Update 2

Yes, it was delicious. And good for me.

But I think avoiding whole groups of food is starting to piss me off a bit.

Blink

It's my daughter's second birthday today. Two tiny, whole, long and unbelievably fast years. Two years of late nights and early mornings and worries in my heart and head that I never thought I'd experience. My two happiest years, hands-down. The most abundantly full years of my life, overflowing with raw emotion and joy that only her birth has brought me.

I check on my babies every night, just because. I like to watch them sleep and hear them exhale with that soft little moan that only babies do. Last night I went in and the birthday-girl to-be woke up, sat up immediately. When this happens, she always says 'Tuckener-in', which loosely translated means, 'please lay me down on my pillow, give me my binky, tuck my blanket in and THEN you can leave'.

But she said something different last night, for the first time. She said, 'rocka-baby', which she has said on occasion, but never when I've gone in to check on them.

So I did. I picked her up, my little-big girl, and I rocked her like a baby. She turned toward me and fell asleep right away. And her face was just as sweet as it was two years ago, when I met her for the first time and felt a lump in my heart that hasn't gone away since.

I cried then, too....like I did when she was born. And I whispered in her ear, in vain:

"Please, not so fast...."

One week down

Well, it's been a little over one week officially on my bad-ass diet. It's not perfect, but I'm amazed that I'm still interested in it and that I haven't completely thrown in the towel.

After 7 days, I was down 4.5 pounds. Yes, I know. It's water weight and thank you. But who cares? It feels great and so do I. My new-found penchance for black coffee is probably the most interesting part. I don't know that I actually tasted the coffee before. Don't get me wrong, not reaching for the cream in the morning does not come naturally to me, but it's getting easier and easier.

It's funny. I've had a few 'cheats' in the week, namely buttered popcorn, a few sugar free fudgicles, and two small glasses of wine. Last night I actually had dinner in a restaurant with bread, wine, and some mashed potatoes (clearly not part of the plan!). When I have these little 'cheats', my body reacts almost immediately.

In the name of stinky farts.

(It's my blog after all, right?)

I kinda like the experimental part, that I can see right away how my body responds to certain foods. It's even more interesting since my daughter was diagnosed with Celiac Disease because it's more proof that diet has a profound affect on your tummy. At least mine, anyway.

I miss my yogurts and my daily chocolate, but it's not overwhelming. I'm eating more fish and tried some sauteed broccolini the other day. Don't get me wrong, I'm a nacho and beer kinda girl, but this 'back to nature' thing is working for me.

Powder And Paint...

...Make a Girl What She Ain't.

But it's fun still, right? So, many of you know I have a little side-business as a freelance makeup artist. I've picked it back up in the last 3 years and I've been pretty busy in the summer months. I decided to start highlighting certain products that I really dig (or some that I just don't understand at all).

Here is the first one and it's called Neutrogena Moisture Shine Tinted Lip Balm. I really need something on my lips at all times, or I get comments like:

-Are you feeling alright?

-Have you tried B12? I hear it helps with energy.

-You look tired.

Etc, etc. So I like this product because it's NOT lipstick. It's not sticky and it's not deep in color. It's a nice light lip balm that happens to have a kiss of color. I really like 'Fresh' as a shade when I want something pinky, and 'Clean' when I want something that is more bronzy, without being brown.

I also like them because they are really moisturizing and they have an SPF of 20. I actually ran out of mine in Florida last week and actually burned my lips. I'm sensitive, you know.

So check them out, and they are pretty well-priced at about $7.00 per tube.

And lastly, I have used mine almost daily since I bought in August 2006 and it JUST ran out. Bang for yer buck.

another update, appreciated by all in my house.

My gas is gone.


Just sayin.

Update 1

Feeling better than I would have imagined.

Not hungry. For real. Sometimes I hear people talk about their brand new diet and it's clear that they are in the 'honeymoon phase' where they feel full and wonderful and don't want ANY frosting out of their fridge. And I'm always annoyed by them. Annoyed that they're so naive and kind of deliciously waiting for them to get bored and pissy and just eat the damn frosting already.

That's not nice of me.

But I'm there right now, dammit! I feel good. We went out for two for one pizzas last night and my turkey tip salad suited me just fine, thankyouverymuch.

So. As for now, day 4, we're good.

DeTizOx

We just returned from a ridiculously good time in Florida (or, as my little peanut says...'Flo-di-da') spent with my father, mother and stepfather. They don't live together, just to clarify ;-). Time on the beach, time by the pool, and of course some of the best times, around the kitchen table. What is it about the kitchen table? It seems to bring out the best stories in everyone, or at least the best exaggerated tales. Breaking bread and yukking it up, two of my favorite things to do.

We had amazing meals: ribs, wings, a cornucopia of naughty bites at a SuperBowl Party including mozzarella sticks and a triple threat dessert made of marshmallow, fudge and brownie. We were treated to Mom's homecooking including chicken and veggies, brown rice and Dairy Queen. And of course my hubby and I snuck away for a night where we got to know Mr. Corona and nachos. And a burger. And the Waffle House. Oh and an ice cream cone and a margarita (not a good combo, fyi).

So, it's time. Time to detox. Purge. Cleanse. Remove. Eliminate. You get it. And it's not a calorie slash so please don't email me about making sure I get enough nutrients. It's just the cutting of the crap. The cuttage. And it's funny, because if you think about it, there really is a LOT of crap to cut. I thought that my diet was really healthy, and for the most part, it is (with the exception of the above paragraph, you know). But sometimes, you get a little loose, a little lazy, a little careless. So I'm on day two of the purge. It's actually from Health magazine and it's balanced eating without any processed food, dairy, soy or grains. There are proteins, vegetables and fruits at every meal, and snacks of nuts/seeds/nut butters and fruit.

Here's how it's going:

-One day one, I had a f$#%^ headache that didn't end. It really didn't end until today (day 2).

-I was surprised that I am not hungry at all. In fact, it's kind of hard to keep up with the snacks.

-The nuts and seeds are very satisfying and keep me fuller, longer.

-I'm not sure if the above is true or if I'm just going crazy because of the lack of chocolate.

I'll keep you posted on my progress. If I find myself face-first in the BJ's bag of chocolate chips by the end of the week, you'll know I'm officially off the wagon.