Day Fourteen: Transgressions

People have asked me all week, "Have you cheated?" and "What's the worst thing you've done?" On the eve of my last day on the Phase One of the diet, I have decided to review the weeks and examine this question closely. The first answer is that I did not cheat in any major way—white flour, white sugar, bread, pasta, rice or carbs or dairy. But there were a few close calls here and there:

1. To avoid carrots is impossible; though I ate no whole carrots, the shredded ones tested my resolve. I started the diet picking them out, but then just started eating them.
2. Finger licks: for the first few days I may have licked some yogurt, banana leavings and/or one rice granule from my finger as I prepared these foods for my family.
3. Nuts: I am almost certain I exceeded the daily allowance of nuts every day—there is no listing for Cashews, but I did eat my share of them.
4.Peanut Butter—You are allowed 1tsp —I ate this quite a few times but I'm not sure I wrote it down all the time.
5. Sugarfree gum "Not a calorie free food"— I did not keep track of how much gum I chewed.
6. Chocolate Chips—I ate a handful yesterday while preparing them Ruby.
7. Chinese Food—I ate some beef teryiaki and two spare ribs; I'm sure, in retrospect that these are loaded with sugar.
8. My Poker Game—felt like I ate much more than I should, even though looking back it probably wasn't that bad.

As for today, the supposed last day of phase one:

Breakfast:
Turkey Bacon
Eggs Over
Tea

Snack:
Two Cheese Sticks
1 Tsp Peanut Butter
15 Almonds
20 Peanuts (new!)

Lunch
Chicken Breast
Assorted Olives
Salad (Lettuce, Cabbage, Cauliflower) with Oil & Vinegar

Dinner
Tuna Salad
Beans (with T.B., celery, red pepper, onion, garlic)

Dessert
Chocolate Fudg'cle


Today I had some inner turmoil—This morning I made all the rest of the turkey bacon package, essentially four slices—then I had to fight to keep from eating them as I passed them over and over until Emily woke up and freed me from my Turkey Bacon bondage. Later, I pieced together a dinner from stuff I was making for the week (which wasn't very satisfying) and then I felt compulsion to have a second fudgicle—all of these feelings were beaten back down, but they were powerful for the moments they were swimming around in my head.

As prior to Phase One, I went shopping today for things on the Phase Two diet—lite yogurt, whole wheat bread, fat-free milk, All-Bran cereal (it will be really something if I can bring myself to eat that) and something called "Uncle Sam" cereal, which is like All-Bran but looks a little more promising. Aside from my regular market, I went to Trader Joe's today for a few items. I have to tell you, those are the greediest-grabbiest bunch of shoppers I have had ever had the displeasure to share aisles with. It was as if they were coming to pick up things THAT ALREADY BELONGED TO THEM and I, by standing in the aisle, was getting in their way. Ruby almost got a cart to the noggin in a flaxseed free-for-all. Two balloons later, we were on our way home and happy.

Anyway, I am not ready for tomorrow as of this writing. I haven't thought through my daily or weekly diet and I have to go a field trip with Ruby. That is not good. So far, my plan is to eat a big breakfast and bring several cheese sticks in my pocket. On Tuesday, I will attempt to get weighed on my doctor's scale (preferably a the same time of day).

Wish me luck!