My day was absolutely insane! Because of the craziness, I had to eat on the go. The only restaurant fast and close by was Carl's. The meat is pretty hefty in weight on their low-carb burger, but I ordered without cheese can ketchup (couldn't find a listing that reflected both changes). I only had a bit of chicken. It was mixed with a fajita spice, but no bread. I'm really guesstimating here and being totally off protocol for lunch, I'll be praying there isn't too much damage.

This is supposed to be my light week with calls but I fell behind and that just spiraled onward from there. I'm really frustrated and, although my students seem to like and appreciate me, it's hard trying to take care of so many. I feel like the older sister to 90 siblings and the parents keep going out, leaving me to take care of everybody. I hate to say it but the summer can't get here fast enough.

So, here's what the damage was today. Praying, praying, praying...

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Carl's Jr. Low Carb Six Dollar Burger - No Cheese	1.00	390	29g	110mg	890mg	4g	2g	2g	27g
Jack in the Box Chicken Fajita Pita (no Pita Bread, Cheese Or Salsa)	1.00	90	3g	40mg	745mg	4g	3g	2g	13g
Grapefruit, Half	1.00	26	0g	0mg	0mg	7g	0g	0g	1g
Keurig K-Cup Kona Coffee	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Milk, Ff Lactose Free	0.16	13	0g	1mg	21mg	2g	2g	0g	1g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		519	32g	151mg	1,656mg	17g	7g	4g	41g

I didn't document, yesterday. Oh, well. I had a slight gain on Sunday morning. I only slept three hours, so no surprise here. Today, I had a nice loss. I hope the trend continues despite all the stress I'm enduring. My stress comes from my crazy job and wondering how long I'll deal with the drama. I've somewhat decided that I'll job hunt this summer. It's just not worth it to me to lose my ever loving mind, bringing heartache to my family. It's really too bad, since my job would be perfect if I only had 50 students less (I'd really settle for 20 students less).

Here's what I had today:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Leslie's Pan-grilled Flank Steak W/ Chermoula	1.00	195	9g	37mg	284mg	3g	0g	1g	25g
Canned Spinach	1.00	30	0g	0mg	190mg	4g	1g	2g	3g
King Crab Legs	1.00	82	1g	45mg	911mg	0g	0g	0g	16g
Dole Shredded Lettuce	1.00	15	0g	0mg	10mg	3g	2g	1g	1g
Maple Grove Farms Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette	1.00	15	0g	0mg	95mg	3g	2g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		337	10g	82mg	1,490mg	13g	5g	4g	46g

We had an interesting day today. It started off well enough, then hubby got irritated with me fast and in a hurry. On the good side, I got Mongolian BBQ for lunch. On the bad side, he didn't say very much. When we argue, it always zaps my appetite. Consequently, I did not have dinner (but my lunch was so high in salt, it's probably better that I didn't).

The evening was great! Hubby was still out of sorts, but we went to a friend's house (Rotel dip and On the Border chips in tow) to watch an MMA fight. The rotel was my mother's recipe and it was a huge hit. I think I could low carb it enough to make it a staple for P3, when the time comes. It smelled wonderful, but I didn't even get a taste. Bummer!

My friend was burning a candle which sent my eldest into an asthma fit. She just finished an Albuterol treatment, poor thing. Now, it's off to bed. For what it's worth, I was glad to see the two pound loss (no more nibbling on chocolate and TOM being over probably helped). Here's what I had today:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Ajinomoto Mongolian Style Beef	1.00	280	7g	75mg	1,290mg	27g	19g	2g	26g
Hot And Sour Soup	1.00	228	9g	112mg	0mg	10g	0g	1g	27g
Keurig K-Cup Kona Coffee	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Twinings English Breakfast Tea	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		508	16g	187mg	1,290mg	37g	19g	3g	53g

It's true confessions, time. I had several more pieces of sugar-free chocolate, yesterday. I honestly thought they wouldn't effect me. Now, why on earth did I think that?! Of course they did! A whole one pound gain of effect all over the place. Yikes! So, I was better today (even though I did eat out). I've also got a whole crop of canker going on and I have to wonder if my acid level from the chocolate is doing me in. Not good...not good at all!

I had none of that today and tried to drink water like a good girl. Biding my time through these awful sores is going to be tough, but I've done it before. I just want the scale to start heading in the other direction again. It may be foolish to think that some of this is salt and TOM playing games, but it would be nice to have that as a partial truth. At least then I wouldn't feel so bad. Feeling bad is probably just what I need to get it together. So, Enchantress? Get it together!

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Burger King WHOPPER - Low Carb	1.00	280	20g	75mg	290mg	3g	2g	2g	22g
Burger King Side Salad	2.00	40	0g	10mg	0mg	8g	1g	3g	1g
Chicken Breast	1.00	130	1g	68mg	77mg	0g	0g	0g	27g
Canned Tomatoes, Diced	1.00	25	0g	0mg	350mg	4g	3g	1g	2g
Coffee	1.00	2	0g	0mg	5mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Milk, Ff Lactose Free	0.25	20	0g	1mg	33mg	3g	3g	0g	2g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		497	21g	154mg	755mg	18g	9g	6g	55g

Oh, and I opted not to do the "spoil myself" thing today. I went with hubby and the kids into town instead. Since I can't do my pedicure, he's offered to take them off my hands later when I can do the treatment with the lotion and be okay. Hopefully, by then, I will have made the goal to do both the pedi and mani.

How do I do that? My hubby is giving me Saturday afternoon to just spoil myself for my birthday. He did that once before (when I turned 28). Back then, only had one child and I wasn't eating 500 calories a day, avoiding oils of all kind like the plague. That day, I bought myself a new outfit, including accessories, went to the bookstore to browse in peace, treated myself to my favorite lunch and ended with a pedicure.

I could do the lunch at the Mongolian place, but if I eat there, I'll be tempted to keep getting up for more food (even if it is just bowl after bowl of veggies). The pedicure would be wonderful, but they slather my legs down in lotion. I can't have the outside oil and I don't want to insult my regular pedicurist by bringing my personal mineral oil to her shop. I could certainly browse the bookstore which would be nice. I'm still trying to figure it all out. Maybe hubby will help me come up with something good.

Here's what I had today:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Burger King Whopper Jr. (no Bun, Ketchup Or Mayo)	1.00	130	9g	35mg	140mg	1g	0g	0g	11g
Burger King Side Salad	2.00	40	0g	10mg	0mg	8g	1g	3g	1g
Chicken Breast	1.00	130	1g	68mg	77mg	0g	0g	0g	27g
miso soup	1.00	70	2g	0mg	721mg	9g	0g	3g	5g
Ezra Brooks Bourbon	1.00	64	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		434	12g	113mg	938mg	18g	2g	6g	44g

(Late posting for January 25th - my birthday) My birthday was good, although a bit crazy. I had to work and it was a long day. Facebook is great in that you get all the well wishing. That was a nice touch to the day. For dinner, I boiled my crabs. They were good, but not great. I got the impression they'd been in deep freeze for too long. Oh, well. I'll make sure to get fresh next time.

I bought my girls pizza to eat to celebrate my birthday. They were quite pleased and didn't seem to mind that there wasn't a cake. I didn't get to go and enjoy my amusement park freebie. It's too blasted cold, anyway. I had several sugar-free pieces of chocolate as a treat and am pretty sure it will have an effect on my weight (along with the salty crabs). They're made by a mom/pop company here and there are no nutritional facts for the chocolates. I'd say I had enough to take my calories over a bit.

Not sure I mentioned it but, TOM arrived right on schedule Tuesday. I haven't noticed a difference in my menses but will keep an eye on things throughout the rest of the time. Here's what I had:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Ajinomoto Mongolian Style Beef	1.00	280	7g	75mg	1,290mg	27g	19g	2g	26g
miso soup	1.00	70	2g	0mg	721mg	9g	0g	3g	5g
Snow Crab Legs	1.00	95	1g	59mg	572mg	0g	0g	0g	20g
Dole Shredded Lettuce	1.00	15	0g	0mg	10mg	3g	2g	1g	1g
Maple Grove Farms Fat Free Balsamic Vinaigrette	1.00	15	0g	0mg	95mg	3g	2g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		475	10g	134mg	2,688mg	42g	23g	6g	52g

I gotta find new ways to prepare cod because it is so boring and bland. Even with my seasonings and such, it just doesn't hold any flavor. Of course, batter fried it would be phenomenal. It's as if it were made for grease and beer.

Tomorrow is crab day. I am so thrilled! They're my favorite and knowing that their protocol safe just makes me that much happier. I'll have a grilled chicken breast for lunch. It's my day and I'm having it (I'm not really asserting myself...the chicken is part of the diet, too).

Here's what I had today:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Top Sirloin	0.50	79	3g	38mg	28mg	0g	0g	0g	13g
Canned Spinach	1.00	30	0g	0mg	190mg	4g	1g	2g	3g
Wegmans Cod	1.00	90	1g	45mg	65mg	0g	0g	0g	20g
Canned Tomatoes, Diced	1.00	25	0g	0mg	350mg	4g	3g	1g	2g
Svedka Vodka	1.00	69	0g	0mg	0mg	11g	0g	0g	0g
Russell Stover Sugar Free Peanut Butter Cups	0.50	80	6g	3mg	53mg	9g	0g	1g	2g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		373	10g	86mg	686mg	28g	4g	4g	39g

(Late post for January 23rd) It is cold around these parts...I mean downright frigid! Winter finally appeared and brought loads of snow. The snow made for slippery, wet conditions as I took my youngest to dance class. I really would have opted to stay home and have her miss but, it's one of the few preplanned girl times that I have.

I've built a nice relationship with some of the dance mommies. We've had lunch together, entertainment nights and we go participate in the girls' birthday parties. Working from home resulted in a loss of socialization and that was so hard for me. Having these ladies to talk to, even if just for an hour on Mondays has been a godsend. It's also given me a reason to go out more.

With all the weight I put on during the holidays, I don't want to buy big-girl clothes. I've got tons of cute, little clothes (some I've never even worn) to wear out with the girls. I'm really staying focused on things like this to keep me going with the protocol. Here's what I had on Monday:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Target Beef Stew Meat	0.75	150	9g	45mg	248mg	0g	0g	0g	16g
Cabbage, Steamed	1.00	22	0g	0mg	16mg	5g	0g	0g	1g
Publix Orange Roughy	1.00	80	1g	20mg	70mg	0g	0g	0g	16g
Green Giant Asparagus Spears, Canned	1.00	20	0g	0mg	430mg	3g	1g	1g	2g
Svedka Vodka	2.00	138	0g	0mg	0mg	23g	0g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		410	10g	65mg	763mg	30g	1g	1g	35g

I woke up feeling the bloat and knew things wouldn't be good. No downward trend today (but thankfully, I wasn't up a whole lot either). I was very good about my eating and drinking today, in order to compensate. The crabbiness is here and I'm thinking I should invest in a B12 supplement to help with those times. I would do so, not just during a diet, but all the time. Who doesn't want to feel balanced?

Church was a no go today. I walked the dogs and nearly slid across the parking lot. I decided to be safe rather than sorry. Thankfully, the sun appeared later and melted a lot of the ice. I'm hopeful that the snow and rain hold off for a bit for a while. I'd like a warming trend.

Here's what I had:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Keurig K-Cup Kona Coffee	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Milk, Ff Lactose Free	0.16	13	0g	1mg	21mg	2g	2g	0g	1g
Stevia Powder	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	3g	0g	0g	0g
Top Sirloin	1.00	158	5g	76mg	56mg	0g	0g	0g	26g
Canned Tomatoes, Diced	1.00	25	0g	0mg	350mg	4g	3g	1g	2g
Grapefruit, Half	1.00	26	0g	0mg	0mg	7g	0g	0g	1g
Publix Orange Roughy	1.00	80	1g	20mg	70mg	0g	0g	0g	16g
Green Giant Asparagus Spears, Canned	1.00	20	0g	0mg	430mg	3g	1g	1g	2g
Strawberries	1.00	77	0g	0mg	4mg	20g	10g	5g	1g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		399	7g	97mg	931mg	39g	16g	7g	49g

*Updated weight gain above to reflect true weight increase (I was off one pound). Actually gained 1.2 rather than .2lbs. Lots of salt!*

It rained all morning, then this afternoon, everything turned to snow. When I took my daughter out to do her run through for dance, the roads were slushy and slick. Not sure I'll make it to church tomorrow (and I refuse to risk my life doing so). I tried that once and ended up slamming into a guard wall on the interstate. Not fun.

I had lovely Mongolian BBQ today with my estimated 100 ounces of beef and loads of veggies. I made sure to request no oil and I gave my rice and spring roll to my kids. I went over in my calories a tiny bit with a bit of a salt binge again, but tried to drink lots of fluids today to compensate. We'll see how things work out tomorrow.

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Beef Stir Fry Meat	1.00	202	9g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	28g
Dole Shredded Lettuce	1.00	15	0g	0mg	10mg	3g	2g	1g	1g
Walden Farms Calorie Free Bacon Ranch Dressing	1.00	0	0g	0mg	275mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Publix Orange Roughy	1.00	80	1g	20mg	70mg	0g	0g	0g	16g
Hot And Sour Soup	1.00	228	9g	112mg	0mg	10g	0g	1g	27g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		525	19g	132mg	355mg	13g	2g	2g	72g

I tried the walden dressing today, recommended by some on the boards. It was okay and will definitely suffice for P2. I look forward to using the real stuff for P3.

The release, I'm sure, would have been greater save my salt splurge yesterday with the Miso. You'll note yesterday's calories were lower than they've been, but my salt was off the chart. TOM is definitely making an arrival soon (the painful "would be pimple" that I always get right before it comes, is sitting snugly on my nose). The other alarm? My need for more salt and sugar. This is the toughest time to be on the protocol, for me.

I was out a lot with the family today so, consequently, I had to eat out. When I've gone through the protocol in the past, I've been very good about choices, wiping off excess oil and eating slowly. The only boo boo I really made today was having the salads at both lunch and dinner. Veggie options are limited when you're eating at fast food restaurants. Tomorrow, hubby wants to take me to Mongolian BBQ. I have to remember to tell them, "No oil!" and watch the veggies I choose.

Even with my minimal release and knowing what the Miso did to contribute to it, I'd still love some more. I suppose I'd have to make sure and OD on water, the next time I have it. Over 800 mg of sodium per serving is truly outrageous!

Here's what I had today:

Food Item	Servings	Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
Wendy's Salads - Side Salad (without dressing)	2.00	70	0g	0mg	40mg	14g	8g	6g	4g
Wendy's Salads - Side Salad (without dressing)	2.00	70	0g	0mg	40mg	14g	8g	6g	4g
Wendy's Jr. Hamburger Patty	1.00	90	6g	30mg	110mg	1g	0g	0g	8g
Wendy's Grilled Chicken Go Wrap (no Tort/no Hm)	2.00	170	8g	0mg	710mg	0g	0g	0g	24g
Keurig K-Cup Kona Coffee	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Milk, Ff Lactose Free	0.16	13	0g	1mg	21mg	2g	2g	0g	1g
Celestial Seasonings Zingers To Go - Peach Delight Green Tea	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Celestial Seasonings Zingers To Go - Peach Delight Green Tea	1.00	0	0g	0mg	0mg	0g	0g	0g	0g
Svedka Vodka	0.50	35	0g	0mg	0mg	6g	0g	0g	0g
Totals		Cals	Fat	Cholest	Sodium	Carbs	Sugars	Fiber	Protein
		447	14g	31mg	921mg	37g	18g	12g	41g