Well, we all knew it was bound to happen, right? NO ONE maintains a diet to the 100th percentile, right? The word "Cheat Day" even appears as an entry in dictionary.com. It's there for a reason. We cheat.
But I thought I was going to be different. I get to eat foods I like, real foods, (not all the foods I like) so why would I ever need to cheat.
And then it happened.
We had an after work dinner outing one night. Let me correct that. I was the one who planned the after work dinner outing one night. I chose the restaurant. I carefully combed the menu to find Virta-friendly meal options and ate a lighter lunch just in case there were hidden carbs* in the foods at dinner.
*Let's take a moment to digress and talk about "hidden carbs." If I'm going to get to eat carbs, I want to choose what those are going to be! I don't want to go over on my carb count because that restaurant's version of ranch dressing had 3 carbs instead of 2! Or because they decided to dredge my meat in flour before they cooked it. If I'm going to eat carbs that throw me off, it better darn well be something I want to eat and am going to enjoy! Stupid Hidden Carbs!
OK- Back to the story. So I have my meal well planned and I execute it well! Yay me! Not even a crouton touches my lips! Success! But then, one of my co-workers says, why don't we all go down the street for dessert!!!! Dessert! I love dessert! But... is there going to be anything on the menu I can actually eat? Will I look pitiful with my glass of water while they devour the Key Lime Pie or Sticky Toffee Carrot Cake? Maybe I can get a glass of hot tea and add some cream to satisfy? Sure.. I could just leave the group and go home, but I'm a joiner! I'm social! I don't want to miss the fun! I'm going!
Upon scanning the dessert menu, I see an option for Fromage and Fruit! Fromage! Cheese! Fruit, not on the meal plan YET, so no fruit. But I can have cheese! I make the assumption that the "fruit" will be a bowl of like melon and oranges, etc. And, that I can just pass those off to someone at the table while I enjoy my Fromage. Bad assumption. The cheese comes out and it's a glorious wedge of cheese with fresh raspberries and blueberries piled high around it. It was almost as if I HAD to eat some of the berries to access the cheese! So I eat a few. And a few more. And you know, that cheese really tasted better when there was a bit of fruit in the same bite. So I eat a few more. Until all the cheese and berries are gone.
I cheated. I ate fruit. Now, to many of you, you're like... um... there's a lot worse ways you could have cheated... you're probably ok... they are berries. The healthiest of the fruits. And yes, I did feel a little ridiculous having to admit my first cheat was with berries... but at this point in the program, it's not about being able to eat 'healthy' foods... it's about the fact that we are trying to regulate blood sugars and to some extent, sugar is sugar. It created an insulin reaction in your body. So grrr.... I cheated with berries... the best tasting berries I've ever had. :) But at least they weren't hidden carbs.
Stay tuned for the next installment of Cheating and Navigating the Social Scene Part 2... British Style.
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