Day 8 - Variety is the spice of life, but is it a carb or a protein?

As I have mentioned, the diet and nutrition aspect of the program is something that I am getting used to. The last few days of the first week, I found that I was not as hungry as the first few. I am thinking and hoping that will continue. This is probably something noticeable, due to the fact that during the first couple of days when I would go to the kitchen, my dog, Ludwig, would run and hide. Now, he just stands at the kitchen door and peaks around the corner at me. Baby steps...baby steps.

There are certain things in life that I will never understand. Why do we park in driveways and drive on parkways? Why don’t sheep shrink during rain storms? Why do grocery stores always put donuts on sale when I go on a diet? Has my eating habits and addiction to those geometrical, glazed, golden brown, sprinkle topped and often cream filled hand-held confections of love had such an impact on the donut industry that grocery stores have to slash the price of them to try and entice others to buy them?

Joe the Plumber had his 15 minutes of fame. What about Betty the Baker? She may have a family to support. Perhaps she has a son or a daughter in college. How can she keep up with her mortgage? This is too much responsibility for one person. I can’t take the pressure.

Last night, I went to a grocery store that had bags of frozen chicken tenderloin (down South, we calls ‘em chicken fingers) on sale…buy one get one free. I thought this would be great. They are small enough that each one would make a single protein serving. I could take a few out of the freezer in the morning and put them in the fridge before I leave for work. When I come home, I could finish thawing them and with a little help from George Foreman I can grill them in a few minutes. By doing so, I would have my dinner portion for that night, along with a breakfast and lunch portion for the next day. It’s all about the time savers.

Well, while I was at the market, I noticed that I was being followed. I was not being followed by a store employee that thought I was shoplifting. I was followed by a stacked display of half-price donuts. It really seemed that every where I went, I saw a stack of donuts. You’ve heard that “all roads lead to home”, well…in this grocery store, all aisles led to these frikkin’ donuts.

It just so happened that I was on the phone with a friend at that time. I had mentioned to her that these things were everywhere and I could not get them off of my ass. Without missing a single step she brought it to my attention that they were not on my ass, but if I gave in and took one to the checkout counter, it would be on my ass and a lot harder to get rid of.

I could not really argue with that logic. It would also be worth noting that this is the friend that emails to me those nice photos of swim suit models and hot celebrity chicks every day that I do good and try hard and stick with the program and reminding me that I am 1 day closer to stealing her away from her boyfriend. I really do not want to disappoint her. Positive reinforcement…it’s not just for dogs, anymore. Yes, I am well aware of the irony in that. Just go with it.