Day 3

Jan. 5, 2012

      Today was a good day. I ate clean and worked out again. I'm starting to feel better already.

However, today was also the first day I felt any cravings. I went out to dinner with my BFF Abby. She got an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie and I actually had to squeeze my water bottle to keep from wringing her neck and running away with the doughy goodness. Luckily, no one was hurt and I continued my 21 day challenge.

      Tonight I also had really bad night cravings. You see, my absolute favorite thing to do in the world is come home from being at a friends house or out somewhere and just binge like nobody's business. Like, either drive through somewhere and order the most ridiculous thing on the menu, like a triple-cellulite-maker with extra large fries, or just ravage my way through anything remotely satisfying here in the house.

      A few days ago I fell victim and ate the better part of an artichoke pizza. It's one of my biggest issues. I could eat clean all day but then 11:30 rolls around and I'm like a mad woman.

It even afflicts me at school. Our cafeteria closes at 10 p.m., but there's a Subway in our building that stays open until midnight. You would probably think, Oh, well, at least Subway's healthy! WRONG. Did you know Subway makes pizza? They do. And leave it to college kids to discover that that pizza tastes extra delicious smothered in ranch and chipotle sauce. And they also sell chips. And cookies. And they're located a stone's throw away from the vending machines which are loaded with all kinds of explosive treats.

       Like Pop-Tarts. Mmmmm. Pop-Tarts. My sister and I literally go ape-shit for Pop-Tarts. Having two fat kids, my mom all but banned them from our house. Ask her the last time she bought a Pop-Tart. I dare you. Maybe 18 years ago? I'm 20. So naturally, Pop-Tarts became just THAT much more appealing, being a forbidden food, and all.

       I even used my last flex-dollars on Pop-Tarts. I was really, really, really binging before I left school for winter break (hence the 20lb weight gain) and it was late at night and my boy friend, his roommate and I were watching a delightfully gory zombie show called “The Walking Dead”. At around two in the morning my tummy was rumbling so I sent the BF down to the vending machines with my ID.

       You see, everyone with a meal plan gets a certain amount of flex-dollars per semester to use at on-campus food venues like Subway or the vending machines or Burger King. They are built into your ID like a gift card.

       Naturally, being the last week of the semester, and being with two glutenous (even worse than me!) boys, I was the only one with any left, so I sent Alex down to get us snacks. Of course, I requested Pop-Tarts. And orange juice. And Fritos Barbeque Twists.

       My mom calls the twists “crack” because they're so good. And since she likes them, they are allowed to occasionally reside in our cabinets.

      Anyways, he returns dutifully with all the right treats except he got me Strawberry Pop-Tarts. Strawberry? Really? When the brown sugar ones were right next to them?

      My face flushed, I leapt up, grabbed Alex by the collar, and in a panicked voice, urged him to return downstairs and get the right ones. With a terrified look on his face he told me I was out of flex-dollars, and Lord knows I don't have any real money. I dropped to my knees and cursed the Heavens, violently shaking my strawberry Poop-Tart in the air.

       Okay, maybe not.

       But I was pissed. And I did want to cry a little. JUST A LITTLE. Don't judge me! Anyways, all was better as soon as I started munching on my crack. And orange juice. And okay, okay, I ate the Poop-Tart, as well.

       Anyways, my diet doctor told me I really had to cut down on my late night rendezvous with the vending machine and my mom is one step away from literally counting our food to make sure Renee and I aren't pigging out. Or padlocking the fridge. Hey, maybe that's not a bad idea!

      So naturally tonight, on my way home from Bea's house where we had just watched the season premier of J-Shore. (Oh yeah, fist pump, yeah!) I had to stop at Walgreens. I had a bag of turkey jerky in my hands all the way to the register. And considering that I wanted to buy an entire birthday cake and eat it while watching a marathon of Friends, turkey jerky wasn't a bad compromise. But it's beside the point. I need to change the way I use food, and not just what I eat, but when I eat. So instead I ditched the turkey jerky at checkout (Sorry, Walgreens personnel!) and had a single pickle slice which clocks in at 25 calories. Yay progress!

Today's Menu:

Lunch: A small bowl of turkey chilli with white rice

Snack: 5 turkey sausage bites and a string cheese

Dinner: A Potbelly's chicken salad salad, a cup of chilli and a bottle of water

Late night snack: 1 pickle slice

Exercise

40 minutes on the treadmill at various speeds

10 minute yoga video