Day 15-Where do I begin?

Do I begin with slicing my finger open and using that as an excuse not to type for 5 day?
Do I begin with "The Superbowl Party" that almost ruined my streak of good behavior?
Or how my boyfriend had to literally pry a bag of chocolate coconut macaroons out of my cold "dead" hands at the store last night?
Well, lesson learned this week:  I need to write more often because I've been on a roller coaster of emotions and now you are only going to get the cliff notes.

I started out feeling pretty good, my cravings aren't ruling my days and I've been feeling better about cooking and trying new things. I am looking forward to a list of ideas my friend Virginia (The Kitchen Mistress) is working on for me, and I've been continuing with daily research on what foods are power houses of anti-inflammatory magic and incorporating those daily.  While researching, I've come across many contradictory ideas and everyone has a different opinion about everything. Take the Glycemic Index- the ratings are all over the place. If you are trying to find out if grapes, for example, are OK to eat, good luck because depending on the website, you'll see low, medium and high ratings. They respond by stating each item may be tested differently, and also depends on where they come from.  Well, that is just not helpful. What is the use.  I must remember to take all the information I soak in with a grain of salt.
Then the Superbowl party, ugh.
I knew I was going to be challenged so in defense, I brought all my own food. I made homemade pesto shrimp, toasted pumpkin seeds, and a giant fruit salad. I thought I had a chance. Until I saw the brownies. And cookies. And cheesecake.
It didn't help that I wasn't in the best mood, the interview I just came back from was a waste of time, plus rejection sucks even when I didn't want the job. Oddly, the Frito's caught my eye, not a snack I typically eat, but I watched the bowl obsessively and salivated over the imagined salty crunch.  I think I was trying to distract myself from the desserts. By the 3rd quarter, all I could focus on was how to sneak a brownie without my boyfriend noticing (my personal food police, thank goodness for him) or hide a cookie in my jacket pocket for later. The only way I got through it was telling him what I wanted to do, so he had his eyes on me the whole time.  I really felt like an addict, I got mad and my brain even concocted an old habit I once had-smoking. I knew at that point I was going into desperation mode so it was time to leave. Amazingly I got through the night without any slip-ups and I am really proud of myself for not giving in. It was one of the toughest back and forth battles my brain has fought since beginning the program (reasons to eat a brownie vs. Stephanie knows better).

On a different note, with a suggestion from a reader, Dr. M., I am going to try and count my protein intake for awhile to get an idea of how deficient my diet is. I have always struggled with this but without my tempeh go-to, it feels like I'm going to eat all the fish of the sea. Any ideas you have for protein are welcome (except meat, it's not gonna happen) or any other comments you have as well. It drives me to keep writing when I know someone out there is reading, and when you respond it's the easiest way to make someones day!


Food Journal Day 12 Saturday
Breakfast: protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, strawberries
Lunch: salad with salmon, artichoke, pumpkin seeds, avocado, balsamic vinaigrette
Snack: herbal tea (Traditional Medicinal's Throat Coat has a wonderful sweet flavor)
Dinner: leftover roasted vegetables, half grapefruit, peppermint tea

Food Journal Day 13 Sunday
Breakfast: surprise! another protein shake with spinach, carrot juice, blueberries and apple juice
Lunch: (smoothie at 11a, interview at 230p, then off to Superbowl party where "dinner" was all night)
Dinner: pesto shrimp, fruit salad (apples, kiwi, strawberries, blueberries)

Food Journal Day 14 Monday
Breakfast: protein shake with the norm
Lunch: leftover pesto shrimp, half grapefruit
Snack: sweet potato and beet chips with half avocado
Dinner: poached sole over greens with warm vinaigrette