Woefully craving cheesecake

There are a few things I can’t stop thinking about. One of them is this:

Another thing is brownies. And then there is just chocolate in general, which is the only thing I’m really wishing for during the diet portion of the Roller Derby Workout Challenge. It’s driving me crazy to the point I’m fantasizing about things I haven’t eaten in months, if not more. Like cheesecake.

The rest of the diet is pretty fantastic, though. I’ll start by saying this diet isn’t as much about “dieting” as it is about finding the right balance of proper fuel for your body. You know… No bad carbs and sugars, eat lean proteins and good fats, avoid empty calories, etc. They’ve even asked derby girls to give up alcohol. Oh, the horror!

Now, I’m not quite following the diet they’ve outlined for a couple of reasons. One, they’ve offered up the same diet plan for every single roller girl out there, which doesn’t make much sense to me. At 120 pounds, if I want to maintain my weight, I need 1200 calories a day (that’s with no exercise). That caloric intake makes no sense for a girl who has 5 inches and 50 pounds on me. So I’m adjusting.

Two, I pretty much eat healthy anyway—with the exception of my chocolate “problem”—so I’m letting the diet’s guidelines inspire me for better breakfast, lunch and dinner alternatives. And I think I’m winning.

Actually, The Owl and I are both winning. Being the incredibly supportive, loving, handsome hunk of a man that he is, he’s on this diet with me. While he’s making sure we stick to proper portion sizes, I’m religiously counting the calories we’re consuming. Might I add, he’s already lost 5 pounds. Harumph.

Here’s what we ate yesterday:

• Breakfast — Steel Cut Oatmeal with skim milk and fresh blueberries. Served with a small cup of orange juice and coffee from my French press. That’s a meal that’s packed with calcium, antioxidants, heart-healthy and cancer-fighting fiber, and lots of nutrients. A serving and a half of oatmeal and all of the extras was just 323 calories.

• Lunch — Baked Tilapia and a side of quinoa, roasted walnuts, fresh parsley and a splash of olive oil. Served with a spinach salad with fresh mushrooms, basil/olive oil dressing, a hard boiled egg. Water to drink. Lunch was gluten-free, and filled with protein, Omega 3 fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber. A full, happy belly came with those 387 calories.

• Dinner — I was in heaven! Chicken roasted with sage, sweet potato, carrots, celery and onion, then served with locally-sourced brown rice. We got lots of protein and nutrients, more antioxidants and more fiber. Not only was it the perfect balance of sweet and savory, but it was just 460 calories.

We’re both dying for sweets, which is where most of our calories were adding up, but we’re finding ways to curb the cravings. I had roller derby practice last night, and when you burn an extra 1000 calories in a night, I tend to feel like it’s okay to add a few more healthy calories. The Owl made the Chilled Espresso Custard recipe from the South Beach Diet cookbook using Stevia instead of a sugar substitute like Splenda (since we’re concerned about putting natural foods into our body versus fat free or zero calories). At 120 calories per serving, it was just what I needed to stop thinking about a 600 calorie slice of cheesecake.

I’ve lost a pound. Maybe two. But my body is also building muscle back up after breaking my collarbone. Our goals are this: for me to get sleek, sexy Sabina Sciubba legs, and for The Owl to lose 10 more pounds. Seven more weeks to go!