Day 15 - Scallops and Freeze Queen

Mega: Dear reader(s?), For dinner Low made scallops on a bed of fresh spinach with a side of steamed broccoli. It was super easy to make and clean up. One thing I have really noticed is how easy it is to clean the kitchen after our meals. It doesn't take a lot to make and it is super fast regarding dishes. I think the main reason for this is the lack of sauces. I love my sauces, but not so much as to justify having more dishes. My laziness always wins out in the end.

Oh, and for some strange reason I'm craving a Dairy Queen Blizzard... ---cough--- A chocolate mint one. Yum!

Day 14 - Hurah! Two weeks!!

Mega: So, I'm quite proud of us. We've made it two weeks without cheating once. Yay!

Had a tasty dinner tonight of salmon, spinach, and mango slices. The salmon was fried up with a little olive oil and fresh thyme. Very tasty!!


Low: The starvation is getting progressively easier and easier. It has been nice to start eating healthily and to break the old habits of eating out instead of packing lunches. Once we finish, we'll be able to start adding less restrictive foods back in but it will be nice to have the good habits established so that we don't fall back into our old ways. Our wallets are fatter and our waistlines less so.

Day 13 - Dinner & The Closet

Mega: Tonight Low made roasted lamb, steamed broccoli, and oven baked sweet potatoes for myself and his family. It is was so nice getting together with them and I think they liked the meal. Low's a fantastic cook and they had seconds, which is a good sign. This is a meal that we will continue to have even when we're not suffering on this diet.

We also watched this French movie called The Closet. It was pretty funny. Had some iffy language...but as they were making fun of people that say stuff like that, it wasn't too bad.

Oh, as for my bag of sweet potato chips, I still have some. I am using a lot of self control and very proud of myself. I wonder how Low's bag is doing....

Day 12: Treats at last

Low: Probably one of the hardest things of doing the elimination starvation is the complete lack of any snack foods (and for those who would counter that veggies and fruits count as snack foods--you're wrong). Luckily today as Mega and I were wandering the aisles of Costco restocking our depleted supply of healthy foods and trying to ignore the desserts and many tasty samples (note to self: avoid Costco on weekends when they have the samples), we came upon bags and bags of sweet potato chips. Luckily they only contain sweet potatoes and kosher oils so we can totally pig out on them. We got one bag for me and one bag for Mega. Suffice it to say, we didn't even make it to the car before the bag of chips had been opened and we probably ate half the bag on the way home. This may not exactly be a victory, but to our credit we did only get two bags when there was talk of maybe getting four. I guess we should take hope in the small victories.

Day 11 - Plus Pecans

Mega: My coworker is so sweet. She brought me a bag of pecans that were left over from a party. Now I can add them to my morning mix of almonds and fruit. Yum!!

On a side note, made spinach and bison burger again. Very tasty. Mixed in chopped rosemary and sage this time.

Day 10 - School is bad for this diet

Mega: I can sum up the day by just saying this...today I put my undies on backwards (butt in the front), did not even notice until this afternoon, and still have not found the time to correct it. How can one possibly eat correctly if you cannot even put your undies on right?!

Day 9 - ugh

Mega: too tired to blog. day was exhausting and the fact that all i had for lunch was celery, cucumber slices, carrots (gag), and almonds I am amazed I'm still semi functioning.

Did make a yummy dinner b4 running off to class. A lamb chop with rosemary and garlic with a side of steamed broccoli. I put rosemary and garlic in the boiling water for the broccoli and it turned out pretty yummy.

I wish you well world!! And that you are enjoying all the delicious things out there that are forbidden to me.

Day 8 - yeah...

Mega: This is going to be brief as it is 12:21 or 00:21 (yay for military time) and I am exhausted after working on homework all night. Today I walked up to the grocery store twice. Once in the morning w/ Melmel (part of our new exercise regime) and another time after work to buy some meat. Since Low was out a dinner w/ some colleagues and had left me to starve, I made my own yummy dinner consisting of the following items:

1) Swordfish fillet with a garlic, sea salt, rosemary, and thyme seasoning. It was cooked up on the stove with a little olive oil.
2) Zucchini and spinach with the remaining amount of my previously mentioned seasoning, and cooked up the same way.

3) Yams with sea salt and olive oil and baked in the oven.


It turned out very yummy. Now I'm off to bed as Melmel will be calling me at the crack of dawn for another walk. :)

Day 7 - Torment

Mega: Today was truly a test of my soul. Yes, my soul. First, one of my old coworkers brought in pie. And not just any ol' pie, but some of my favorites. Pecan pie. Lemon cheesecake pie. The list goes on and on. But did I partake of this forbidden fruit. No. I stayed true to my evil diet and ate my almonds in a slightly sullen mood.

Then, when I thought it was over, it hit me again. This time in the form of school work. Lets just say that if I wasn't forbidden by my diet and religion, I would be three sheets to the wind by now. Instead, I'm going to go eat some mango and watch Avatar with Low. Thank goodness for Low. And mangos.

Day 6 - Lobster & Invictus

Mega: Tonight we had an awesome dinner of broiled lobster tail, sweet potatoes, yams, and asparagus. It was sooooo yummy!! I'm very glad lobster is okay. Low is an amazing cook and I am a very lucky girl.


We also watch Invictus, which is a great and inspiring movie. It is amazing what the human spirit can overcome.

Low: Mega ate the leftovers I was planning on having for lunch. Consider the brevity of this post a protest.

Mega: So worth it.

Day 5 - Cake for Supper

Low: You may be wondering how Cake is actually allowed on this diet. In truth, it isn't, unless like tonight you get your cake in the musical form. Cake (the band) came into town so Mega and I went out to see them. But we couldn't very well go out on an empty stomach so we fixed a nice meal of oven roasted sweet potatoes and garlic bison patties on a bed of spinach. We figured that bison is kosher since it counts as wild game and is organic and grass fed. Plus it is delicious. The patties turned out really well, and we know that we can fix those up again the next time we have a BBQ. I'm sure they'd be even better when cooked over a grill.

After patties, and Cake, we came back home and had a nice mango for dessert. Mega had to learn the proper way to eat a mango, but didn't feel comfortable enough to fully abandon her western utensils and jump right in and eat the mango jungle style. I, however, always eat my mangoes with my hands and as a result I usually end up with mango all over my face. Tonight was no exception and as in the past, no one cared enough to let me know that I had mango all over my face. Such are the plights of my existence.


Mega: In my defense, I didn't see any mango on your face until you pointed it out. If I would have seen it, I would have said something. That is how deep my love for you is...

Hmmm, what was awesome about today? The weather, my bf, the patties, the park, Cake, and the mango. I'm so glad Liz told me about Cake coming into town. I had heard it before, but had forgotten. The show was fab. And the drunk couple in front of us was hilarious. As the night progressed, so did their drinking, occasional tongue twistering, and butt slapping. Too funny!! (Minus the deep throat tonguing.) ----barf----

I have to say, this diet has made us really expand our food selection and jump started our creativity. Who would have thought ground up bison and garlic patties over a bed of spinach would be yummy? I didn't, but was willing to wing it cuz I was starving and in need of some meat. Mmmmmmm.....mmeaaattttt.

As far as eating my mango with a spoon, it was just as good, but less messy. Plus, it's what the instructions said to do. No one will be calling me mango face. Just mango teeth since it has this terrible habit of getting stuck. But that's what floss was invented for. Mango teeth. It's true. Wiki it. ---cough--- If it's not there, just keep checking.

Day 4 - BBQ/Slacklining Party

Mega: When Low asked if I'd want to go to a BBQ over at a friend's place, I said (being the awesome gf that I am) "Of course!" Then quickly followed up with "what are we going to eat?" My friend, Melmel, suggested lamb and carrot kabobs on our way to work. I said, "No carrots. Don't want my vision to go all x-ray." Last thing I need in my life is seeing the people around me in a whole new light. To put more emphasis...the very last thing. ---shivers---

Anywho, Low pulled some salmon out of the freezer and we (he) BBQed them up along with some zucchini. Tasty! And then we had a plum for desert. The downside to the plum is that we washed them off outside and the faucet area smelled like cat pee. Not quite the aroma you want before biting into a juicy plum.

Point of today, you can to go a BBQ/slacklining party and maintain your diet. Just be aware that the scents of roasting sausages, potato chips, and m&m's (Low: guaranteed that after being on this diet for 4 days, you too will be able to smell m&m's) will test your resolve. It's a good thing Low was there to support.

P.S. I really hope we don't get something from using that faucet.... Must remember not to listen to Low regarding washing off fruit unless it is in a safe area like a kitchen.

Low: Just noticing that the title of this post is BBQ/Slacklining and we haven't said anything about the slacklining. All the boys got on the line trying to win Mega's affection by impressing her with their balancing prowess. I wasn't the best, but Mega overlooks those minor imperfections and accepts me for the gangly tight rope walker that I am.

Actually, the slackline was fun, but we didn't have actual trees to use as anchors so we used saw horses and any metal pipes that we could find to stick into the ground to act as anchors. I bought some aluminum anchors from Harbor Freight, and they worked really well for the first 10 minutes until they started to bend and pull out. That's what you get from trying to save a buck by buying from Harbor Freight.

Low out.

Day 3 - Lambie Leftovers & Mango Madness

Mega: Between running to work and to school...not a lot of time to cook awesome meals. So, leftovers it is. I've had lamb for lunch and dinner the past couple nights. Thankfully Low stopped by last night and helped me cook up some sweet potatoes and reheat...guess.... Lamb!! I'm grateful Low found such a great recipe cuz if that lamb was gross, I would be having a very hard time eating it again and again and again.

I need to figure out easier meals and not just snackies...

Low's Email: So apparently everyone at school hates me. I ate my mango at around 11:30 and have been walking around and talking to people since then with mango all over my face. No one bothered to tell me. Oh well.

Mega: Hahaha!! Too cute!

Day 2 - Eyesight better be improving w/ all these carrots

Mega: All I have to say is today I am really sick of carrots. Currently cooking up some sweet potatoes to add variety in tomorrow's snackies. May also bring an avocado to work.

It smells sooooo good!!! Just a little olive oil and sea salt, and then throw them in the oven at about 400 degrees. Only 10-15 min to cook.

Day 1 - Rosemary & Garlic Lamb

Pre-Meal

Mega: Today we are making rosemary and garlic lamb with sweet potatoes. After a day of fruit, nuts, and veggies, I am really looking forward to some meat. I did have a very nice breakfast of raspberries, crushed almonds, and a little honey.

Low is so cute. He's currently in the kitchen slicing up our potatoes. The lamb is already in the oven and smells great. My landlord has an herb garden that we can use, which is great because fresh rosemary is the best for cooking. Low is thinking about putting some herb boxes up on his balcony and I think that is a great idea.

Post-Meal

Low: I don't know if I'm cut out for an ascetic lifestyle. It has been less than 24 hours and I already miss my meat. I was able to last till supper and I'm glad that I did. The rosemary garlic lamb roast was a success. The worst part of the meal was waiting for it to be ready as the smell permeated the kitchen. It was torture but well worth the wait. The roast was just around $25 but we have enough leftovers for another 3 or 4 meals each. Well worth the money spent, and cheaper than eating out.

Now we'll just have to figure out what we want to cook next. We may have inadvertently set the bar too high with this last meal.

Final preparations

Mega: Today was the last day of indulgences. No more hot cocoa in the morning following by snackies of jerky and corn nuts. Really going to miss that along with potato chips and all sorts of yummies. On a positive note, grocery shopping was successful. So successful I almost bought a TV as a reward. But I used self-restraint and abstained. Anyway, we bought tons of fish, veggies, and fruit. Below is a photo of all the goods. I really hope we don't starve....future looks grim though.

As we exited Costco, Low could not resist one last treat. Unfortunately, they were out of churros so he had to settle for the hand dipped ice cream bar. I don't think he was too disappointed.

Yum, yum!

Grocery List

Low: Things we can eat (It is much easier to list the things that can be eaten as opposed to listing all the things that must be avoided)

Meats

• Fresh or frozen Australian or New Zealand lamb
• Fish (must be wild caught)
• Wild game
• Crab, lobster, clams, scallops
• Frog legs (phew, I thought that this was going to be hard. You can take my red meat just don't try to take away my precious frog's legs.)
• Cornish game hen

Veggies

• Veggies we can't eat: corn, white potatoes, tomatoes (which is a fruit by the way. I'm beginning to doubt the credibility of this doctor if he doesn't even know tomatoes aren't vegetables), peas, beans, or other legumes (little round bally vegetables for those unfamiliar with the veg vernacular)
• Veggies we can eat: sweet potatoes (thank goodness), yams, cabbage, carrots (I anticipate developing an orange tint in the near future), squash, asparagus (and having very potent urine), cauliflower, avocados, celery (yay for negative calories), garlic, okra, radishes, greens (kale, beets, mustard, spinach, collard), green peppers (no hot), rutabaga, and turnips (flip those two if you are in Canada), leeks, cucumbers, eggplant, and Brussels sprouts.

Fruits

• All fruits except apples and citrus.
• No fruit juice (good thing Juicy Juice clearly advertises 0% real fruit)

Condiments

• Honey in small quantities
• Stevia
• Sea salt
• Ginger, almond butter, sesame butter, and cilantro
• Safflower oil, sunflower oil, flax seed oil, sesame oil, and extra virgin olive oil if cold pressed
• Nothing with additives
• Nuts (peanuts are not nuts. They are legumes and hence, not allowed)

So basically, we're screwed.

Introduction to the Elimination Starvation (alternate title: "It's easy to plan to starve yourself when you're fat dumb and happy")

Mega: How does one go about convincing someone else to starve themselves for better health? First, get an allergy or autoimmune disease. I picked a doosie...gluten. Next, grumble about it only occasionally. Too much is annoying, so be careful. You just want to generate sympathy. And finally, pick the right person to do it with (someone that is easily persuadable).

Low: (Starve Date T minus 1) A more appropriate answer to Mega's question above about how to convince someone to starve themselves for better health would be as follows: withholding, manipulation, and general passive-aggressive behavior. Not that this is what Mega is doing, that's just how I would do it. I think I just fall under the category of generally submissive and easy going.