Week 5: Unless You Have a Leg To Stand On, Sit Down.

Joh: I did not cheat this week and I'm still smoke free! I threw away .7 lbs, and wish it would have been more. I think I'm going to attack drinking in large quantity again now that I have been without cigarettes for 16 days and I'm hoping I've gotten back some willpower. I'm also eating vegetables (non-starchy, leafy greens) at every meal. I found that this week I skimped on the veggies and the water, so I'm adjusting. Also, I gave Rebekah unofficial permission to cheat this week since I did last week, and she took me up on it with fries at Palmere's again. I was trying to explain that I order the healthiest thing at McDonald's when I do go, and that I counted it as my fat, two proteins and two starches... I try to cheat and allow for it. I need to stop this. Thursday night and doing our first limiting alcohol experiment. There will be dancing involved...

Rebekah: I'm at 133.4 today, which is 1 lb down from last week and 6.4 lbs overall. Joh was upset this morning that she's only lost .7 lbs this week, as she says she should be losing more than I am. So we troubleshot and, as she said, discussed the fact that she might want to incorporate more leafy greens in her diet. I toss baby spinach on everything and carry carrots everywhere with me, so maybe that has contributed to the fact that, in spite of my taking my get out of jail free cheat card this week, I lost a 1 lb. 

Oh, yes. I did take my bonus cheat, and I enjoyed my football sized basket of french fries thoroughly. Joh was trying to make herself sound like a meal-plan martyr...

Joh: "When I cheated, I got the filet of fish sandwich and the smallest fry possible."
Me: "Yeah, but what about the macaroni and cheese you had at the barbecue place?"
Joh: "Okay. Yeah. I got a huge thing of it and went to town."
Me: "That's what I thought. So unless you have a leg to stand on, sit down."

...but I've got her number. We're both all or nothing type people. I know when I cheat, I cheat. Not only did I have a basket of fries, but I had a side of honey mustard and wing sauce (so mayonnaise and butter) with them. And they were wonderful. And I know when Joh cheats, she's not cheating with a bite of mac and cheese, she's cheating with a bucket. Mac and cheese is a sacred food. Bucket-size is the only way to go. But we're not supposed to be eating buckets or footballs, so, for now, we have to be all when it comes to healthy eating and nothing when it comes to cheats. I'm scared, yet excited for Drinking Experiment 1. Hopefully, next week's post will not include the following:

-alcohol poisoning
-emergency room
-stomach pump
-"Who are you and where am I?"

Week 4: Deception and Dairy

Joh: I'm 207.7 lbs, down 1.1 lbs from last week, and 9 full days cold turkey without smoking. I no longer feel like I am going to smoke at any time. I am officially strong enough to leave the house. At some point on Saturday, I threw my back out doing dishes (dangerous activity, I know), and spent 3 days on the couch vegging out. I told Rebekah that I didn't eat too junky, but that I just ate a larger quantity of nutritious food. This was a lie that she will discover as she proofreads this entry. I ate McDonald's once, Steve (the boyfriend) and I had food from a BBQ smokehouse one night, and the rest WAS a larger quantity of healthy food. I lied because I know she has that sheet cake in the freezer and I didn't want her to chow down. I am justifying my actions by the fact that I didn't smoke, didn't bite my nails, was man-down with a hurt back for 3 days, and STILL lost a pound. I am sorry, Rebekah. I hope you understand, and I promise that I will never lie about it again. I really was putting in my best effort. You can have a slightly "off week" this week (if you need to), while I go to town on track! But please don't eat the entire sheet cake.

Rebekah: MCDONALD'S?!?!?!!!! What the.... Anyways, I'm at 134.4 lbs, which is 2 lbs down from last week and 5.4 lbs total. And here's why: I've discovered that I love yogurt. I am now managing my two allotted dairies each day to exclude cheese so that I can have two yogurts. Additionally, I didn't go on a week-long holiday bender like I did last week. And finally, I DIDN'T EAT FRICKIN' MCDONALD'S. This week was similar to Week 1. I had major backslide in Week 3, so my body was pretty much readjusting. Lots of weird stomach noises and such this week. Oh, and the realization that when I stick to the plan, I am a featherweight in the bars. We're talking a really cheap date. I've gotten a little bored with the processed protein products (Tofurkey, Smart Dogs, Boca, and such...), and I really try to avoid processed food if and when possible, so I've been spinning my wheels on how to spice things up. I've been making hummus wraps on whole wheat tortillas and loading them up with fresh vegetables, and that's been quite nice. The hummus counts as a protein and a fat, but since I'm a yogurt fiend now (I seriously never thought I'd see this day), I can easily accommodate the fat in the hummus. I also have a book (The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet) that some friends gave to me, so I'm planning on learning how to make my own bean burgers. I'm pretty excited about that. Although I did a pretty good job watching my DCs and sticking to the plan, I did slip at a birthday party. There were cookies everywhere. I went a little wild. But I totally 'fessed up to Joh, rather than sneaking around with French fries and sides of macaroni and cheese from Big Bad Wolf ferreted away in my pockets. But I have to give Joh kudos for 9 days cigarette free. However, Joh, you need to realize that I mean "kudos" as in praise, not the granola bars coated in chocolate.

Week 3: We need to get serious--Again.

Joh: I am completing day 3 with no cigarettes feeling like I am on the brink of smoking at all times. However, I have basically locked myself in my house where I feel safe, at least for the first few days. I am 209.0 lbs., up .2 lbs from last week, but this may be due to the increased drinking around the new year, and yesterday I ate everything I saw to try and fill the void smoking has left in my life. To be fair (lol), now I am taking a nice break from drinking, which should help with smoking. I am focusing on getting noticeably thinner between now and St. Patty's Day for my annual beach trip. However, Rebekah has been drinking a bit, and blaming no weight loss on bloating. I sadly have no tricks up my sleeve for her. I am at a loss on how to motivate her. If she screws up because I do, I feel bad. I really don't want to screw up because she is. Not to mention, that this would just not affect her the way it does me. I can only hope that she gets herself under control because I am back to serious, again.

Rebekah: I'm at 136.4. So I've lost .2 lbs. I blame the lack of weight loss on bloating. And it could be from bloating. Or, as Joh so poignantly stated in a text message this morning, "it could be from the fact that [I] drank way more than twice this week." Fair enough. And that would also explain the number of calls I've gotten from unfamiliar phone numbers. So seriously. It's time to get serious again. Thanks to Joh's verbal spanking, my tail is tucked, my head is hung and I'm ready to get back on track. I behaved very well today. I do have plans to go out to dinner with a friend tomorrow, but I'm committed to this. So I'm going to study the menu tonight, and plan tomorrow's meals the best I can. I've seen that Joh's plan does work and I agreed to do this to help support Joh. This week, I've been as supportive as a piece of non whole wheat pasta and I've let Joh down. So I'm dedicating the following New Year's Resolutions to her. New Year's Resolution Number 1: Stick to the plan. New Year's Resolution Number 2: Find my power animal's power animal and become that animal's power animal. Fun fact: I have discovered that I really like Trader Joe's nonfat fruit yogurts. I was previously a yogurt hater, but now I've found a good way to work in nonfat dairy, so that I can have my guacamole or pecans. No more cheats. I'm all gold stars this week. Pinky swear.