Mostly for Indigolady 
, here are my current thoughts on diets …
I completely agree about deprivation diets. I started this diet
in part as moral support for some coworkers who were also starting
it. Yes, I know … “If everyone was jumping off a cliff …”
Peer Pressure
Years ago I tried the Atkins diet. I was about ten pounds over my
ideal weight. I quickly lost 14 pounds and then spent the next
three months feeling sick because I had knocked my body chemistry out
of whack. Well, stupid Kelly thought just two weeks wouldn’t
hurt. One week into the dreaded Phase One, I felt like
crap. I was having crazy dreams every night that kept me from
getting any quality sleep, was drinking water like a fish and still
feeling thirsty all the time, had Toshi on pins and needles because I
was cranky, had muscle weakness, and found myself at Costco buying
fiber capsules (enough said). I can now say with 100% certainty,
that a no carb or low carb diet just isn’t for me. I can
appreciate that it may work great for other people, but for me it just
doesn’t feel healthy.
Phase two of the South Beach diet is basically healthy eating; it’s
just the first two weeks when carbohydrates are forbidden. After that,
whole grains and fruits are fine … just refined sugars and things made with white flour are really
limited. This appealed to me because it’s those refined sugars that
are my problem. I can get into states where I feel like I absolutely
HAVE TO HAVE candy or cookies or some other junk food. Then my energy
level becomes a rollercoaster and I know my insulin and sugar levels
must be going haywire.
And so, on Sunday, I officially decided to quit Phase One. Today
I ate healthy carbohydrates (steel cut oatmeal, an apple, etc.) and I
feel better already. Essentially, I am on the Kelly diet … I
read the South Beach book and took from it what made sense to me.
I now know a little better which carbohydrates are healthier than
others. For example, eating a whole apple is better than eating
applesauce because your body has to work to get at the sugar instead of
getting a quick sugar rush. I’ll use the new info I gained to
just eat sensibly. I am about ten pounds from the ideal weight
range for my height. So, with a little shift in what I eat and
regular exercise, I should be fine. No more obsessing!
By the way, I did have a donut on Friday, and it was deeeeelicious!
Quote of the Day:
“If you have formed the habit of checking on every
new diet that comes along, you will find that, mercifully, they all
blur together, leaving you with only one definite piece of information:
french-fried potatoes are out.“
–Jean Kerr
On other fronts, I’m looking forward to spring
break. Eight more work days left! I think we are going to
spend a few days of the break replacing the floor in one of our
bedrooms. It is currently very ugly parquet. I’d like to
replace it with Pergo. Toshi has a friend who does contracting
stuff, so he is going to help us with the installation at a much
reduced rate. The removal of the old floor I think we can handle
ourselves. I’m not really looking forward to a couple days of
scraping off old flooring, but I am looking forward to having a
schnazzy new floor. 
I finished Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
… a wonderful book. I am so in awe of people who can weave such
intricate, beautiful stories that really make the past come
alive. That’s one talent I wish I possessed. Anyway, I
always feel a little sad when I finish a good book. 
I’ve started a new one, but I still miss the last one.
Bonus Quote:
“I’m tired of all this nonsense about beauty being only skin-deep. That’s deep enough. What do you want – an adorable pancreas?“
— Jean Kerr
Poisoned by Fairy Tales 