Stats: -2 pounds; Net Loss: 9 pounds; Waist: – 4″

Breakfast and Lunch: All Day Blueberry Smoothie; Snack: none; Dinner: Peanuts, ceviche, 1/2 pound Angus burger, 1/2 side of fries, skin on, water with lemon; Snack: none

We already know I’m going to cheat this evening, so the big question isn’t that. That’s a done deal. The only question about that is how much I cheat. I’ll address that experience after I get back this evening.

Nope, today’s quandary is this: I need to go shopping. Sunday is my 14th day, the end of the Chia Challenge. So do I stock up on Phase II lunches, or do I keep going on?

I’ve lost 9 pounds in 14 days. There’s a good chance I’ll make it to 10 pounds by my Monday morning weigh-in, even with the cheat. I’m thrilled, but I have more to go. Continuing with Phase I makes sense. Yet, I’m a little tired of every meal having the same texture. I’d like to chew something. The kelp noodles have helped a bit. I figure, since they are 100% raw seaweed, they’re okay.

My options are: 1. Stay on Phase I; 2. Go onto Phase II; 3. Stick with Phase I, but allow myself one or two solid meals a week while keeping close to Aztec Diet guidelines.

What would you do?

Later: Terry’s was packed, with people, with servers, with retro neon signs. Brightly lit with high tables and peanut shells all over the floor. Even at 5 p.m., there was a thirty minute wait. There’s no room to wait inside, so Terry’s constructed an ante-chamber with plastic sheeting, old stadium seats and hanging outdoor heaters.

We sat outside and had an energetic discussion about my WIP, Maximum Security. Pat kept proposing different ways in which my victim could bite the dust. I had to keep reminding her that the cause of death was a done deal, since the body has already been found in Mount Airy Forest, and the question was who done it, and why. This caused the woman sitting next to me (who thought we were chortling about a real event) to make an inquiry. Whereupon Pat and Anna enthused about my books. So maybe I have another reader.

I ate a small handful of peanuts while we waited and skipped the beverages in lieu of water with lemon. The appetizers were tiny, artful creations. I had the ceviche, which was spicy, skipped the accompanying saltine crackers. I ordered my 1/2 pound burger medium rare, with Swiss cheese and the Burgundy sauce with wild mushrooms and truffle oil. I ordered it sans fries. When it came with, I went ahead and had some, with ketchup. I ate about half the bun.

I’m no saint. I’m not proposing myself as a model of dietary perfection. I had a good time. I don’t feel either deprived or guilty, and I’m happy to get back on the wagon. And, If I allow myself the occasional exceptional treat, it helps me pass by ordinary temptations. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

All Day Blueberry Smoothie
1 avocado
1 banana
1 Cup spinach, packed
1 – 2 Cups blueberries
2 TBSP cacao
4TBSP ground chia seeds
1/2 TSP ground ginger
1 TBSP green powder
Water to desired consistency

Makes 5 – 6 cups