Off then back On the wagon

I know I mentioned in a post this week that I went vegetarian for the month of March. Today is Day 8. And now I wonder if I just like punishing myself. Allow me to explain...

First, you must know my reasons for doing this. It's not to protect animal rights (which are important, but I like me a juicy steak every now and again), and it's not because I want to lose weight (although I really, really do). It's because the hero in my work-in-progress is struggling with his changing diet. Going from shapeshifter to vampire must be hard...I mean, when faced with a decision--drink blood or blow your cover, what do you choose?

I removed meat, dessert, fried food, fast food, excessive salt, and soda from my diet in order to put myself in his cranky-ass shoes.

Depriving myself of these goodies has not been fun, let me tell you. I cook pot roast and steak A LOT. In order for you to understand just how much beef I cook, I'm going to show you a picture of the freezer in my garage.

This is no joke. Therein lies 1/2 beef. I don't mean the freezer is 1/2 full of beef...I mean those packages contain 1/2 of Betsy. (Let's just hope it's her good half.)

Yeah, we're carnivores over here. To make matters worse, I'm continuing to cook the same for my family. Oh, I'm sure their eating habits will change as a result of my methods and that's fine and dandy, but for now they're doing the same-ole.

In the first week on the diet, I went to a birthday party (hello coffeecake, ice cream, chips and cookies, I admire you from afar). Then to a baby shower (we meet again butter cream frosting, cake, chips, soda, I'm blowing kisses from across the table). And then I was invited to a BBQ.

A BBQ! For the love of God I must be smitten for punishment.

There was tri-tip, sirloin steak, potato salad, chips, sugar cookies and chocolate pound cake. That night topped the cake. No pun intended--okay, maybe a little itsy-bitsy pun.

The point is, I survived, my diet-change intact.

Until last night. I went out to celebrate the publishing offer at Macaroni Grill and had their chicken and spinach cannelloni. I thought I could pick out the chicken. Little did I know, they shred it and mix it with the cheese inside the pasta. Yeah, there was no way I could pick all that stuff apart.

So I ate a tiny portion and LOVED IT.

But I realized there is ALWAYS SOMETHING. There's always going to be a birthday party, baby shower, wedding shower, graduation celebration, BBQ, get-together, and on and on and on with yummy-delicious treats that are far-too-good to resist.

I used to say yes to everything offered at these shindigs. Cake? The biggest slice, please! Ice cream? Sure, add another scoop! Not anymore.

Seriously, I think the lightbulb went off. And for pity's sake I added another week to the diet-change to make up for the chicken last night. I'm smitten I tell you--smitten.

As a side note, my hero is still struggling alongside me. Yeah, I feel your pain, buddy. Suck it up and keep on chuggin'!