over preventative or palliative)

I do realize that sobriety has played a role in my weight loss and I will not discount that role just because the alcohol is back in my life. I could not have lost this weight with the ease and speed that I did if I had been drinking hard the way I had last year. Because of this I have decided that drinking is to remain a special treat and not to return to my former drunken ways – at least not for another 20 pounds.

The booze is back but only at restaurants on special occasions and at parties in my home or the home of others. Hopefully I will cease my sour ways now and everyone can breather a little easier, especially me... I have a lot let weight on my chest!

So toast to me. “To 20 pounds! And 60 more around the corner!”