February 21, 2012

Dog-sitting

My little brother Nathan got a dog yesterday, and we're dog-sitting her right now! She's a black lab mix, about a year and a half old, and her name is Bailey. Nathan got her from a friend's sister, who is pregnant and wanted to find a new home for her dog before the baby came.

But Nathan had to work a 12-hour shift tonight, so I said we would watch her. Jerry's off work, and the kids are off school, so we get to be dog owners for the evening. It's actually been pretty fun. I took her for a walk at the state park, and she LOVED it.

She's a super friendly dog, and very well-behaved. The kids are having a lot of fun with her.


I quit my challenge last night :) After writing yesterday's post, I had planned on continuing the challenge through to the end, but I still kept obsessing over peanut butter, so I decided to just end it now. I shared some Valentine's chocolates with Jerry last night, and they were delicious! I thought maybe they'd be too sweet, or make me feel sick, but I felt totally fine eating them.

Today, I've eaten really well--back to "normal". A couple of the comments on my last entry made me wonder what people think my "normal" diet is like... it's NOT bad! Maybe I gave that impression? Most of my diet consists of "real" food that I cook myself, but I do eat things like Ezekiel bread, mayonnaise, ketchup, graham crackers, chocolate chips, and canned tomatoes. Those things aren't terrible for you--just not "real" food. I do love my daily treat too, which almost always has sugar (not honey or pure maple syrup, but sugar).

Here is today's food log, for an example:

Breakfast--breakfast cookie, tea with stevia and cream
Lunch--tuna with full-fat mayo on a homemade whole wheat tortilla
Dinner--homemade fajitas
Snacks--gingersnap cookies, popcorn with oil and salt, a few mini Reese's cups

It was much easier to refrain from bingeing when I wasn't so restricted. I was craving tuna with mayo really badly for a couple of weeks now!

I didn't eat a paczki today, despite it being Fat Tuesday ;)  I have never been a huge doughnut fan, and I've actually never eaten a paczki. I'd rather have a cookie!


Well, I have to cut this short, because I have lots of stuff to get done tonight! Did you eat a paczki today?

35 comments:

  1. I did not eat a paczki today ... but it's tradition in my church to have a pancake supper on Fat Tuesday, so my husband and I are having pancakes for dinner tonight! I'm very excited ... I'll have chocolate chip pancakes! yum!

    I agree ... too many restrictions just beg for a binge. I couldn't have done it. Congrats on the days you did eat 'real'.

    On another note, I bought some green st. patrick's day socks today for the Corktown run. Not as exciting as your skirt, but I'm happy with them. :)

    Enjoy dog sitting!

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    1. Make sure you come say hi to me if you see me at the Corktown run! :)

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  2. Guess its safe to tel you Trader Joe's has Cookie Butter back in stock!!

    You're a champ for sticking with the challenge as long as you did.
    No way could I go that long.

    Cute dog!!

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    1. Oh no! You know this means I'll be making a trip to Ann Arbor soon...

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  3. First, I have no idea what a paczki is! I also dont know what Fat Tuesday is.

    Second, why did you consider sugar not real food? Isnt the only ingredient in sugar sugar? I would have cut HFCS but not sugar.

    Third, I finally finished reading your blog from your first entry and I'd love to read your journal of the actual weight loss.

    Thanks for writing, Katie! You have quickly become one of my favorite bloggers!

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    1. A paczki is just like a jelly doughnut--only HUGE and with thousands of calories!

      I didn't consider sugar a real food simply because it is so refined. For the purposes of my challenge (where I made up my own rules), I only allowed honey and pure maple syrup because they are barely processed.

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  4. Nope...no paczki for me today! : ) I have had them before, but they don't taste any different than a regular jelly-filled doughnut...except that they have WAY more calories.

    www.willbeskinnyernie.blogspot.com

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  5. I am glad you quit your challenge, I had a feeling you despised it and was trying to just fulfill a challenge. I think when we are on restrictions we just want to break them! I once tried to go vegan, it was just too hard (I lived in a really rural town). I didn't know what a paczki was either.

    I have been cooking a lot of your recipes and YUM! My husband is even a fan of them!

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  6. Congrats on being done with that challenge... I love what you said before about how this challenge is proof that you shouldn't change anything you can't stick to for life. That has stuck with me since I first discovered you and your blog :)

    I don't know what paczki is, but I'm guessing that's for the best!

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  7. I just had a cadbury creme egg... my fat tuesday treat to myself. After tonight, no refined sugar until easter. I try to limit it anyways, but I'm making it official to myself that I'm giving it up. But, I AM going to have a hot cross bun on some sunday, and I've already declared it so it's not cheating!!! They are available it a bakery near me ONLY during lent, and I am having one. Period, end of story. lol. But beyond that, it'll be unsweetened coffee, no store bought baked goods, no birthday cake (there'll be at least 2 birthday parties), no ice cream, and no chocolate. I can bake my own healthy treats, sweetened with fruit or honey, and I'll make my banana "nice cream" if I need.
    That said, in a couple of weeks when I (ahem) "need" chocolate, I will not let myself go on a crazy binge. I'd rather cave in and eat a snickers bar than eat myself sick for three days because "i can't have a snickers". Hopefully I can healthfully distract myself, but I won't sabotage myself over a challenge.
    Anyhow, I'm glad you had a yummy day. =-)
    Cheers- Bridget

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    1. Good idea with the Cadbury Creme Egg--I LOVE those things!

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  8. I am proud you did it as long as you did. It must have been hard.

    At least you tried it, and you know it isn't for you.

    I didn't eat one. I never knew what they were until I moved to Chicagoland.

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  9. I think it's really interesting how definitions of real foods differ. Just for instance, I would never consider bread of any type a "real" food. I'm not trying to say you didn't do your challenge right or anything like that (because you did really well!) just making an observation. And I've actually never heard of a paczki! I googled it though and it looks quite delicious, haha.

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    1. The challenge was just my own made-up rules. The only bread that I had was made by me, from scratch, with 100% whole wheat flour. I didn't mill my own flour, however ;)

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  10. Totally cute dog. I'm glad Bailey is good. Labs are such great dogs. Sounds like you had a good day. Glad you got the tuna you had been craving. Corinne

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  11. No paczki in Japan! I could find a donut though... we have a cute lil vegan donut shop that is actually really delicious! That doggy is adorable too! And I wouldn't feel bad about giving up the challenge. It sounded like it didn't always agree with you/ bring out the best in you. And that's the point of eating/ dieting! :)

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  12. My coworker bought me a Paczki (my family gets them from the Polish deli too) but of COURSE I just started a Freggie fast today LOL! It's probably a good thing, I don't need anymore Paczki's for a while :)Missed your blog by the way, life is crazy.

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  13. To be so honest I am very glad to hear you quit the challenge! I did not want to say anything because I didn't feel it was my place to, but it wasn't the right challenge for you. You found foods that you love and that work for you. When a challenge starts messing with you mind and everything you have worked so hard to accomplish eating-wise I definitely think it should be stopped. I think you learned many new things though from this challenge about your body and food! :)

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  14. You had me at breakfast cookie. Can you post the recipe for this? I looked on your recipe blog under breakfast and didn't see it listed there. I have no idea what it is, but I'm already craving it just by the title! :-)

    Congrats on finishing 3 weeks of the challenge!!! I think that is awesome and something to be way proud of!

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    Replies
    1. It is there, maybe I just forgot to tag it with 'breakfast'--you can find the recipe here: http://runsforcookiesrecipes.blogspot.com/2011/08/breakfast-cookies.html

      Enjoy!

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    2. Yay!!! Thanks for sending me the link. I'm going to try it out this weekend!!!! -Jenn

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    3. This link isn't working for me either :/

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  15. Katie-
    I didn't have A packzi.... I had two!!!! And a whole of other crap, including a whole bag of Easter Reeses eggs!!:-(
    I guess they must be a mid-west/ MI thing, because a lot of people don't know what they are!!!! I never knew that!!!!
    I have decided to "stay on track" for WW along with no bingeing for lent this year. I am going to try to "fast" today also, but I technically don't "have" to because I am nursing my son still.
    I am trying out the "simply filling" technique, because I need a break from counting points!!!!
    Cute dog!!!!:-)
    ~Laura

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    1. Oh no! Well, we live and learn, right? Those Easter Reeses eggs are SOOO hard to resist when I go to the store--I love those things! And the Cadbury Creme Eggs.

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  16. I only know what a packzi is because they were out front and center at the grocery store yesterday. I didn't realize they were a Mardi Gras tradition or I would have HAD to celebrate!

    Bailey is beautiful, but how do the cats like her???

    Congratulations on making it so far through your challenge, but when you're craving tuna with mayo, you know something's off! (Technically you could've made your own, just like Julia Child, but, again, that's so much work, just for a frickin' sandwich!) For me, it's a big enough challenge to eat within my calorie range for the day, let alone nit-picking every single item! For instance, yesterday, the only fruit or vegetable I had was in the banana oatmeal muffins I made. The recipe was really easy- found it on Pinterest!

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  17. I didn't eat a paczki today, but at the grocery store last night, they made an announcement on the loudspeaker when we were checking out, that in 10 minutes the paczki eating contest was to begin. I told hubby I should participate--I'm always hungry, and there should be plenty of room in my stomach, since it used to be so HUGE. I didn't take part however. I did make jambalaya for supper last night, just bought a Zatarain's box mix, and added Italian sausage (didn't have any Cajun sausage), and some green pepper, green onion, celery and cheese. I thought it was quite good, considering I'm not a big fan of that kind of food. It tasted better than it smelled. So that was our Mardi Gras celebration!

    I always kinda wish I had a dog again when I'm out walking. For one thing, it would MAKE you get out there every single day. Enjoy Bailey while he's at your house, he looks and sounds like a great dog.

    I didn't make it through my challenge ether--100 days of walking at least one mile every day. I did really well for about the first 40 days, then got the stomach flu. People say sick days shouldn't count, but after missing that one day, I just quit. I need to start walking regularly again, but have no ambition right now. It is supposed to be 50 here today, but our roads in the country are so wet and muddy, it is difficult to walk on them. I could walk on the sidewalks around campus here at work and may try to do that. Course you make me feel guilty with all your running even on SNOW AND ICE.

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  18. i did have a paczki, but it was honestly a big let down :(
    it tasted really 'lard-y'(you know that feeling where your tongue feels coated w greasy GROSSNESS?!)..i was sad. It was a total waste of calories. :(

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  19. I've never heard of a paczki... so I looked it up. No real desire to have one. Glad you finished your challenge... you didn't seem like you were enjoying it at all. You made it 3 weeks which is SO awesome! Congrats!

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  20. For mardi gras, we had our Monthly Girl's Night. I do WW and really, what didn't do my points any favors was the 4 oz of vodka...oh well, it just took 4 points from my weekly "extras".
    one topic (which we always seem to touch on anyhow) was weight loss and control. It was cool to note that every one of us follows some type of eating plan. We have each found what works for us individually. Sounds like your recent challenge was a huge success because it re-affirmed that the way you eat works for you and makes you feel good. Yay you!

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  21. As you know, the really important thing about your challenge was that you learned even more about yourself. :)

    Restricting makes me binge and sometimes weighing myself can too. (As in "I can afford to indulge cause my weight is down...) Counting anything seems to make me rebel!

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  22. No paczki for me today. Not a fan of stuff like that, and most importantly, just 2 months short of my one year anniversary of having my gall bladder aka Blad the Impaler removed, I am still not able to get by with things like that without mass consequences. Which is actually okay (most of the time).

    That is one cute puppy! How did the cats take to him? Simba HATES dogs of any size.

    Kudos to you for realizing that opting out of your challenge was the best option for you. You followed it far longer than I would've. When it starts being a problem and limits you, you need to do what is right and works for you.

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  23. I am glad you are at peace with things now. And rock on with your eating plan. Obviously you have been doing something right to get it off and keep it off!!! Everything in moderation, and enjoy life!

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  24. We call it pancake day here in the UK ( or Shrove Tuesday to give it it's proper name) and I had two pancakes with melted dark chocolate, banana and coconut - they were yummy!!

    Really struggling with the WW, in the last three weeks I have gained 1lb, gained 2lb and stayed the same so have now barely lost anything since beginning :0(

    S x

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  25. I am catching up on the last few days and just finished reading your previous post, and SO happy to see you quit your challenge. As a reader I could see what a struggle it had become to you mentally and physically.

    It was an awesome experiment, but a good one to stop when you needed to.

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  26. No point torturing yourself - but now you can truly say you know the difference and how it made you feel better/worse and give a reason why you wouldn't bother again.

    I have been sick with a chest infection, so I haven't felt like eating at all, as for Fat Tuesday - never heard of it, makes me giggle... another day to indulge? Not a doughnut fan either, actually I don't eat much sugar at all, so its not difficult for me to avoid, but I do eat rich foods and possibly too much. I used to prefer a bag of chips to a bar of chocolate, and I'm way pickier now about what I'll eat and awareness of how much I can eat before it makes me sick. I do like sweetness, but I prefer Xylitol and honey too. But if we cook cakes its sugar!

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