Day 1 in the Cave

I enrolled myself in the "Caveman Diet" at work, not because I didn't want people to think I'm not a team player.  I enrolled because I wanted to test my ability to say no.  The other reason, which I reluctantly admit is because I want to test my power of control.  Yes, I call it power, not need.  I use my control for good things and as long as I stay in control, everything will be right. 

What do I control in the Caveman diet?  Well, food is one thing of course.  I also control how much to eat, what to substitute, and how much can I cheat without forgoing the entire plan.  The caveman (or woman in my case) diet is essentially a fad diet in which you only eat the food that was available to humans in the Paleolithic era.  Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs, fish, and meats.  Since I am a vegetarian, I will not be hunting or fishing for my own animal.  And although this diet strictly forbids dairy, I can let that slide since I am Hindu and we believe that various dairy products are a gift from God and were available long before humans existed.  :)  I'm not proud of this slight misinterpretation and rule bending, but a girl's gotta live to tell about this experience of being in a cave. 

So what did I eat today?  I started the morning with a banana and chai.  I am lucky enough to have the greatest sisters on earth who made me some tomato soup and a salad for lunch.  I cheated once during the day (and no, I will not reveal the details of my relapse) and I'm so going to try harder tomorrow.  For dinner, I had two cups of milk (I explained the dairy thing already right).  So essentially, I am cutting down on carbs and processed foods in my life.  This diet began on a Saturday and will last through the month of October.  This means that I will have to control myself and look away from the Diwali goodies our family enjoys every year.  I think the trick is to be full before everyone else begins to eat.  That way, hunger does not control you.  The other trick seems to be to always keep yourself busy.  I learned that if I am studying, browsing the Internet, or driving around running errands, I don't have time to eat.  However, if I am busy watching my latest obsessions (Desperate Housewives and Heroes ~ don't judge!) my thoughts seem to wander around the pantry and popcorn basket. 

So tomorrow will be another day to triumph over my food cravings and addiction.  Maybe this journey will help me learn why my eating habits are so horrible and which need I'm substituting with food.  Or maybe, I'll just learn to cook!