Vegetables and Meat
I don't think I could be a vegetarian. And by "vegetarian", I don't even mean vegan or anything drastic like that -- I just don't think I could subsist on a diet comprised of ALL vegetables and protein only in the form of soy, fish, nuts, and dairy products. I mean, I like those things, don't get me wrong...and I understand their health benefits and all that, and I try to include a diet of mainly fresh vegetables and lean proteins, but while I do not consider myself a carnivore by any means, I think I'm incapable of living meatless.
Laugh if you want, but today I have eaten the following items, and here I am in the middle of the night, fantasizing about how good a turkey leg sounds right about now (and I didn't even starve myself today, I believe I ate pretty heartily, even on the "too much" side of things):
In any case, I think I must be lacking in protein or I'm having some kind of anemic-person, iron-deficient day or something because I'm craving meat, even though I did have a little bit with the wonton soup. I really should get into the habit of taking a daily vitamin again, although some people pooh-pooh that idea, saying that vitamins aren't well-absorbed into your system. That may be so, but...I can tell you that based on my experience with vitamins (and I'm just taking the ones you can buy at your regular drugstore for less than $10 for a 3-month supply!), I've had much better luck with the texture and feel of my skin, and I've been able to sleep far better, and have not felt as rundown or deflated at the end of the workday.
I have to say that cutting out a lot of meat isn't bad for my digestive system -- I don't feel all bloated, stuffed, constipated, or what have you -- but I also have to say that it also makes me feel like I have some kind of voracious appetite; protein, of course, makes you feel "full" longer, and then you don't get the weird sugar boost that makes you happy for a couple hours...but also makes you hungrier later. My turkey leg craving? This was probably caused by my cave-in to the chocolate...and this, after I told C last night I had a "Chocobelly" from all the chocolate I'd eaten over the weekend, and even though he'd responded by rubbing my tummy and telling me affectionately, "But I LIKE your Chocobelly!"...I would rather NOT have a Chocobelly to begin with! And it's my own fault, I know. (Also, coincidentally, I don't think the two shots of Patron we each had -- he said it was to celebrate the Chargers' win over the Broncos -- was really very conducive to my whole Chocobelly cause...having a BEERBELLY is decidedly worse because it's harder to lose!)
Anyway. I think I should really look into a fixed meal plan and stick with it. Otherwise, who knows what'll happen? I'll end up having to go on Slim-Fast or some other program, and I don't want to do Slim-Fast, solely based on the fact that their commercial has some woman karate-chopping a giant croissant that's flying at her. Heh.
Laugh if you want, but today I have eaten the following items, and here I am in the middle of the night, fantasizing about how good a turkey leg sounds right about now (and I didn't even starve myself today, I believe I ate pretty heartily, even on the "too much" side of things):
- 1 Greek salad sandwich wrap (in a sun-dried tomato tortilla), medium-sized (breakfast)
- 1 roasted eggplant sandwich wrap (in a spinach tortilla), medium-sized (lunch)
- 1 largely vegetarian wonton soup (4 wontons made with all vegetables, no meat, 3 little dumplings with about a 1/2 teaspoon of pork in each) in a low-sodium chicken broth (dinner)
- 6 steamed broccoli florets with about a quarter cup of hummus as dip (dinner)
- 6 pieces of chocolate (it's the holidays and I HATE that I'm getting chocolate -- especially DARK chocolate -- because it's the Most Evil of All Evils) (this does not count as any kind of dessert or part of dinner...I refuse to include it as part of a "meal" because it should be ousted from my eating habits entirely)
- 2 bottles of Snapple Diet Peach Iced Tea (throughout the day)
- 1 cup of coffee with sugar-free French vanilla creamer (breakfast)
- 1 bottle of water (earlier this evening)
In any case, I think I must be lacking in protein or I'm having some kind of anemic-person, iron-deficient day or something because I'm craving meat, even though I did have a little bit with the wonton soup. I really should get into the habit of taking a daily vitamin again, although some people pooh-pooh that idea, saying that vitamins aren't well-absorbed into your system. That may be so, but...I can tell you that based on my experience with vitamins (and I'm just taking the ones you can buy at your regular drugstore for less than $10 for a 3-month supply!), I've had much better luck with the texture and feel of my skin, and I've been able to sleep far better, and have not felt as rundown or deflated at the end of the workday.
I have to say that cutting out a lot of meat isn't bad for my digestive system -- I don't feel all bloated, stuffed, constipated, or what have you -- but I also have to say that it also makes me feel like I have some kind of voracious appetite; protein, of course, makes you feel "full" longer, and then you don't get the weird sugar boost that makes you happy for a couple hours...but also makes you hungrier later. My turkey leg craving? This was probably caused by my cave-in to the chocolate...and this, after I told C last night I had a "Chocobelly" from all the chocolate I'd eaten over the weekend, and even though he'd responded by rubbing my tummy and telling me affectionately, "But I LIKE your Chocobelly!"...I would rather NOT have a Chocobelly to begin with! And it's my own fault, I know. (Also, coincidentally, I don't think the two shots of Patron we each had -- he said it was to celebrate the Chargers' win over the Broncos -- was really very conducive to my whole Chocobelly cause...having a BEERBELLY is decidedly worse because it's harder to lose!)
Anyway. I think I should really look into a fixed meal plan and stick with it. Otherwise, who knows what'll happen? I'll end up having to go on Slim-Fast or some other program, and I don't want to do Slim-Fast, solely based on the fact that their commercial has some woman karate-chopping a giant croissant that's flying at her. Heh.