Checking In

Ok well I thought there was going to be internet where I would be spending Christmas but the recent rain in San Diego knocked out the connection and it won't be back up until Monday, which is after I leave so I've been MIA the past few days ... as I am sure some of you have noticed.

Counting without access to calorie websites when someone other than me is doing the cooking or when we go to non-chain restaurants is pretty much impossible.  However, I have remained aware and thought conscious of what I've eaten over the past few days ... as much as I can in the face of both temptation and "Temptation".

Over the course of the past four days I've had two grilled chicken sandwiches, a vegetable frittata, three cups of coffee, eggplant marinara with turkey meatballs, spinach ravioli (dry) with a dinner salad (drizzled with balsamic in place of dressing), 1 piece of bacon, 1/2 cup of ranch-style breakfast potatoes, 1/2 of a ham and cheese sandwich, about 3 oz of nibbles at assorted cheeses, 3 glasses of champagne, 2 glasses of red wine, too much water to count, and two shortbread cookies.  Although not everything on that list is A+ worthy, I am EXCEPTIONALLY  PROUD of my self-control considering that, of 5 different blocks of cheese I've only nibbled at them in moderation; in spite of the BUCKET of assorted cookies that have been taunting me since Wednesday I've only had two; in spite of the mountain of bacon and sausage, the perfectly fried over-medium eggs, and the three hours we spent in a karaoke bar ... I can actually count my intake over the past four days and list it out without having written it down; and that regardless of how bland those spinach ravioli's were, and how delicious all of the other food at the table looked ... I held fast and refused to ask the waitress to bring out some sauce for my dinner after all.

I've also done a fair bit of physical activity: I spent 45 minutes on a treadmill on Thursday; spent 5 hours walking the beach and playing at the ocean with nieces and nephews (did not sit down once the entire time), jumped rope with a piece of seaweed, and speed walked a local open-air mall for some very last minute shopping on Friday; spent 20 minutes on a stationary bike, went for a walk, and went grocery shopping with "Temptation" today; also walked the dog around the block 3 times and have done a fair amount of cooking and cleaning to help out.

I will be 100% honest in saying that I've enjoyed more champagne and wine than I had anticipated and will likely have a couple more glasses of wine with dinner tonight.  I will also be honest in saying that I couldn't even begin to count the calories of the past three days ... not because I have lost track of what I've eaten but because I've not always been the chef and it's much harder to figure calories on a recipe that you've not had your hand in.  However, although I haven't really been able to control what I've eaten these past few days, I have been able to control how much and I think I've done quite well.

I am fairly confident (yet hopeful) that I will not have lost 3 lbs on Monday as was my goal; guaranteed that my weekly challenge for this week is out the window; and yet still very pleased with myself for the restraint I've shown.  So far, Christmas has not had nearly the affect on me that it usually does.  HAPPY HOLIDAYS ALL AND I WILL SEE YOU TOMORROW NIGHT WHEN I GET HOME!

(Writing this from "Temptation's" brother's girlfriend's house, so I can't stick around long, it would be rude).