No, I didn’t eat non-plan food or start guzzling gin out of my shoe in the children’s playground down the block. (Despite what the police might try to tell you.) I gained two pounds this morning, and I think it was entirely because of stress.
Yesterday was the day when nothing would go right. I had to have blood drawn in the morning, to make sure that my thyroid hadn’t completed its transformation into a paperweight. It was raining, and halfway to the lab, I realized I forgot my prescription, and had to run back seven blocks to get it. I’m not supposed to run, because of my whole broken back thing, and when I got back outside from grabbing my prescription, it wasn’t just raining, it was pouring. Like the kind of rain where the rain went up and sideways, as well as down, plastering my jacket and pants to my body and my hair to my face. Then I got to have a needle stuck in my arm, never a good thing. I think this is why my cortisol levels are always through the roof.
The rest of the day went similarly. I didn’t get much work done, because I had two appointments, the blood draw and PT, and that always screws up my productivity. I have a new gig, which I love, but there’s always a learning curve, so I felt like I didn’t really get anything done. Then, I found out that my awesome new glasses were made with my old prescription, and had to navigate the whole, “telling someone I’m displeased without looking like either a banshee or a doormat” scenario that I love so much. After I finished that conversation, I decided to have a shower.
Due to the flooding from all that rain, the boiler was out, and icy cold water poured down on my head.
I stood shaking in the bathroom, more from rage than from cold, while my husband tried to talk me down.
“OK, you’re shaking,” he said calmly. He’s doing his psych rotation right now in nursing school. “Is that involuntary, or…”
“It’s the only way I can adequately express my rage,” I said. “This day. THIS DAY. This day needs to be over.”
“Do you still want to go out and meet friends for drinks?”
“It’s the only thing that’s keeping me from going back to bed.”
So we went out and had a great time. I drank club soda the whole night and didn’t really miss drinking alcohol, to be honest. The only difference between being out and drinking and being out and not drinking, besides the obvious, were that when it was 10 p.m., I was like, “Whelp, I’m about to turn into a pumpkin. See ya!”
Which my friends probably appreciated, since when I’m drinking, I’m like, “You’re going home? BS. Let’s go get a pizza and hit another bar. In fact, fuck it, let’s go to Chinatown and get noodles. Immediately. It’s a noodle emergency. We need emergency noodles.”
The next thing you know, it’s one in the morning, and we have noodles and the opportunity to sleep for about six beer-soaked hours before it’s time to go to work.
I could see incorporating some club soda into my usual social routine after this is over, is what I’m saying.
Image: chris-fritz/Flickr
Jennie Smash 
So sorry you had such a sucky day Jennie glad it ended well for you though, good for you for sticking to club soda! Cyber high five coming your way.
Hi jennie. My husband and I are also on day 18. I have lost 5 pounds and he has lost 9. I do notice clearer skin and look a little trimmer. Trying to stay positive til day 28 I can’t wait to finish this diet. Overall I feel disappointed I really thought would lose more and geez should a bad day really make you gain weight?? If we learn a healthier way to eat that seems to me to be the lesson I am learning. I hope you have a great day today!
Well, the other part of it is that my bad day meant I didn’t eat often enough, probably, or drink enough water. I also have all kinds of weirdo thyroid issues, which I think makes me more susceptible to stress-related weight gain. But I hear you: I was secretly hoping that I would lose 40 pounds in two weeks and people would be like, “Oh, my God, are you a movie star? You’re so thin! I can’t look directly at you. I must view your hotness through this little piece of cardboard with a hole punched in it, as if viewing an eclipse.”
But still, we’re doing great. Think about it: you probably haven’t lost 5 pounds in two and a half weeks on many other diets. You’re doing an awesome job. It’s just hard work, for reals.
Hello everybody,
Sorry to hear about your day Jennie. When it comes to yo-yoing the pounds, nothing can surprise me anymore. Hopefully the extra will go away after the protein phase.
Well, I got sick yesterday. I don’t know if anybody had any similar experience. My second snack was around 6pm. It was a piece of lean turkey breast from night before. It got me so sick, that I thought I would throw up the same second. There were some burgers for dinner, and I could not imagine eating meat. It made so sick, and body was asking for something nutty and salty. I had a hand-full of dry roasted peanuts (i know it is not by the book, but I really couldn’t care anymore). Today in the morning, thinking about eating more meat made me sick again. I skipped breakfast since my body was reacting weird on any thought about food. Not hungry, not thirsty….I finally had some veggie soup with some beef for the lunch. Anybody felt anything similar?
I can’t stand meat anymore. By now, I can’t wait for the diet to finish.
I am also so sick of meat. I was choking down my turkey lettuce wrap today. Yuck.
Hi Jennie. So funny I had that same vision also. I agree that scale wasn’t budging before this diet. My skin looks good and I have learned how to eat healthy and the recipes are good. I had never heard of safflower Mayo jicama or almond butter but plan to continue using them. So we all can benefit from that alone. Your right we’re doing great in other ways. You have a fun blog.
Hi Jennifer,
Is the safflower mayo any good? I’m skeptical. But welcome to the almond butter club. It’s the first thing on my menu for the next 3 days!
Yes Violet….I feel the same way but only during Phase 2. I thought I was going to lose it at supper last night and the idea of breakfast made me sick. I just ate late but I don’t understand something…I did Atkins for a little while and it didn’t effect me like this. I wonder why it’s so tough to handle? I don’t want my inability to handle P2 affect the diet overall because I know I don’t eat enough on those 2 days.
I don’t know. I was also on Dukan, and there is lots of meat too. Maybe because the veggie is limited too. I don’t think I will eat cooked egg-whites ever again in my life.
Oh I hear ya… the meat days are gross. The only thing that works for my egg white “omelet” is to slather it in a ton of ketchup. Sugar free of course! Blech!