Simple Saturday Sweets

I've had enough. I can't take it anymore.

Over the past two and a half years I've watched myself (and I suppose I've contributed a little, too...) gain back the entire 30 pounds I lost on Weight Watchers (after GAINING twenty pounds after losing all my baby weight from Baby Girl...Yeah. Do that math!)

Last weekend, on a lovely simple Saturday at the local arts market with my parents and girlies, a wave of nausea nearly swept me off my feet. I was hungry. Somehow, thankfully, I was able to NOT barf all over my own flip flops. We made it to our usual Chili's and I was able to survive to see my next meal. This, however, is a pattern I've noticed recently. I go from intense hunger/nausea to bloated, yucky tummy.

I've decided to take this bull(sh!t) by the horns and reclaim control over my body.

I was expecting to find myself in a Weight Watchers establishment for the first time ever. (I actually did it all at home on my own with the Weight Watchers At Home kit the first time.) I knew I needed something more drastic to help me break these horrible habits I've created for myself. I knew I needed more accountability.

However, as I meandered into school one day this week and approached an old WW buddy, I changed my plan. Recently, she's had great success with South Beach. She swears by it. I, skeptic of any diet that rules out entire food groups, expressed my concerns and skepticism about this plan. She explained the diet in more detail to me and, as it turns out, this diet seems far more mainstream that I had previously assumed it to be. Actually, it ultimately preaches (in Phase 2 - and Phase 1 is only 2 weeks long) things I already do.

So, I dropped the South Beach book in my Amazon cart and here I am. Day one is upon me.

However, my darling lovies have been a wee bit oppositional today (ha!)...which has made me want two things: alcohol and sugar. Any form of sugar. Anything from Wheat Thins to ice cream! Oh, and CHOCOLATE!!!

So, I'm scraping the bottom of the barrel to come up with something "in the plan" that will help me through this day. (Especially since I really need to go to the grocery store.)

Here's what I came up with...

1/2 cup ricotta (part-skim)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 package Sweet'N Low (I prefer Splenda, but this is what FireDaddy had in the pantry.)

a dash or so of Starbucks Via (the Columbian brew)

This is actually the South Beach recipe for Vanilla Ricotta Creme, with my own addition of the Via. It tastes A LOT like coffee ice cream! The texture is quite different though, as you can imagine. And, in fact, it's VERY sweet. I never thought I'd say this about anything...but it's almost TOO sweet. If I make this again, I may reduce the vanilla extract. Good news is, a little goes a long way. I'm feeling much better.

In fact, I think I'll head into the kitchen and use the rest of my Via packet in some cold skim milk for an iced coffee treat.

**By the way, my goal right now is to just make it through the first two weeks. I'm hoping this will help my blood sugar - or whatever it is that's causing this crazy nausea crap - level out and help me kick some cravings in the bootie. Then, I'll reassess...We'll see how this goes.

Photo credits: http://www.flickr.com/photos/santos/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0