I’m not in training mode, but I sure did my share of carbo loading today. I ate 2 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch (lots of protein) and had a huge helping of dumplings with my chicken for dinner. It reminded me of eating during the 3-Day – lots of pb&j and pasta! The dinner tonight was at Cracker Barrel, and my sister and I both got the same thing, a cheesy broccoli chicken. Talk about your easy recipes! It was just a boneless chicken breast, some soup (cream of something?), with a cracker crust on the chicken, broccoli on top, and then cheese. Delish!

By the time I had the chicken, carrots, the dumplings, a biscuit, and 2 glasses of tea, I was stuffed. I really SHOULD have done some training after that, perhaps laps in the parking lot of Cracker Barrel, to work off that big dinner.

I need to show a little self control. It’s girl scout cookie time, and between my husband and I, we bought 20 boxes. That’s not the self control issue though…because the cookies DO freeze well, and we’ll be eating them for a long time. The problem is with me. I can sit down and eat a whole sleeve of thin mints in a sitting. Eek! Yes, I have a great metabolism and won’t see any weight gain from that, but the sugar alone is enough to give me pause. And it’s hard to tell me kids they can only have 3 cookies when I’m eating 5 times that many!

Did you know that chocolate is good for you? Research has shown that chocolate contains a chemical called catechins, which could prevent cancer and heart disease. Dark chocolate contains the most of the chemical. Good thing I LOVE dark chocolate – it gives me an excuse to eat more! Of course, eating chocolate loaded with sugar and oil and corn syrup will discount the benefit of the good stuff in chocolate. That’s why Crackheads Candy has developed all natural white and dark chocolate covered espresso beans, with NO hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. They want you to be able to give yourself a treat without worrying about your diet or your sugar intake. I love the name too – I do have a dark sense of humor, to go with my love of dark chocolate! You can buy some Crackheads candy / gear here! The candy is kosher certified and one package has just 190 calories.

Tonight is Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent. We had a lively dinner table discussion with the kids, and they each announced what they’d be giving up for Lent. My oldest is giving up ice cream, my middle child said candy, and the boy is still deciding. My 11 year old suggested that I give up soda. Perish the thought. Without a Coke to wake up each morning, I’d need a nap by lunchtime, after swallowing a few Advil to get rid of the headache brought on by the lack of caffeine.

Caffeine is bad for you. I know that. But I can’t seem to get through the day without a few cans of Coke. If I don’t have one in the morning, I need a nap. Seriously! I guess that proves without a doubt that I’m addicted to caffeine. I can drink it right before bed and still go to sleep. It doesn’t make me feel wired.

Ever wonder exactly how much caffeine you could drink? This death by caffeine test will tell you. Pick your poison (Coca-Cola Classic for me) and put in your weight (110 lbs for me). According to my results, I could drink 220.81 cans of Coca-Cola Classic before croaking. Given the tolerance that I have for it, I’d say I could take on at least 300 cans. Not that I’m going to attempt it anytime soon.

Despite what I said earlier in the week, I didn’t eat any paper. I was in the office, and drank a Coke on the way to work, and another 2 in the office. I had a hot corned beef and swiss for lunch, and my husband cooked a pot roast for dinner. And I had a slice of my mother’s homemade pumpkin pie for dessert. Not the healthiest of days…I’m sure there was a ton of fat in my sandwich. I try and I try, but I just can’t break the soda habit either.

I blogged yesterday about my poor eating habits. Here it is, after 2pm, and what have I had to eat today? Nothing. I’m drinking a Coke right now. If I were in my office, I would be STARVING by now. Why is it that I don’t get hungry at home? Tomorrow when I’m in the office, I’ll need a mid-morning snack and lunch by 1pm or I’ll start eating the paperwork on my desk.

Nutrisystem is back in town.  I found Nutrisystem Nourish on TVTopTen.com.  I’m not impressed with any “food system” that doesn’t promote the balance of diet AND exercise.  I can walk 60 miles, but if I eat crap, it’s not going to help me to be fit.  And I can eat healthy, but if I don’t exercise, there’s no point to eating healthy.   What’s up with their plan of providing you food for a fee each month?  Why can’t they teach people how to make their own healthy food instead?  (Well, I guess because that wouldn’t make them a profit…?)  I can’t imagine paying anything (their plans start at *only* $10 a month) for pre-packaged food.  Boo Nutrisystem – stop being a crutch for people, and let them get healthy in a healthy way!