Just to show you...

You don't need talent or creativity just REALLY good instructions. Look what I made.

No one ever says thank you.

This morning I walked over the the breakfast nook to grab a bowl and stepped in a mess of Cheerios that Sam had spilled all over the floor. I was not happy. I hollared for him to come downstairs and sweep up his mess (something he oddly enjoys) and he got the broom and the dustpan and got to it. Midway through he pauses to note that the mess always seems to be on his side of the table. Ummmm.... Ya think? Then as he finishes sweeping up the mess he made, he starts mumbling about no one ever saying thank you. All I could do to keep from cracking up.

Still on the diet

So after all my grumbling about South Beach... today I'm wearing a pair of jean capris that I put away last year (for good I thought) because they threatened to cut me in two when I did them up. Better still - I wore them two weeks ago quite comfortably (might have mentioned it here but can't find the reference). Thing is this morning I had to put on a belt to keep them up (little private dance of joy). I still haven't had anyone ask me if I'm losing weight (I'm so waiting for that) BUT I zipped up a skirt I couldn't get on last week (still too tight to wear but I got the zipper up!) and I put on a pair of size 8 shorts (not that I ever intend to actually wear them again because I won't ever be a size 8 again but I could squeeze my sizable butt in them).

My worry now is that this is all an illusion although now on to phase two South Beach I could eat like this indefinitely. I just have to get my head around the fact that the occasional cheat is fine and I could be all right. I don't miss potatoes at all. I keep asking myself why we stopped eating brown rice (it's so much tastier that white). I could do without the endless veggies though; ugh!

Still don't know how much I actually weigh. I just know it's less than I did last month.
Anyway so far so good.

Public Service Announcement

This weekend we embarked on the world of geocaching. My boss has been talking it up for eons. It seemed to have its merits but I was lazy - oh so lazy. I have the entire month of August off however and I was looking for something inexpensive to do with the kids and this seemed a perfect fit. So I signed up on www.geocaching.com and got down to business.

This week I dragged the family out for the first time. What a great time we all had. I downloaded three easy caches for us to locate and off we went on our bikes. The kids were excited to be on the hunt. I was happy to be on my bicycle. Daniel was grumpy to start but once we'd found our first cache even he was into it. The caches were fun to search for. We found all three and both Kamryn and Sam are asking when we can do it again (although Sam has probably missed the point in that he just wants to return to the locations of the caches we're already found.)

I think we've unearthed a new hobby.

The post in which I bore you completely to death.

Kamryn started Power Skating lessons last week. While Sam is the natural athlete Kamryn needs a little more encouragement in that area (most literally; she's a fine athlete but she lacks confidence and tends to hover on the outskirts rather than getting in there with her elbows up!) - thus the lessons. So I dressed her in her gear and sent her out on the ice and then really looked at her. Her shorts (PANTS! Daniel would yell but they look like shorts to me) were WAY to short. Quite a safety hazard because that exposes her unprotected thigh to all manner of injuries. So the goal this weekend was to find her a new pair of hockey "shorts." They are EXPENSIVE. Prices start around $40.00 which isn't bad but you get what you pay for, regardless they quickly balloon to $80 + with the average price being in the $100 range. Ouch.

She hadn't grown that much (her legs though are just stretching out) and everything else seemed to fit just fine. I mused though that me may have to replace everything come January but at least then we could take advantage of sales. The pants couldn't wait and we headed for our local Play it Again Sports to look for some used equipment. The store was gone! Doh! I remember seeing a sign on a new strip mall going up down the road that they would be moving there but that mall wasn't finished yet. There was another store clear across town so we headed there but thought that we would pop into Canuck Tire on the way so that Daniel could see the $40 pair. Once there it occured to us that we could get her a COMPLETE new set of equipment for $130.00 if we bought a kit. It would mean Sam could wear her old equipment (which would fix his need for new hockey gloves) and there would be no need for new equipment for Kamryn come January. Yay team! We spent a little more than we intended but in the end I think we'll come out ahead. So what to do with Sam's practically brand new equipment? Hmmmm.... I posted on online ad to sell it and kicked myself that I didn't look online for pants for Kamryn. In order to price the equipment I did a little online survey and didn't find even one comparable product - I felt less bad for not attempting to be thrifty. What does everyone do with their old equipment?

This morning there was a bidding war via e-mail for the equipment I posted. Totally easy sale. Again I was stunned. There are thousands of little ones who played hockey last year and will need new equipment. What do their parents do with the old equipment? I guess they could be passing it on but everyone? I must be missing something.

Let's make a list

Good things

1. I’m eating 3 – 5 meals a day as opposed to my normal 2.
2. My GERD – completely in control.
3. I’m eating more vegetables than I have in my ENTIRE life – that can’t be bad.
4. I think I’m losing weight (although I’m not sure).
5. Loads of new ways to prepare veggies that are really impressing the kids (yes, I have kids who generally like vegetables).
6. Virtually no take-out food being purchased – good for my waistline and my pocket book.
7. One starch a day seems doable and almost reasonable.
8. While I’m not tracking points like I do with Weight Watchers; I plan each and every thing I eat so it’s having a similar effect.


Bad Things

1. I do feel deprived and sometimes hungry (like now) although I’m holding out determinedly for noon.
2. I miss carbs terribly. Okay that’s not true. I miss cake and cookies terribly. I’ve never really like rice, can live without the potato without to much difficulty and am generally bored with bread.
3. There is no room AT ALL to cheat even a little on this diet. If I have something I’m craving I feel like I’m betraying all my hard work. I’m still beating myself up over two and a half cookies I ate on Saturday night. Like what!?!
4. Meal preparation takes planning and more work than I’m willing to do on a regular basis so occasionally I just don’t eat because I can’t be bothered.
5. I keep thinking of all the overweight friends I have who did this diet and got skinny and who gained it all back before they got the tags off their new clothes (I believe I have more willpower/discipline then them but who really knows).

So after all my whining...

Today I am wearing a pair of shorts that I put aside last year because they threatened to cut me in two at the waist.

I'm heading out to buy supplies for phase two of this diet. Go figure.