Monday, February 15, 2010

Attack of the CARBS!

Now for the bad news.

Well, maybe it's not "bad" news, but it's definitely not a post about how I went to Vegas and stared a buffet in the face and said, "HELL NO!" ... Rather, it's about how I went to Vegas, and made sweet, sweet, culinary love to the buffet. In fact, it began at the Super Bowl, when I did not stop myself from eating fried chicken and tortilla chips with my brother's maddeningly good homemade guacamole.

I went out of control, don't care, ate whatever sounded good, and did it for a whole week. I spent seven days knee-deep in food, and I'm only 3.5 or 4-ish pounds up from where I was before vacation. Not too shabby, considering I was shoveling candy hand over fist into my mouth last night.

You guys, it's true. Eating bad makes you eat more badly just because once your body gets some of the bad stuff, it wants more. I never was a sweet tooth, but this week ate sugar. Like, lots of it. Cakes, candy, margaritas, etc.

Last night, I was inhaling skittles, chocolate covered peanuts and pretzels, mike and ikes, and I had a piece of carrot cake. Dan was just staring at me, "Whoa, I've never seen you like this!"

The sugar monster took hold of me. So today I'm cutting that bastard off, cold turkey. Plus, I'm pretty sure if I tried on those size 8 skinny jeans that they would NOT come close to zipping up as they did a few weeks ago. I need to keep moving forward.

So, here's a visual of some of the stuff I ate!  It started out well enough, with a Cobb Salad (super awesome for low carbers) on the first day:



Then, I went for a dinner at Margaritaville, and had this lovely combo, and did NOT eat the bun.  I started to sample little fries off of Dan's plate at this point, and maybe had some of his onion rings.  I die for onion rings.

 

 So, that was pretty much the end of the good eating.  I tried to maintain at the Flamingo's buffet (which is the most awful, crap food in the universe, so please, skip it.)  And they had sugar free cake.  I had a piece of that, but then ate a cookie and some soft serve with m&m's.  No idea why I did that.  The next day and the next day just progressively became more and more like "Aw, fuck it, I'm on vacation in Vegas!"  And, that's how I ate.  Buffets with desserts and potatoes and pastas, and TCBY at the airport, and a bagel for breakfast, and all the sugar and carbs I should not have eaten.  But come on.  Chicken, spinach and Brie crepes at Paris?  HAD to have it.


Or, this vegetarian restaurant we went to in Denver when I came back?  They had a scramble with cage free eggs, spinach, brie and sun dried tomatoes!  Also, there's a biscuit there with raspberry jam and sweet potato home fries!  Holy crap.  I love food.


Now I didn't go CRAZY overboard like this might suggest... I just didn't care.  I didn't cut those things out.  The only day I stuffed myself was at the World Buffet at the Rio (amazing, you must go if you visit Vegas, and I'm sorry I didn't take photos... I was too overwhelmed by the awesomeness and I forgot.)  -- but I was miserable and thought I was gonna die afterward.  We also probably walked about six miles that freakin' day.  So, given the amount of walking and *other* activities that took place... I think that's why I'm not that far up from where I started, weight wise.  

I'm not lamenting my decisions.  I'm just hopping back up on that freakin' horse, and I'm not jumping off again for a long time.  I had to go ahead and change my weight tracker on the right side of my blog, and I'm up from my low weight last month by like, seven pounds.  Now, I fully will admit that the low weight there was taken after a night of drinking, so it was probably a ...bit... incorrect. ;)  BUT!  I must have something going on inside my head because instead of typing "173.6" I typed "213.7"  ... Yeah, I think my brain is messed up.

~Jenn

29 comments:

Cole Walter Mellon said...

You know what they say: what happens in Vegas, stays on your thighs.

Dee said...

You are so encouraging - even when you don't think you are! A holiday usally means a blowout for most people. to tell yourself that you are going to take a good food holiday for a short while and then totally go for it food-wise and then take stock and get straight back on the horse... yep i am proud of you. no guilt allowed. a major break out and then straight back to eating healthy.
yo will lose the extra weight soon since you are fitter and your metabolism is much faster than it was before you started.
i love how hoest you are with your triumphs and trials. :)

Claire Dawn said...

Back on the horse with you.

Not the same horse obviously! lol!

adorkable said...

it happens to the best of us!

as you said, pick up and move on :)

glad i'm not the only one who sometimes says, "SCREW IT I'M ORDERING THE SWEET POTATO FRIES!"

thecoghlans said...

I'm so glad you had such a great time in Vegas & got to indulge while you're there. I'm also glad you're back & posting on your blog again because I was going through withdrawals while you were gone not having anything interesting/funny to read. Thanks for keeping me entertained! :o)

Crystal said...

Eh. It happens. You're right, it's VEGAS!! And good for you for taking a much deserved vacation in ALL aspects of life. :)

4 lbs isn't too bad at all! You'll have it off by next week. :)

All of that good looks soooo delicious. My favorite buffett in Vegas is The Pharoah Buffett at The Luxor. So yummy.

C said...

OK if you have to eat fancy crepes and a fry now and then, even a bagel, but Mike n' Ikes? eeewww.... not worth it.. they're not even chocolate.

Anonymous said...

Vegas is a very hard place to not indulge in...something about this time of year has us all falling off a horse! Getting back on mine tomorrow too!

100in12 said...

oh my god, flamingo's buffet DOES suck! i went there with a friend 3 years ago for my first time in vegas, and i was like "...these are the vegas buffets everyone is raving about? wtf?". Shoot. should have known!

and yeah, you totally can't turn down spinach/brie/chicken crepes. turning it down would not have been allowed, for serious :-)

Sarah said...

Sounds like you had a blast. Now hopefully all that food did not do to much damage but you live life once right!!! Glad you had fun!

Runnergirl said...

I am totally with you on the once you start having sugar you start craving more. I don't have a particularly sweet tooth either, but last weekend I ate pies and cakes and biscuits galore - just because they were there!

It probably did you good to give yourself a bit of a break though - gives you some motivation to keep going forward.

Lianne said...

oh wow. that food sounds yummy!! that's the thing about vacations, its so hard to control!

leethroughthelens.blogspot.com

carla said...

cracking up at JACK SH*Ts comment.
Ive been there.
and it stays on my thighs and my head as my hangover lingers for eons.

Coralee Schindel said...

Your looking amazing. 4 pds wont show, and like you said...your back on your preverbial horse. I have to get back on mine. Been too long and too many excuses. Thanks for being an inspiration Jenn! :)

rachaelgking said...

I always cheat on vacations. After all, otherwise... it wouldn't be a VACATION! You can always make it up. ;-)

Unknown said...

what's done is done - now it's time to kick those carbs to the curb! you can do it!

my blog: http://mollymariegetshealthy.com

Almost Forty said...

Girl I've had a week like that and I wasn't in Vegas. I went to Vegas2 years ago and you do have to indulge and as you said - now move forward. That's what I'm doing. Glad you had fun!!!

jhart said...

Great blog. I like your writing style as well as your clothes. Very inspiring. I just started my blog so I'm trying to see what people are doing. Yours is great. If you get a chance, check me out:

www.hotlips4784.wordpress.com

Esther Crawford said...

This reminds me I still really want to go to Vegas someday {soon}. And, you're doing wonderfully... having a vacation & eating extras go hand in hand.

Anonymous said...

The sugar monster gets a hold of all of us every once in a while. Vacations are always the hardest... at least you have the motivation to stop!

Anonymous said...

I think it's inevitable, especially some place like Vegas where food is cheap, available, abundant, and especially sugary and salty fat and starch. IMO, the important thing is not to feel guilty or freak out, just shrug your shoulders, move on.

Most of what you gain in situations like this is water anyway, 1 lb = 3500 kcal, which is a hell of a lot of overeating to really gain a few pounds.

Life happens, and we either live it and enjoy it, or deny ourselves and be miserable.

Jen said...

If I were on vacation I'd let loose too. Don't worry about it, that will just make it harder to get back on the horse.

The Insatiable Host said...

God love ya Jen! I have to admist after eating nothing but popcicles and ice cream for 3 days now, I would likely kill for any and all of that food...the only thing keeping me strong is the fact that my throat hurts so much that if I ate anything of substance, it would be instant pain...(may ass may thank me but my throat will tell me to go eff myself.)

keep well and welcome back!

Becca55 said...

You had a good time and that is what matters most. You didnt too bad and you are getting back on the horse and that is great!

Chelsea Talks Smack said...

mmmmm I want to eat ALL OF THAT.

quillaume202 said...

Jen hello, just a idea about a new photographer in facebook ,namely ABIGAIL-JANE PHOTOGRAPHY
here website is: ajpphotography.red bubble.com
i hope you,ex hot girl will like it, see my wim-waanders blogspot about jen and abigail recently.

quillaume(with the tato wife PH)

M. Denise C. said...

Jennifer,

I continue to be impressed with you honesty and openess and wanted to give you this award:

http://mdenisec.blogspot.com/2010/02/award.html

Sincerely, Denise

Loving my Complicated Life! said...

Jen, You are such an inspiration and motivation for me. I started reading your blog about 5 months ago, and it prompted me to want to take care of my body and my health. Thanks for being you and being open and honest. I recently started my own blog, and yes I am very knew to the blogging world, but so far I am enjoying it! Thanks for all you share! Check me out sometime at
http://lovingmycomplicatedlife.blogspot.com/

Allison

Unknown said...

I just had a very similar experience in Vegas.