I’m normally generous to a fault, but as you can see here, that doesn’t apply to my stash of Cadbury Creme Eggs.
Hands off!
– Tori
Author: Victoria Elizabeth
Transformation Tuesday! #TT
On the left: 16 years old, pushing 190 lbs.
On the right: 29 years old, 130 pounds.
It’s been more than a decade of evolution and change, but I’m feeling good about this transformation!
Bon appetit, friends!
Tori
A Week Off!
In case anyone has been questioning the radio silence on this blog, I wanted to let you know that I’ve just returned from a week long vacation out of town during which I attempted to fully disconnect from work, from school, and from dieting.
Other than a few emails to and from my Director, checking my final grades for the spring term, and the occasional moment of guilt as I walked past the hotel gym eating popcorn, I managed to do all three.
I took a total hiatus from calorie-counting, carb-watching, and Paleo-adherence and enjoyed a week of eating what I wanted, when I wanted, and savoring the local delights of a new city.
I’m pleased to say that I LOST weight. Yep, you read that correctly: I ate freely and lost weight.
I was 133.2 the morning I left for the trip (Wednesday) and returned home on Sunday night (yes, an evening weigh-in!) at 131.8.
Walking the city instead of using public transport helped, plus I tended to savor each delicacy I tried – thus consuming less because I ate slowly and allowed myself to feel full naturally.
I had a great trip and enjoyed the detachment, but I must admit I’m glad to be home. I missed my regimen!
Although, I can’t lie: this pizza alone makes me want to move north:
Yum!! Stuffed pizza, as if regular pizza wasn’t bad enough! Haha.
It’s good to be back, my friends. Bon appetit!
-Tori
Don’t Freak Out
I’m trying to keep myself calm. I’m trying NOT to freak out. I got on the scale this morning and it’s WAAAAY up.
Five pounds up.
I’ve done a lot of exercise lately (I ran for 2 hours, 45 minutes on Friday alone) and a lot of strength training, so I know most of the weight is the result of muscle fatigue and lactic acid back-up.
I’ve also consumed a lot of salt lately, polishing off a gigantic bowl of Vietnamese Pho on Saturday like it was my job:
This was a picture taken HALFWAY through the bowl. Yeaaaaah, I finished it.
I’m trying not to believe that these five pounds are real, but the numbers terrified the snot out of me this morning.
I admit, I’ve been eating a TON of candy lately.
I haven’t limited myself to one Cadbury egg this week; I’ve had 2-3 daily most of this week. I believed my extra workouts entitled me to it (which they did, I guess, if my goal was to cancel out my exercise with food) and now I’m trying to assure myself that I haven’t gained five pounds from chocolate.
Right?
Don’t freak out. Don’t purge. Don’t lose control.
I’m guzzling water and coffee today. I’m avoiding salt. I’m praying for a miracle tomorrow.
~ Tori
Throw Back Thursday!
This photo was taken after our senior trip to Islands of Adventure in high school. I had just gotten SOAKED on the ride in Tune Town and we were all giddy for our upcoming graduation.
It was at this point in my life that I had finally begun to take charge (and responsibility) for my health. A mistake on my senior schedule put me in NJROTC classes and the group accountability helped me follow-through on promises to exercise. By the end of senior year, I had dropped down to 170-175 pounds from my high of 214 over the summer.
This photo reminds me that happiness is NOT about weight, but rather about enjoyment of life in the moment. I think back to this day with only fond memories. I don’t recall my weight or my looks affecting my happiness in any way – we were just a group of kids reveling in a day off from school and the promise of a bright future.
On the days where I wake up and don’t like how I look, I remind myself that five years from now I won’t remember what the number was on the scale that morning, but I would remember doing something positive for someone. I would remember an event, a significant conversation, or an act of generosity. I try to shake off my bad days by remembering the happiness I felt in this picture – with no concerns about my weight or my body – and how today can be a good day, too.
Bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
Cheat Days are Good Reminders!
I’ve spent the last 24 hours absolutely eating whatever I want. Pizza for dinner, waffles (with honey and peanut butter – YUM!) and cheesy scrambled eggs for breakfast. Jelly beans and s’mores (yes, s’mores) for lunch.
I decided to let myself go crazy for the last 24 hours and I’ve held nothing back. I hadn’t given myself a true “Cheat Day” in a long time: I’ve tried to live by the 80/20 rule – eat healthy 80% of the time so when you want a splurge here and there–the 20%–it doesn’t feel like a big deal.
So, for the last 24 hours, I’ve eaten what I’ve wanted right when I wanted it and let myself eat any quantity my hands/stomach/heart wanted.
What have I learned?
Sugar is overrated.
I have a headache. My stomach is queasy and off-centered. The more I eat, the stronger the cravings for more become. It’s this painful cycle of ups and downs and I can feel the damage in my limbs (they’re heavy and dragging), my brain (it’s totally cloudy), and my moods (crazy giddy to hate-the-world melancholy).
I’ve only been doing it for 24 hours and I’m already ready to swear off sugar for life.
While I’ve always believed in moderation (one Cadbury Creme Egg per day, please!), I think the occasional “go crazy” cheat day is a positive specifically for this reason. Today’s the prime example of why I try to squeeze in a true Cheat Day once every five to six weeks.
It reminds me that junk food is just that: JUNK. It makes you feel like CRAP.
It’s like putting unleaded 87 fuel into a racecar: the engine pings randomly, the torque seems lessened, and the overall engine runs with a stutter.
While it was freeing to scarf down anything and everything I wanted, it’s only 4:30pm and I’m already over it. I want a salad. I want some grilled chicken. I want to throw away every piece of clearance Easter candy I hoarded in the last two weeks and live on nothing but green vegetables and water for the next month.
I know, I know. I’m overreacting. Tomorrow, all I will think about during work will be my daily Cadbury Creme Egg and I’ll look back at these “24 Free Hours” as a beautiful memory. Right now, though, I just want some cucumber slices and a shot of pepto bismo.
I guess cheat days are good reminders of why we try to live a healthy lifestyle. I can’t imagine existing like this!
On that note–bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
Throw Back Thursday!
God, that hat! Did I really think that looked good? Yikes.
This photo was taken just two days after my 15th birthday. By 15, I was already a very big girl. I was struggling with my weight and learning – quickly – that I didn’t fit in with society’s expectations for a teenage girl.
My body didn’t look like the women in the magazines, especially not the TeenBeat or Seventeen, which I read with frenetic energy back then.
My body didn’t look like the girls I went to school with, either. I was twice their size, developed, and struggling against tom-boy tendencies and a desire to be more feminine like the rest of them.
I’m not alone in saying that my teens were the most challenging years of my life, partly due to my weight and partly due to the fact that I was unsure of my identity. I found solace in my confusion through food – lots and lots of it – and it took me several years to gain control of my eating and learn the source of my bad habits.
I used to look at these photos and get mad at myself: why was I so lazy? why didn’t I care more about my health?
Now, with fifteen years perspective, I can look back at the younger me with forgiveness and without judgment. I recognize that my priorities were different, I wasn’t fully self-aware, and I had other issues to deal with at the time. Now, I can see this photo for what it was: a birthday celebration at a theme park with my family. I remember being happy, feeling loved, and enjoying the day, and, in retrospect, those good feelings are all that matters.
Bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
The Loot
Just a few pictures of what I’ve accumulated during the Easter clearance sales in the last 24 hours:
Is it bad that I want more?!
Bon appetit, fellow bunnies!
~ Tori
Cadbury Creme Eggs
While I recognize that most people consider YESTERDAY to be the holiday, today is a near-religious experience for me.
Why?
Because Easter candy goes on sale today.
For those who don’t know, I’m ADDICTED to Cadbury Creme Eggs. Ever since I was a young child, I’ve been obsessed with their gooey, sugary filling and milk chocolate shell. Most adults grow out of their obsession – they are ungodly sweet, after all – but my obsession has actually grown with age.
For the last three weeks, I’ve eaten at LEAST one Cadbury Creme Egg per day. Today, I plan to visit every CVS, Walgreens, Target, and grocery store in a five mile radius to stock up on all the Cadbury eggs they have left. While my preference is for the original (the fondant-filled “yolk” egg), I’m also a huge fan of the chocolate cream and caramel-filled versions, as well.
My goal today: to acquire 100+ eggs.
Don’t worry – I’m not planning to binge on them. I’ve attempted to eat a dozen in one sitting before and I did NOT fair well.
In this case, my goal is to stockpile as many eggs as possible so that I can freeze them for the egg-drought that is the summer and early fall. It’s not until Halloween comes around and the “Scream Eggs” appear that I can get my fix again, so I’m going to take a chapter from the tale of The Ant and the Grasshopper and prepare now so I don’t suffer later. 🙂
On that note, bon appetit, my friends! Enjoy this beautiful Monday!
~ Tori
A Basic Guide to Runner’s Etiquette
I feel like I’ve been ranting on here more than usual, but with the beautiful Spring weather comes a lot more traffic outdoors. The more people I encounter, the more humanity surprises me with its entitlement-issues.
My current gripe revolves around runners.
As I mentioned earlier this month, I’ve been participating in a lot of 5Ks recently. Last night, I ran in the Corporate 5K, an evening (7:15pm) run through Downtown Orlando.
The IOA Corporate 5K attracts a HUUUUUGE crowd with nearly 17,000 registered runners and walkers in attendance.
I’m short, so I couldn’t even get a third of the attendees into the photo.
I have NO PROBLEM with crowds. What I have a problem with are people that do not know the basic rules of etiquette for running events.
I understand that this is a combination of people who’ve just never run publicly before (good for you for joining!) and those that honestly don’t really care about others around them (really, it’s shameful, but it’s the climate of the 21st century).
I encountered every type of annoyance last night, from bad manners to blatant disregard for the safety of themselves and other people. To help ease the runners-entitlement epidemic growing around me and also help those that may be nervous about joining a group/public running event, I’ve decided to make a handy guide for runners joining the spring circuit.
DO:
- If you need to run at a slow pace or you prefer to walk, DO stay to the right. Much like a highway, slower traffic needs to keep to the right to ensure that everyone is able to move efficiently and safely through the “herd.”
- If you see someone on their own, DO go with your instinct to encourage them. One of the BEST memories I have from an athletic event was from the Savage Race I did in October 2012. My three friends had overslept, so I was ALL alone for my very first obstacle run. Less than a mile in and facing my first DIFFICULT obstacle, I was ready to quit. Fortunately, an AWESOME couple saw me struggling and offered encouragement – then invited me to run/pace with them. I ended up doing the full 7 miles and 25 obstacles by their side and we’re still friends, two years later. A kind word or two (“You’ve got this, girl! Keep going!”) can really make someone’s day.
- DO use verbal queues. As a fellow runner, I am not a mind-reader. These Nikes didn’t come with ESP. If you are going to pass me (left or right), call it out. If you’re running and are about to stop suddenly (such as getting a cramp or spotting a friend you want to join), call it out. It can be as simple as shouting, “I’m passing on your left!” or “BRAKES!” – some audio queue you will be a huge courtesy to your fellow runners. At last night’s Corporate 5K, I nearly PLOWED over multiple runners who short-stopped (out of nowhere) or tried to pass me (without sufficient space) and it wasn’t pretty.
To use an analogy all Floridians should recognize: if you slam on your brakes on I-4, you WILL get rear-ended. The same concept applies to a crowded 5K run, so please be aware and use your VOICE.
- DO wear appropriate clothing. I’m all for looking cute (and I’ve rocked my share of tutus and costumes at certain athletic events), but make sure you’re outfit is safe, comfortable, and appropriate for a 3+ mile run. If your shorts ride up and you will constantly need to adjust them while running, they’re probably not the best choice for working out. You should want to be comfortable. I just participated in a Super Hero themed run and I wore a fun costume – but I put it on OVER my running tights and sports bra. This ensured I was comfortable (no chaffing) and appropriate (your fun-bags popping out at a public event is never ideal) but still looked adorable for all the fun pictures.
DO NOT:
- DO NOT spit. Just don’t. I don’t care how hard you’re working out and the phlegm you’re producing in consequence, never hack a loogie while running a 5K with other participants, especially a crowded event. If you spit on me or I step in a puddle of your spittle, we’re going to have a MAJOR problem.
- If you’re running with friends/family, DO NOT run side-by-side. While I appreciate your group “representing,” you create an impenetrable barrier for other runners to pass you and end up slowing down others who may be aiming for a personal record.
- If at all possible, DO NOT throw your trash on the ground. While I recognize your desire to keep your physical momentum while passing through a water station, there are DOZENS of trash cans available. There is NO REASON – unless you’re an athlete focusing on a world record – to toss your trash on the ground when a trash receptacle is two steps away. These events are manned by VOLUNTEERS – people donating their time so you can enjoy your run with cold water and lots of clapping – so please don’t abuse them.
- Please, for the love of all that is holy and good in the world, please DO NOT ignore the pace-dividers at the starting line. Most races break up the starting line based on the pace of the runners: i.e. if you’re under a 6 min/mile, you tend to be the first at the starting line, and then there are pace-markers for each range. Walkers and those slower than 12:30 min/mile are typically at the back. This isn’t to make you feel bad if you’re not as fast as the other runners – this is for the SAFETY of everyone involved. It allows those that are fast to get off the line quickly without the obstacle of strollers, walkers, and those not paying attention. It also helps you find runners with a similar stride/pace to you, which will improve YOUR pacing and make you a better runner.
OK, it’s not a complete list, but I would definitely say that these are my top DOs and DON’Ts regarding running at public events.
Please note, I am NOT being cynical of new runners. I love new runners. I was one just a few years ago! All I ask is that, like with any new hobby or endeavor, you educate yourself before you dive in . You wouldn’t jump off of a mountainside as a new cliff-diver without learning about the sport, so why join a crowded, public 5K run without first understanding the basic rules and etiquette of running?
So… get out there! Start running! And be nice (and courteous) to your fellow athletes!
Bon appetit, my friends!
~ Tori
The Memoirs of a Yo-Yo Dieter 