Mmmmm.... coffffffeee....

Another thing I missed terribly whilst on Atkins was coffee.

          (Last night, I was reading a vacation journal written by a British woman.  That was when I decided I'd give saying 'whilst' instead of 'while' a shot for a bit. What the hell!)

Now, don't get me wrong, Atkins allows coffee.  But they discourage caffeine, as it can cause sugar/carb cravings.  So I cut out caffeine, just to be safe.

This was really no big deal for me.  I've gone years at a time without caffeine.  I find that it doesn't wake me up as much as it just makes my hands shake -- not a pleasant feeling.  So it wasn't the caffeine I missed, it was the coffee itself.

I can hear you out there. Yes, I am aware that decaf exists.  And there are a handful of decent decaf coffees.  If I owned a Keurig like me dear ol' Ma, I would've been drinking Donut Shop Decaf every day.  But I don't, so... it just seemed easier to skip it all together. 

I've gone back and forth with coffee throughout my life.  I used to totally prefer tea (with milk and sugar, the way tea should be served haha), but slowly started to dip my toes into the coffee pool in my early 20s.  Back then, I smoked.  And man, let me tell you, if there's one thing that cigarettes go with (aside from booze, of course), it's coffee!

Luckily, I don't smoke anymore (well, a few slips here and there -- but I'm human), and surprisingly didn't lose my taste for coffee after I quit.  Actually, I'd say I even like it more now than I did before.  That, in part, is the responsibility of my boyfriend, who is a coffee connoisseur (but not a coffee snob.  Huge difference.).  He introduced me to new varieties, and has converted me to the absolute belief that you have to grind your beans fresh to get the best cup of coffee.

He also got me away from Maxwell House. About 2 years ago, we discovered a brand at Wegman's after a trip down to my parents' house (Sadly, there isn't a Wegman's up here in north Jersey) and bought a few bags.  We loved it, so he found their website, and has been ordering their coffee online ever since.  The brand is Unique Coffee Roasters, shockingly right out of my former hometown of Staten Island (www.uniquecoffeeroasters.com).  We've tried many of their varieties, but I have to say their Joe's Morning Blend is the best.  I'm currently enjoying the Chelsea Blend, which combines Kona and French Roast.  I love the Jim's Kona beans, as well.  Oh,  and the Kenya AA.  And the Ethiopian Yirgacheffe.  And the... well, you get the idea.  If you love coffee, give them a try.  Their coffee is excellent, and so are their prices!

Well, I didn't mean for this to turn into a commercial, but I'm just so damned happy to be drinking the coffee I love again :)

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Well, boys and girls, I got what I wanted out of Atkins -- a jump-start.  But for my long-term weight loss, this lady is back with Weight Watchers as of today.

The biggest impetus behind this move?  I MISS FRUIT!  I can't handle not having fruit anymore.  So today I bought 2 lbs of grapes, some oranges, and a container of strawberries.  Somehow I forgot the bananas, but I will remedy that problem later this week.

The second biggest impetus? I just wasn't being as strict as I should've been with Atkins, having random off days here and there.  That's something you can't do that with Atkins, since it takes a while until ketosis kicks in ... and when you're throwing in carbs once or twice a week, you're really just maintaining at best.

So I thought about it long and hard (that's what she said) and came to the conclusion yesterday that WW is the way to go for now.  It is obviously healthier overall, and certainly a more realistic way of life than any other plan out there.  So off we go! I can eat whatever the hell I want -- just less of it ;)

Neglectful Blogger :P

This is what happens when one is planning vacations -- the blog falls by the wayside.  The diet (mostly) has not, but I haven't had the inspiration to blog this week.

Last weekend, thanks to a lot of driving, I attended 2 barbecues on the same day.  It was wonderful, but a lonnnng day.  So on Sunday, bf and I relaxed.  And on Monday, we did more of the same -- complete with a little low carb-friendly brunch... well... except for the champagne. 

We have determined, after having our first bottle of Taittinger, that it will be added to our regular champagne rotation. 

My Top 3 (so far):
1. Moet & Chandon Imperial (formerly known as White Star)
2. Pol Roger
3. Taittinger

I have also had Dom Perignon, Perrier Jouet, and Veuve Clicquot, and some that are technically sparkling wines, since they are not from the Champagne region of France, including J.  So far, Dom is my least favorite.  Perhaps a different year than what I tasted would be better, but ... as my bf often says, I'd rather buy 3 or 4 bottles of White Star than one bottle of Dom. 


But I digress...

I skipped my weigh in this week because of the joy of being a girl, and I didn't want to get frustrated at an uncontrollable, temporary gain.

Thursday, we're headed up to Montreal for the Formula 1 ("Formula Un!") race.  I will be allowing more carbs then, but once we're home, it's right back on.  Gotta get ready for DISNEY! A little less than 5 months and we'll be in my favorite place in the world  :)  Definitely no kind of dieting going on there!  But of course. you tend to walk about 5 - 10 miles a day at Disney, so the calories should be a wash.

This is the most rambling and disconnected post.  I just wanted to check in.  Have a great weekend, everyone!