Givin You the Skinny

I talked to Mrs. Iowa yesterday... actually I should post about yesterday's adventure, but not right now. I talked to Mrs. Iowa and she explained the "Carb Balance" get-skinny plan. She calls it "clean eating." I didn't know I was eating dirty, but I guess that makes sense. Anyhow, there is an Excell spreadsheet involved and goals for each meal in terms of carbs, proteins, fats and roughage. This is based on a five meals per day setup. You eat breakfast, and then again at 10, noon, two and then dinner. My thought is that I will give it a try only because I think perhaps I will not be hungry on this deal due to eating so darn often.

In the spreadsheet there are pull-down menus of foods and values and all sorts of stuff like that. She recommended that I spend today studying the system and making meal plans to fit in with the drop-down menus. Um, no. See? I'm already oppositional defiant! I went to the store and bought things that I think will fit into this kind of plan. I spent a long time at the store reading labels, watching for protein, fats and carbs. I came home with vegetables, protein shakes (cuz those are quick for my 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. meals), high fiber crackers and natural peanut butter. I got high fiber bread and chicken. I also came home with HoHos and a Reeces peanut butter heart.

Like my usual night before I start a new diet, I ate delicious junk - the PB heart, a small McDonald's french fry order, and the HoHos. I decided that HoHos are off of my "delicious treats" list. The PB heart was divine, and the french fries were equally tasty. The HoHos were waxy and unsatisfying. I'd like to say that I took two bites of the HoHos and pitched them due to their blahness, but no, it took me all three HoHos to make the call that they were not worth it. I kept thinking, 'Why have I always loved these before? Is it the cream? It's pretty good. It can't be the chocolate on the outside. Maybe they have changed it?' I tried to mollify my guilt by being glad that one more junk food has made it's way OFF of my list of things I might pine for while "eating clean." Now, that I think of it, I do feel pretty dirty for having eaten all of that.

Here was my other rationale for eating like some starved fool: tomorrow is weigh-in at work for a round of "biggest loser" contest there. I am thinking I will join in the contest and this will be another motivating factor (money!). If tomorrow's number is a bit inflated after a pig-fest, then it will be easier to have lost some by the second weigh in and not owe money. It's statistics! Regression to the mean! You know you have your excuses down pat when you can use statistics to support them.

Well, now you all know the scoop. I'll keep you posted on the clean eating spreadsheet diet.