Vlog Fail and The List

Yesterday I made another Vlog.  I decided I would try to do this for a while, do a vlog and try to connect using this medium instead of just writing.  Hubs goes to school on Thursdays, so it was a perfect opportunity for me to do the vlog at home without him doing something to distract me or jump behind me making weird faces.  Yeah, he would totally do that.

 So I made this Vlog and I uploaded it to YouTube even though I still am very critical of myself (I think I look tired, weird and need a makeover, but I probably see it worse than others do – oh and on a side note?  I think I need those injections they give you to make your lips fuller.  I’m officially a Muppet.  What happened to my upper lip???) And what happened?  It’s too long!  I did not know that there was a 10 minute limit on uploads to YouTube.  It shows you just how much I need to learn about blogging, vlogging, etc.  So.  No Vlog.  Sorry guys.  I am definitely not going to have a chance to do it again until next week and unless I become savvy overnight with video editing, then that vlog is pretty much going in the bin.

I wanted to tell you guys a bit about the list – and because I need to translate a few things I don’t have the list to show you just yet (or I could do w/out the translations, simply because I probably wouldn’t eat those things anyway and therefore don’t need to know what they are) – there is a “Preferred” column and an “optional” column on the list.  There is also an “only if necessary” part but that column the Dietician crossed off completely.

What I find very odd are a few things:

1)      Under fats and oils, there is nothing listed.  Nothing.  Like, not allowed.  I don’t get this because from what I understand, a body needs good fats.  Keeps the factory working smoothly.  You don’t drive a car around without oil, why would you cart your body around without any oil? It is allowed when cooking, but not as a part of a salad dressing, for example.  Certainly the linseed oil I was using in my yoghurt is a no-no.  Oh and nuts, seeds, avocado, peanut butter.  Definitely NOT on the list.

2)      For someone who was insistent upon me eating bread and crackers, there is no grains section on the list.  So I’m eating bread that I think is acceptable and whole-grain knakebrood (Swedish Crackers like Wasa).  He did say I needed to eat “thick, dark, heavy” bread, so I’m eating German Rye Seed (not allowed) bread.  It costs me 9.5 ProPoints for this bread which I think is a LOT (my protein/grain/veggie salads usually cost me around 8, including fats and maybe even feta cheese on top of protein/grain).  So no bread listed, no rice, no couscous, no pasta (does this mean it’s not allowed??)

3)      Under meats there is a lot of pork.  I don’t really eat pork and not for any other reason than I don’t really like it.  I was a vegetarian for about 9 years (quite a few years ago) and I am still just not really interested in pork on the whole.  There are occasions that I do, but they are very rare.  Bacon in an English breakfast whilst IN the UK, Ribs out with friends, the occasional piece of salami or pepperoni.  I’m more open to it when I’m in other countries if that’s the main type of meat people are eating or that is available in restaurants (or hey in Spain?  Spanish tapas anyone?  In Germany too – the sausages are divine…).  So yeah.  I’m definitely not going to eat ham or pork chops or any other type of pork on purpose, at home.

4)      There is fish on the “optional” list that is deep fat fried.  This I do not get AT ALL.

5)      Chocolate sprinkles are also totally allowed, though on the “optional” list.  Same with honey, jam, apple and/or pear syrup.  These are bread toppings.  Sugar Sandwich anyone?

6)      There is no real list of legumes.  I can not live without my kidney beans and chickpeas.  So, again, not allowed?

7)      I’m also instructed to vary what I eat as much as possible.  I do not know how this is possible when I have such a short list.

Anyway – I’m on Day Three of a sort of modified plan.  I’m still eating my fats. I have had Philadelphia Cream Cheese (Light version) the last couple of days.  I’m trying to eat a kind of cheese “product” (yeah, cheese spreads always make me think they can’t be totally real), but the other cheeses I’m allowed, I’m not sure I’m going to go there, just because of the lactose thing (let alone the trigger).  I have been eating fruit first thing in the morning, waiting a half an hour, then eating my crackers + toppings, and then drinking coffee.  I’m still pretty much totally ravenous 3 hours later when I arrive at work, but I’ve armed myself with gum which takes the edge off until I can eat my yoghurt and fruit.  I do this now at my desk ask I’m logging in and checking my emails that came in while I was sleeping.

I’ve been hungry again around 10, but I try to drink enough water to push me through to 10.30 and then I get a really large (Venti) tea.  By 12 I am really hungry again so I go to lunch.

Here’s the funny thing.  Eating this particular bread with the toppings I’ve had has been all right.  And I haven’t even really gotten hungry again for at least a good 3 hours, whereas there were days that I’d have my salad and be hungry an hour later.  So, maybe there is something to eating bread at lunch.

I’m having more yoghurt in the afternoon (0% fat) and a banana.  I haven’t eaten bananas in at least a year so it’s kind of funny to be eating them again.  And of course I have my veggie snacks for the way home, but the last several days I’ve also bought a fizzy mineral water to drink in the train.  I used to drink Diet Cokes when I was hungry – the fizz made me feel less so – but I don’t really want to drink pop, especially not caffeinated pop after 5pm.

Tonight we are going running – which means I will most likely have a snack of crackers and peanut butter beforehand.  I know… I’m such a rebel ;-)  Hey, I have to find my own way, taking in all of the information I get and seeing what works for me, right?