Diet Blues

Well, Jay and I have made a valiant effort to keep this diet going despite our busy schedules. Jay has become very excited about eating healthy and having fruit for dessert. So that's encouraging. But with school starting this week and orientation activities last week, I've definitely not been cooking as much! It's been sad to see this decline as I was very happy cooking the amount I was before and having a variety of meals every day. Oh well! Life happens!

However, we are doing our best under the circumstances. We have digressed a couple of times, but stayed on track for the most part. I'm hoping that once I get into a groove at school, that I'll be able to get back on track with cooking. Jay also started school this week. He is working on his MBA and has switched to Webster University, which consists of 9 week courses that are more geared towards those already in a career. So his schedule is Tuesday nights at class from 5:30-9:30pm, Wednesdays and Thursdays out of town, Friday come home and head to a soccer game Friday night. Plus whatever his activities are at church. So with his being gone so much, I'm really not sure how he's going to stay on the diet. C'est la vie!

So that's where we're at at the moment. My parents are coming into town this weekend, and though they've been on the diet as well, I fear we will all majorly digress as we often do when we're together. I'm hoping to perhaps make a bit of homemade peanut butter chocolate chip ice cream...my favorite! I have no link for this because it's homemade and used to be a staple on July 4 until everyone went to college. I miss it terribly and maybe that's why I don't really care for July 4 any more. What's the point without the ice cream?!

I'm totally rambling and I'm exhausted from beginning of the school semester activities...so good night, dear friends.

Dead Chickens

I've always hated touching raw meat (chicken included). Hated it so much that that's one of the reasons I became a vegetarian! Yes, because I didn't want to handle raw meat. But now that I'm on this diet, I'm eating animals again and been doing okay so far.

A long time ago, my mom sent me some medical gloves so that I could handle raw animals better, but I had just become a vegetarian and never used them. They've come in very handy recently! (Get it? "handy"!) Already in just two days I've had to handle, prepare, chop up two whole chickens. The first time wasn't too bad even though I was cutting the raw thing into pieces and it was kind of gross, but I had my handy-dandy gloves that helped my mind stay focused and less grossed-out.

This morning, however, I decided to roast a chicken for the first time in my life so I would have the cooked meat for future recipes. I called my mom for advice and hers was much better and simpler than my cookbook. So I started getting the chicken out of the bag while we were still on the phone. I only had one glove left. So I was partially exposed. When she said I had to get the stuff out of the cavity, (I've dealt with this disgusting feature before years ago and said I would never cook a whole chicken again afterwards) I flipped a little.

Can someone tell me WHY they insist of leaving me parts of the chicken that I never want to touch or see? Luckily, this chicken only had one thing down in the cavity. I screamed that it looked like a "wanker" and mom, peeling with laughter, said that it was probably the neck and to calm down.

Did I mention that I do not like touching dead animals!? But you'll be happy to know I made it through and my chicken is baking and browning and very nicely in the oven as we speak! You'll also be happy to know that mom has promised to buy and send me a box of medical gloves from Costco.

Non-Dieters...Jeez!

So...Jay has never dieted before. He simply doesn't get it! Let me give you an example. Just yesterday, on his second day of the diet, immediately following our lunch of chicken with oregano and mushrooms...and by immediately I mean we were carrying our plates to the sink...he asked, "Are we going to have a snack?" A snack? After just eating lunch? For a moment I thought I was conversing with a 5 year old instead of my intelligent mature husband!

Then he accused me of getting him addicted to sugar and then taking it away from him! He made it through the afternoon, but after our protein-packed dinner of salmon with pecan pesto (loved it so much I made it again!), he announced that he was feeling light-headed perhaps from a sugar withdrawal, and started pilfering through the cabinets! Are you kidding me? Has he never heard the phrase, "No pain, no gain!" Has he never had to sacrifice a little for the good that will follow? He was cracking me up, but also making me a little angry. I let him know that he needed to decide if he was going to be on the diet or not because he was bringing me down! I also told him to be a man and suck it up! (I'm not very empathetic...could you tell? I grew up with a father who tried to work while he had walking pneumonia, and I guess I expect the same toughness from my man.)

So he pushed through and was very excited when evening snack time rolled around! He was so excited, in fact, that he himself got up and cut our strawberries and cheese. Obviously I was very grateful for this since I'd already cooked three meals that day. At some point during the day he also asked when our "splurge" day would be once we were off the diet. I don't know if I'm going to get him through this or not! Only time will tell!

Diet Failure...Baby Success Part 2

To be brief, obviously a rarity, I'll just sum up our day at Gladney Center for Adoption in Fort Worth, TX. We were there from 9am-4pm. So it was rather informative and slightly overwhelming, but just in the amount of information that was given. We both left feeling extremely confident and secure about Gladney. They sure do have things together! Of course, they've been in operation for 120 years. So they've had some time to get it together! The facilities are rather impressive. They have a dorm there where up to 30 birth mothers can stay during their pregnancy, but most of their birth mothers live at home or in their communities all over the nation.

We went through the application process page by page, saw some sample profiles of previous adoptive parents (yes, I get to put a scrapbook together and I'm pumped!), met some of the birth mothers and were able to ask them questions, met an adoptive couple who had just met their new baby just a few hours earlier, heard about legal and financial issues, and were able to bond with others who are in the process. It was a long day, but definitely encouraging and exciting.

Everyone kept discussing the issue of "control," and how that meeting and the application process would be the last time we, the adoptive parents, would be in control of our future. That's definitely a hard thing, though I haven't felt the strain of it yet. I know I will though at various points during the journey. However, as Jay and I discussed on the way home, we get it! I mean, some woman is going to give her child to us. She doesn't have to do that! So if we have to let go of control and give it to her, OKAY!

Anyway, I don't want to go on and on, but if there are any questions, I'll answer them.

We actually started filling out the application on the way home until it was too dark for me to see, and I'm going to color code everything tomorrow so we know who needs to work on what! It should be fun!

Maker's Diet Day 4

Wednesday, August 13

I forgot to write about my fasting day in the excitement of my trip to Texas. I was really nervous about fasting, as I've previously explained. But I decided to give it a whirl. I skipped breakfast but still had my fiber and super food supplement. I think these two things held me over for a bit because I didn't start feeling weird until about 10am. I started getting shaky and light-headed, but I decided to push through. I didn't want to get a headache. That was my main concern, but I never did. I kept thinking, well, I'll finish this or that and then I'll eat. But I was able to keep pushing the time back. I also missed lunch, but around 2pm, I finally gave in! I actually really never got hungry. It was more an issue of being shaky and light-headed. I don't feel guilty about it though since this was my first time ever! Next time I'll do better.

I had some Oriental Red Meat Salad and cantaloupe at 2, but just a small amount. That actually seemed to awaken my hunger more than anything else! so around 4:30 I ate some leftover tuna salad. I don't think I had a snack.

Diet Failure...Baby Success Part 1

So...turns out going on a trip in the middle of phase one of a diet is a really bad idea! I knew I would have to make some exceptions, but I made a few too many! On the way down to Fort Worth, TX Thursday afternoon for our adoption orientation, I splurged a bit and bought a Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks on the way out of town. This was the first sugar that I'd had all week, and it was quite lovely! After getting up at 6am and working for 4 hours at my online job, I needed a little boost. I also had a new book to listen to on CD which always helps me stay alert....if it's good! I also packed some leftover Oriental Red Meat Salad for my dinner so as not to sway too far from the diet on my very first night away from home.

A few hours away from TX I decided to get a frapuccino...again for the purposes of staying alert. If you've ever had one of those, you'll remember that the mouth is rather wide. Yes, I did the inevitable. I slammed the drink back only to find it spilling down the sides of my mouth and on to my t-shirt. Dang it! I hate coffee stains...or any stains for that matter.

I finally made it to TX. Ever been there? If you are one of those people who hates driving in big cities, NEVER, I repeat, NEVER go to TX!!! It is an absolute wreck, especially the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. You've never seen so many highways and toll roads and outer roads and one way streets before in your life. It's rather dreadful and I made several calls to Jay to find out where the heck I was and if I was heading in the right direction. Thankfully I was, but I was rather stressed when I finally picked him up at the airport despite my decent sense of direction.

We made it to the hotel and Jay sweet talked them into an upgrade. The bed was surprisingly soft and terribly comfortable and the room was...well, roomy! We decided to go out to a restaurant nearby even though it was about 9:30 and I was exhausted. We walked over to the restaurant and ordered drinks and chips and salsa: mistake number one.

The next morning, I luckily found some eggs at the breakfast buffet at the hotel. I can't imagine they were organic, but they were certainly better than all the refined carbs surrounding them. Then I got another coffee with more sugar to help me stay awake through the morning portion of orientation.

I had to eat some peanuts mid-morning so as not to pass out from a caffeine overload. I was literally seeing stars and couldn't focus on the lady speaking. I just realized that I don't think I asked Jay to get me half decaf! Now it makes sense! I haven't been drinking coffee so this was quite a shock to my system!

For lunch we had very little choice as it was served there at the orientation. There were turkey sandwiches and ham sandwiches, potato salad, and bow tie pasta salad....and various types of cookies. I skipped the potato salad and ham, but I did have a cookie. Mistake number two.

Feeling rather bloated and unhappy with my food choices the rest of the afternoon, I wasn't hungry again until later that night. We left Fort Worth at 4pm and headed home. There wasn't much between that city and Tulsa. So we waited until we arrived in Tulsa at 9:30pm to eat dinner. I hadn't had Chick-Fil-A in almost two years and had craved it from time to time, especially since it's one of Jay's favorite places. We thought about stopping at a nice restaurant for a "second last supper," but everything was packed since it was Friday night and we were ready to get home anyway. So we both ordered a combo meal. Mine included a medium fry, super sweet tea, and a breaded, fried, non-organic piece of chicken on a white bun. BIG BIG MISTAKE NUMBER THREE!!!

I could barely finish my sandwich and felt sick almost immediately. My stomach was so upset last night and continued in that fashion this morning. Jay didn't feel very good either. I must say I'm really glad though. That'll teach me! It really wasn't worth it at all and didn't even taste as good as some of the things I've been eating this past week. Worst of all...I had lost 3 pounds and gained 2 of them back in just a day and a half. Now that's sad!

So today we're back on track. I had leftover frittata for breakfast. Jay didn't eat cause he was still feeling ill. We had leftover Oriental Red Meat Salad for lunch, and delicious Tuna Steaks - Oriental Style with steamed green beans for dinner. Much better and much more satisfying! Jay even asked if we would get strawberries tonight for our snack! So I think we made it through the crisis! If we could just always remember how bad things make us feel instead of how good or even decent they taste, dieting would be so much easier!

On to the baby stuff...

Maker's Diet Day 3

Today went much better than yesterday and I haven't felt weird at all! I actually started to feel better yesterday after blogging and enjoyed a hearty evening snack. Organic strawberries are so scrumptious!

This morning I woke up early to walk. I took the dogs with me. They were so happy to be out in the morning. I love being out in the fresh early air before the world starts waking up. It just feels innocent and pure.

Then I made the vegetable frittata that I skipped yesterday. I made it with my new iron skillet and it was REALLY good! I have lots of leftovers too. After breakfast, I decided to get a head start on my other meals for the day so I wouldn't have an episode like yesterday. I cooked the meat for my lunch: Oriental Red Meat Salad, and put it in a fragrant marinade. Then I toasted the sesame seeds and pecans, the first for lunch, the second for dinner. I also cleaned up the kitchen. I think I've ran the dishwasher and used up all my knives every day so far!

I went out to run a few errands and took some peanuts with me, but I also timed it so that I would be back in time for lunch. Jay will really appreciate this! I ran into the store, looked at exactly what I was there for, and refused to digress knowing digression would push my lunch time back. This is definitely the way to keep from spending too much money!

The Oriental Red Meat Salad was really delicious. The marinade flavored the meat until it was juicy. This topped red peppers and lightly steamed bean sprouts and snow peas. I really enjoyed it and remained full until dinner time. I also drank a ridiculous amount of water today. After lunch, a box came with some of the supplements I had ordered for this diet.

Before dinner I drank a mixture of water and a fiber substance. It wasn't too bad, but by the end of it I was kind of gagging. Too much water perhaps. I also bought these capsules of super food (see the Maker's Diet website for more details) that I thought would dissolve in the water, but they didn't. So I just took them like a pill. Then for dinner I made the Wild Alaskan Salmon with Pecan Pesto I was supposed to make yesterday. It was so yummy, I actually can't wait to eat my leftovers tomorrow! The only negative thing was I rubbed my eye after cutting jalapenos. Note to self: do not rub eyes after cutting jalapenos! That was slightly painful!

I also ordered the clenzology system recommended by the Maker's Diet and some cod liver oil which I took after dinner. I was expecting a nasty taste, but it's flavored with lemon and peppermint essence. So it wasn't too bad. I'm actually still really full. So I may skip my evening snack. Although...tomorrow involves a partial fast. I've never fasted in my entire life...at least not full meals. I always figured I had an excuse because of my low blood sugar. I didn't think the Lord would want me to pass out in the name of fasting. However, I'm going to try it tomorrow. I'm supposed to take my supplements still...like the fiber and super food...but no breakfast or lunch. Rubin recommends praying whenever hunger strikes during the fast. I guess this is when "praying without ceasing" takes on a new meaning!

Buenos noches, mi amigos.

PS Again, most recipes are from the cookbook Nourishing Traditions. So if you're looking to eat healthy without the strict "diet plan," maybe you can check that out.

Really Cool Encounter

A couple night's ago I went over to a neighbor's house to hang out. I just met her a few days ago, and she had also invited two other ladies over from our street who I had never met. They asked me about myself...saying that it was obvious I didn't have kids since my haired looked brushed and I had jewelry on! So I told them we were looking into adopting. I felt comfortable with this because the other two ladies I hadn't met had tried to get pregnant for 10 years before being surprised with a child. One of the ladies had had 4 miscarriages and was looking into adoption, was chosen, and at the same time found out she was pregnant for the 5th time! This time she delivered and she now has a boy and girl who are about 6 months apart! It was so encouraging to hear their stories. And once I told them we were adopting, that's all we talked about for awhile. Anyway, this lady did a private adoption. She's a nurse and sent out letters to all of the physicians she knew saying they were interested in adopting if anyone knew of any unwanted pregnancies. It was truly a miracle, because very soon after sending out the letter, a pregnant lady came in. She was 8 months pregnant and this was the first time she'd been to the doctor and she came looking to get an abortion! So the doctor's recommended that she give her baby to my new friend and her husband and the lady agreed!!! The pregnant women was...and probably still is...addicted to meth and alcohol and threatened numerous times that she was going to stab the baby if they didn't get it out of her soon, etc. Apparently it was pretty dramatic. So my friend and her husband truly "saved" this child. Really cool story.

What's really cool is she said someone had just asked her recently if she was interested in adopting again because a girl had come in with an unwanted pregnancy. They don't want anymore right now, but I told her to refer anyone to me and she definitely said she would! She also is going to give me her home study and attorney people that they worked with and really liked. So it was a really cool night and I think orchestrated by God for whatever reason. I mean what are the chances! We have only met one other couple who is going through adoption at our church and we've met very few people who have actually adopted! So it was really encouraging.

Up to Speed on Babies

So far I've only talked about food. Of course at the moment, on day two of the diet, I'm dreaming about Andy's frozen custard, milkshakes, and even potato chips, which I never eat! But this blog is supposed to be about babies too. So I mustn't disappoint anyone. Our journey with babies started three and a half years ago when I found myself pregnant and 10 weeks later miscarrying. This story seems to be much too common amongst my friends and acquaintances and it breaks my heart. Since then we've had a few tests done and I've taken some fertility drugs, but we certainly haven't pursued the medical route full steam. I just personally can't stand the idea of being a lab rat and that producing a baby. I have absolutely no problem with people going through AI and In Vitro. So please don't think I'm being judgmental. It's not a moral issue to me, it's just a personal one. I've never liked medicine or doctors very much...hmmm...I wonder where I got that from?! (Thanks, Dad!) So to have two things that I don't like very much create something that will be infinitely special to me just doesn't sit well.

Okay, now that I've explained all of my hang-ups...let's move on to the present. Obviously we still don't have any children. So we started talking about adoption probably a year ago. We kept putting it off and saying, "let's wait until this or that." I was finally tired of putting it off and made quite a few unnecessary and unrealistic threats to Jay, who was really on my side all along. We initially though we would do international adoption and I wouldn't budge from that stance. But after seemingly random run-ins with those who had adopted domestically, we started changing our hearts in that direction. Jay's main goal was to have an infant, which is next to impossible in most countries. We were also concerned about costs, though we've come to realize that domestic can be just as expensive if not quite a bit more so than some countries. However, finances have finally been pushed to background as we begin our journey and imagine how much the joy of a child would cost to us: priceless.

We searched for months to find the perfect agency. We looked on line, read brochures and materials, talked with various people, prayed, and read some more. Mostly this was done on my end, and finally Jay became involved and confused the situation even further since two people were now involved! However, we finally decided on Bethany. Driving to St. Louis for a mandatory meeting, we met with one of the workers there. Jay left feeling at peace while I left feeling anxious and overwhelmed. After asking a few more questions via e-mail, we realized Bethany was not the right agency for us, and even though I felt this just as much as Jay, I was really discouraged. So we started looking again.

Finally we decided on Gladney Center for Adoption in Fort Worth, Texas. We both talked to the director there who was very friendly and available despite the largeness of the agency. Jay was even able to visit their facilities during a business trip and was rather impressed. So we filled out the preliminary application and anxiously waited to know whether we were accepted into one of their programs or not. We had been told that they prefer to have a wide variety of adoptive parents for the birth mothers to choose from. So if they had several other couples that were similar to us, perhaps close in ages, religious background, etc., we might not be accepted regardless of how good of applicants we were. Waiting to find out, I tried to keep it out of my mind. Just sealing the envelope and sending it off had relieved three years of doubt, frustration, and anxiety. It felt so good to put our fate into someone else's hands for a while. I wish I could do that always with the Lord. But of course, by the second week I was checking the mailbox every day and waiting anxiously again.

Finally, Jay received the call on a Friday with the news that we'd been accepted! We told everyone at church that Sunday that we were "pregnant." We're both really excited and really anxious to get the process going. The next step is to head down to Fort Worth for a mandatory meeting. That takes place this Friday. Hopefully we won't run into any glitches like we did at Bethany, and we'll be able to purchase and take home the official application and get started. Gladney averages that the wait time from start to finish could be 12-18 months. Of course that's an average which means it could be a lot less or a lot more.

So hopefully things brings our journey in this area up to speed.

Maker's Diet Day 2

Monday, August 11

Breakfast
Vegetable Frittata

Lunch
Coconut Milk Soup

Dinner
Wild Alaskan Salmon with Pecan Pesto
Green salad
Cultured vegetables (make days in advance)

Evening Snack
Carrot, celery, and raw almond butter

So today has been quite a bit more difficult than yesterday to say the very least. I'm so annoyed with my body right now, but there's simply nothing I can do. I've always been very sensitive to what I put into my body. The first time I detoxed from caffeine a few years ago, I was so nauseous for 9 straight days that I thought I was pregnant. When I did the South Beach Diet years ago, by the end of the week I literally slammed a bowl of cereal to prevent blacking out and throwing up. I've always been jealous of those, like my husband and mother, who can go a whole day without eating and merely suffer a bit of hunger. I can't go a meal without my body threatening to revolt in some painful manner: usually through an incapacitating migraine or shakiness served with hot flashes and severe crankiness.

So needless to say, this detox phase has already hit me hard on the second day. I was feeling slightly week this morning, but pushed through and went for a glorious walk in almost chilly weather. The vegetable frittata got thrown out the window due to lack of time this morning, but I'm planning to make it tomorrow morning. So instead I just had a fried egg, which I've yet to perfect, and some leftover stir fry veggies.

Then by about 10am I was starting to feel the usual need for a morning snack. Instead, I went ahead and made the coconut milk soup. For some stupid reason I only bought chicken thighs at the farmer's market and wrestled with those skinny little beasts for about 30 minutes to produce a measly-sized portion of chicken for the soup. There wasn't even enough for a piece every other bite. I won't make that mistake again, and perhaps it is that mistake that caused my downfall later on. The soup was absolutely delicious despite it's lack of chicken, and I will definitely make it a staple. I will probably add A LOT more chicken next time and perhaps some vegetables like green beans or broccoli to thicken it up. I had a small bowl around 10:30, then again at 11:30am with a few slices of cheese.

I then left for a meeting which took much longer than I was expecting. I was starting to feel a bit light-headed at the meeting and was anxiously waiting for it to end so I could return and begin cooking dinner. My body is like a little time bomb. You can't keep it waiting unless you're prepared to pay the consequences. By the time I arrived home, the "bomb" was going off. I looked at the recipe for the wild salmon and realized I might be on the floor passed out by the time it was finished considering the pecans alone had to roast for 20-30 minutes before the recipe really even began! So I ditched that idea and searched for something else I could eat NOW. I remembered I had another can of tuna, and realizing I desperately needed the protein, I whipped up another batch of tuna salad. I also went ahead and had my evening snack of a carrot with raw almond butter (WOW! Is that stuff amazingly rich and good! It better be for the price!)

I started to feel better almost immediately upon putting the first bit of tuna in my mouth. It's really weird how that happens, but then Jordan Rubin says our stomach is like a second brain. Even after all of that protein, however, I'm still feeling a bit light-headed and woozy, like I could just tip over at any moment. I also feel like I'm on the verge of a headache which I'm currently warding off by staying very still. That's usually the only thing that keeps my migraines at bay even once I have one. I wanted to do some painting for our bedroom tonight, and I also wanted to exercise, but I just don't think I have the energy. My brother told me I would feel "lethargic" and that's definitely the best word to describe it. I just didn't know lethargy was going to hit so soon. I hope that perhaps a bit more protein will help tomorrow.

I'm also plan to have an evening snack of strawberries, cheese, almond butter on celery, and tea.

By the way...THE CULTURED CARROTS LITERALLY MADE ME GAG!!! I simply can't do it. I'm afraid Kim Chi and Sauerkraut will always be on my banned list!

Maker's Diet Day 1

Sunday, August 10

Breakfast

Fried eggs (fried in extra-virgin coconut oil)
Stir-fried veggies

Lunch

Tuna Salad
Raw carrots and celery

Dinner

French-style London Broil
Green Salad

Evening Snack

½ cup strawberries w/ 1 ounce raw goat’s milk cheese

Today went fairly smooth. The recipes were easy to make (mostly from the cookbook Nourishing Traditions) and everything tasted good. The steak was a little tough (probably because of the cut) and nearly burnt the house down! I broiled it and something must have been touching the coils because smoke started streaming out the top of the oven and filled the entire bottom floor! Oddly, our smoke alarms didn't go off. Hmmm... I surprisingly didn't mind eating meat and felt as if I had never stopped. I guess that's a good sign. Although I have to prepare chicken tomorrow, and that's one of my least favorite things to do! Somehow it helped me today to know that the meat was "natural," not fed with hormones and had only been eating grass. I don't know why this helped me, but it did nevertheless!

Jay was extremely skeptical about having veggies for breakfast. I told him he had to open his mind a little and be willing to branch out. He was always the one telling me to try new things and be more adventurous but it sure seems like the tables have turned in that area!

I haven't really been hungry today and didn't get shaky between meals, which is fairly typical with my low blood sugar. So I feel pretty good about it. Only once before in my life have I been able to control my blood sugar levels and that's when I was following the French lady's (that's what I call her since I don't know how to say her name) way of eating. I felt so good then. I didn't have to snack all day long and I could wait to eat without getting a migraine. I'm really hoping to get back to that lifestyle and it looks like I'm already on the way.

I'm really looking forward to my strawberries this evening since I have a major sweet tooth and tend to crave sweets the most in the evening. I think I'll also have a cup of herbal tea with my allotted tablespoon of raw honey per day!

I didn't exercise this morning, but I think I'll take the dogs for a walk this evening...again the weather is just too amazing to pass up. It feels like early Spring and reminds me of my days in Cambridge. Delightful!

The Last Supper -- Pre-Maker's Diet Days

Knowing the big change was beginning the next day, Jay and I decided to do what every loyal dieter feels necessary to do...binge one last time on all the favorites so that when morning comes you'll still feel so sick that you'll be ecstatic about starting your new diet. Our choice of binge food...Arris' cheese pizza and Andy's frozen custard with brownies I had made for someone else that day. We prepared for our big meal with glee and the feeling of naughtiness a 5-year-old would have while contemplating stealing candy from the gas station.

At 5:29pm I ordered our favorite pizza of all time, and was told I had a 20 minute wait. I decided to dash to Andy's first so the pizza wouldn't be cold. On my way, I chatted with my brother on the phone. He's a Maker's Diet pro and has successfully completed his 40 day journey. So with words of inspiration ringing in my ears, I picked up the beloved custard, then headed for the juicy, perfectly crusted pizza.

Arriving home, we immediately dug in not wanting to waste any time in our gluttony. I ordered a medium which was sliced into 16 square pieces. Jay ate 8...I ate 7. Jay, not being the master of diets that I like most women are, was already trying to fudge a bit on the diet that we hadn't even started yet! He said he was going to save his other four pieces for the next day's lunch! In other words, he would eat breakfast on the diet, then proceed to have 4 pieces of pizza for lunch! Of course that idea was shot down immediately and I encouraged him to lean in and finish off his half.

After our first few glorious bites, we both declared that we'd have to have an Arris' splurge day once a month once the 40 days were over and we were in maintenance mode. If you haven't had it and live in Springfield...TRY IT!!!

Having been preparing my body for the diet all during the previous week by not eating much, eating healthier, and walking A LOT, the pizza overwhelmed my tummy very quickly. I was absolutely stuffed and gagged at the thoughts of topping this off with brownies and ice cream. I had actually lost 2 pounds during the previous week, but was pretty sure that I had just put both pounds and maybe a few more back on with my indulgence.

We decided to take a walk because the weather was absolutely amazing and couldn't be missed. We also couldn't fathom having dessert at that particular moment.

Later that evening, we sat down to watch a movie and had our last indulgence. I still wasn't ready for brownies, but just had the custard instead, which was divine enough for me. Jay had both. It was a delectable night. Tomorrow the diet begins.

Pre-Maker's Diet Days

After hours of reading, planning menus and making grocery lists, visiting three stores and the farmer's market, and spending more money on groceries than ever before, Jay and I are ready to take the plunge. Tomorrow we start The Maker's Diet introduced by Jordan S. Rubin.

I've always been what some would consider a "small" person. I'm about 5'3'' and "petite" though curvaceous! I've always watched my weight, but been able to eat fairly freely without too much concern. But at some point my metabolism started to slow down...I think around the age of 24 and I began to struggle with staying at a "normal" weight for me.

In 2005, we moved back to Springfield and I started teaching at Reeds Spring High School full time. The stress of this job sent me into a downward spiral of vicious, emotional eating that led to me gaining almost 10 pounds. Now, that may not seem like a lot to some people, but it was A LOT for me! I had to buy new clothes in a size that I had never worn before, and the depression of this just made me eat more. At some point, I saw a picture of myself sort of from a side angle where I was sitting in a chair. I think it was that picture that made me realize I needed to get a hold of myself and fast.

After reading French Women Don't Get Fat, which I HIGHLY recommend, I started eating much better and was so happy about what I was eating for the first time in my life. I really enjoyed eating healthy and eating a variety of foods. I stopped eating emotionally and refused to eat anything if I was tired or sad. I branched out in my tastes and was excited about cooking and trying new things. Just from this, no exercise included, I lost almost 10 pounds, had abundant energy and felt really, really good about myself probably for the first time in my life.

Then I started teaching high school again! Jeez! Those teenagers will ruin a healthy way of eating faster than you can wiggle your toes! I was able to maintain some what and gained a few pounds back, but this summer I started eating lots of Braum's mint chocolate chip milkshakes. (Warning: These shakes may contain crack cocaine and therefore become hazardously addictive. DO NOT begin consuming under any condition!)When Jay also became addicted, it was just too difficult to stop! Then we discovered Andy's Snow Monster, a wonderful conglomeration of custard, melted chocolate chips, and strawberries! Oh my! (Thanks, brother Nate for introducing yet another addiction to me in the ice cream family!)

Just in the last few months stresses about school, working, adoption, and infertility (see other posts about this) ramped up my emotional eating again and I started seeing numbers on the scale that I didn't think I'd ever let myself see again.

After hearing of my brother's success with The Maker's Diet, I decided to at least read about it. I'm always fascinated by diet books, especially when they explain the various effects various foods have on your body. After reading the book, understanding it, and realizing that it really does make a lot of sense, I bugged Jay to death to read it too so we could try it together, which he did.

I'll let you read the book yourself if you're really interested in hearing all the details, but in a nutshell, the Maker's Diet gets back to the way God created us to eat the laws that he established in the Old Testament for the Israelites. Being a Christian, I believe that much of that law was broken and we are no longer under the bondage of it because of what Christ did for us. However, I think that God established some laws that were meant for the health, and not necessarily just the religious benefits of the Israelites. That's the heart of Jordan Rubin's book.

Months and months ago I read Exodus 23. In this chapter, verse 25-26 states: "Worship the LORD your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span."

I lived on that promise for that month and believed it with all my heart. I was incredibly angry with God and called him everything but a liar when I discovered I wasn't pregnant that month. I haven't understood how He could make these promises and then allow all the miscarriages that are going on right now. But after reading the Maker's Diet, I get it. I'm not saying it's the end all be all, but God's promises came with rules and regulations. He didn't just say this as if it would always be true, there were always "ifs" attached to these statements. Of course it makes sense that if the Israelites were following the Lord's diet plan, their bodies would be functioning properly and things like miscarriages wouldn't happen as frequently as they are today. That doesn't mean I believe that if I go on this diet, I will get pregnant. BUT, why wouldn't I give myself every opportunity possible?

So more importantly, yes, I would like to shed a few pounds, but I'd also like to be healthy and live the long abundant, energized, exciting life that we're promised in scripture if we follow God's plan.

And I'm going to let you know how that works out for us! Tomorrow begins a 40 day journey that I'm excited to embark upon. I'm going to start eating meat and poultry again, which I haven't done for a year and a half, and I'm going to follow Rubin's "prescription" to a tee. In a way it's a test, but one that I'm excited and looking forward to taking.