So every now and then we've got to cheat, right? Eating healthy is wonderful, but every once in a while the memory of a buttery croissant or a creamy piece of chocolate can pop into the head and play mind tricks. Well, hopefully I can look back on this blog post next time I want to cheat, and remember why it's not so worth it in the end...
I took orders for Easter goodies, and spent yesterday afternoon filling them. Among the most decadent orders was a cinnamon and sugar bread pudding and a berry cobbler, both of which I made a little extra of. The plan was to bring them to my family's Easter brunch today to share. Well, let's just say the treats didn't make it that far. The cobbler was bubbling with a mixture of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and topped with a brown sugar crumble topping. After a bite out of the cobbler tin (just to make sure it came out OK, of course) that turned into two, three, four bites. By the time Chris and I left the table, a third of the pie was gone! Oh well, it's mainly berries, no big deal, right?
"Ding" the bread pudding is done! Chris has to taste test that one too. And any responsible chef only trusts their own palate, so I needed to try some too! Several bites later we put the forks down, washed the dishes, and tried to justify our bad behavior to each other.
"We need to cheat every once in a while. It probably won't make much of a difference"
Last night we were OK. We had a meat and veggie dinner at a restaurant in San Francisco that put us back on track, or so we thought! When we finally arrived home from our night in the city at 1:00 AM, we both dove straight for that cobbler, and finished off another third of the pie!
Easter Sunday rolls around, and I wake up groggy and sleep-deprived. I roll out of bed, walk straight to the fridge and throw away the remaining bit of cobbler. I had to put a stop to this bad behavior before we were lucid enough to eat any more!
But it was already too late, the damage was done. We attended a family gathering in the afternoon, and by the time it was over we were so exhausted we took a 2 hour nap! I can't remember the last time I took a nap. I'm usually bursting with energy, and couldn't fall asleep in the middle of the day if I tried. But those sugars and carbs really did a number on my body. The rest of the evening I felt dehydrated, fatigued, and just overall puffy.
Was it worth it? I don't think so. The cobbler and bread pudding were rather tasty, but it really cut into my Sunday. Instead of being productive I was lethargic and cranky. When you eat EF for a long enough period, your body becomes a well-oiled machine. And any deviation from that healthy way of life really makes a difference.
So here's the plan: A protein rich breakfast of sausage and eggs to keep me going all day tomorrow in the kitchen. When I get home I can eat whatever leftovers I have from the orders (halibut, steak, chicken, brussel sprouts!) I'll eat as much meat and veggies as possible, in order to avoid any temptation like chocolate or dried fruit. If I can stick to that way of eating on Monday and Tuesday I should be safe. Fortunately it doesn't take long to get back on track with a little discipline.
I'll write back in a few days to let you know how I did!
Feel free to share your sugar slump stories too! We can help each other stay on track :)
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