Sunday, January 27, 2008

Some thoughts on "The Zone", Alexandria Pastry Shop, and SODA

One might say that this blog could actually be titled "Katie's new addiction to blogging" or even "Katie's procrastination from report cards". Regardless of the title though... I've been having thoughts. (As you can see from my blog, I apparently have quite a few of those... imagine that!) Anyway, I know and understand what The Zone is, why it works, and the science behind it all. I really do, but I am having a huge problem getting into it. I zoned quite effectively for about the first month to month and a half of school. But the kinks come in for people who lead busy lives (ok ok ok ALRIGHT! FINE!) INSANE lives like myself. Now granted this insanity is only temporary and is (Thank God) nearing an end. But the problem is, I have NO time. No really. Today is the first full day off I have had in nearly 4 weeks. My laundry routinely piles up, and I haven't dusted my house or cleaned my bathroom in a time frame I'm not comfortable admitting to other people. Therefore, it seems like these things should certainly be taking precedence over blogging, but I digress again.

The point being, if there is no time available for the little details of the day to day, where am I supposed to find time for measuring and preportioning and blocking and counting? It's frustrating. I would like to zone, because I do understand that my diet needs to be balanced. I do understand that things like the Strawberry Belgian Waffle that I ate at the Alexandria Pastry Shop this morning would qualify as things that do not balance my diet, and would need to go. (They're just so darned GOOD! And if you want to cheat at the zone, not that I'm ENCOURAGING that, but if you just HAVE to... go there!) Digression again... back on point here. I guess really what I would like, are some pointers or tricks for busy people who simply can't do it. The people who work between 12-15 hours most days and have jobs on the weekends. What can we do if we don't have time to measure or stock up on the weekends? The South Beach has several meal options etc. out there. Would following those be a similar format? I know they are "low carb" or at least low "processed" carbs. Would that at least be a step in the right direction? If so, then frozen South Beach Diet meals would certainly fit into the schedule.

My other issue with the zone is my soda intake. Some people drink water the way I drink soda. My intake is ENTIRELY too high. Some people say that switching to diet is good enough. I say diet tastes like crap and I do it for three days before I cave and go straight back. I need a good solid technique for kicking the habit and not jonesing and then heading back three days later. I have actually given up soda before (for Lent) and found that I felt much better after doing it, but giving it up for Lent was easy. I had a reason, and more importantly, a time frame when I could get it back. 40 days was feasible... forever and ever (Amen) seems like a loooooong time to give something up.

I have a friend, well I guess he's actually not really my friend any longer since he hates me, but I'm digressing again. He told me that when he used to work nights on the police force he drank a lot of soda to help keep him awake. He also told me that he gained a lot of weight from doing it. He said that as soon as he switched to diet, and of course kept working out, he lost a lot of that same weight. I would like to do the same, but somehow need to find a way to kick the habit. Because in the true sense of the word, I really do have a caffeine addiction. I get headaches if I don't drink it. So, if you have any thoughts, or perhaps a plan to help me... please let me know. Maybe we could work out an incentive program and I could get gold stars. I like shiny things! :)

Well, it's about that time... time for me to go continue to be productive today. Hey, after 3 hours of staring at little bubbles on a scantron sheet, I needed a diversion. You would too if your eyes were starting to permanently go cross eyed! :P Next thing you know I'd be permanently cross eyed and try to grab a chin up bar and fall flat on my face, or even worse, bear crawl right into the wall! :P But since it's time for us to wrap up our time together... (awwww... :( ) I'll leave you with a funny quote.

"If you want to impress a woman at the gym, do pull ups. Pull up in a Rolls Royce, pull up in a Corvette...." Conan O'Brian

3 comments:

Cara said...

When you're busy and don't have time to stock up/cook, try to at least learn how to eyeball different measurements. That way, when you eat out, you can try to have a 3 block meal off the menu. So spend some time learning what a cup of strawberries, 3oz of chicken, etc look like. Even if you just take 5min a day.

As for your caffeine addiction, what about acquiring a taste for black coffee?

You could at least stock up on Zone Bars (they count for 2 blocks) - not the best in the world, but will help you stay in the Zone.

Cara said...

Or tea! Tea's even better than coffee when you need caffeine!

Jerry Hill said...

No doubt...Sugar is so addictive!

Ya gotta dig in and give the zone 2 solid weeks of perfection...then see where you go from there.