Body and Mind Recalibration

I think I've always had a pretty healthy attitude towards food, if you overlook my slight preoccupation with it. But I've never been one of those people who wants to curb my appetite or have guilt associated with certain foods. In fact, I'm a strong proponent of the whole mind over matter thing so that if I am eating dessert, I don't say "Oh, this second piece of Chantilly cake from Whole Foods (which is incredible) is making me fat." No, instead I prefer to say "This second piece of Chantilly cake is making me strong and beautiful," because by doing that, it negates the caloric intake, right?

Additionally, I work out a lot and I generally eat very well, lots of vegetables and whole grains, not much processed, canned or pre-made food. So I have gotten myself into this habit of eating whatever I want based on those two factors. I don't know how I got here but I find myself eating (or needing) a dessert EVERY DAY. Once I start eating the sweets, I feel like a junkie, like I'm calculating how much more I get eat or what I'll eat after that. It's a sickness and I must quell my inner junkie! Even with "good" foods, I will just continue to keep eating unchecked, paying little attention to how my body responds. Anyway, I have decided for one week to give up MEAT, SWEETS, WHEAT, DAIRY, CAFFEINE and ALCOHOL. Sure I'd love to lose a pound or two but I really am more interested in eating more mindfully and practicing self-control, never one of my strong suits.

Incidentally, I fully expect to fail by Friday but right now I'm going strong! I am keeping eggs because I don't think they have that same difficult to process element that cheese and milk and yogurt have and also because I think I'll need to protein. For breakfast I had my usual egg and spinach with green tea and no coffee. I didn't miss the coffee but I sure was yawning until 10am. I had fruit for my mid-morning snack, which was not as satisfying as yogurt or peanut butter or Goldfish or Luna bars but amazingly I held out until 12:02 to eat my lunch of black beans, kale and brown rice. I also have a Creole tomato-basil salad, cherries and a carrot-ginger salad to tide me over until dinnertime.

Is it terrible that all weekend I was cramming in fried shrimp poboys and smoked cheddar and a lovely Rose? And that I wanted to buy huge steaks for a farewell to red meat sendoff party last night? That I have already checked all FIVE of my favorite food blogs this morning and that just moments ago I was salivating over Joule restaurant's dessert menu offering of Banana tarte tatin with rum caramel and coconut whip cream? What is wrong with me? Let's hope by Day Seven we see some improvement!