chocolate, naan, beer, & cupcakes

I like to show my abs who's boss. My abs have been getting all high and mighty lately. Especially those cocky little obliques that have made a few brief appearances, mainly first thing in the morning after I've had a clean day of eating. That is, when I'm standing at a specific sideways angle in front of the mirror while also standing completely upright and simultaneously flexing and sucking in. That is the time when they come out and are all "look at me, look at me!". They are so selfish and sometimes need reprimanding.

The best way to punish unruly abs is through the recreational use of carbs. For example, about a week ago, I was simply exhausted from all this healthy eating, the holidays, and forcing my heart to work at rates which it was not accustomed. I was starving for dinner & spotted the bag of naan from Trader Joe's in my freezer. Oh yum! Naan. I figured it would be in my best interest to clear that out of my kitchen immediately so I wouldn't be tempted in the future. I broke one piece in half and popped it in the toaster. Anyone who has had naan knows it it just the best little pillow of hot, chewy, crispy, bready deliciousness ever. I grabbed it from the toaster and plated it with a side of olive oil with fresh ground black pepper. It was so delicious & I was getting lots of healthy fat from the olive oil. It was so good that I had another naan & olive oil platter. It was fantastic, but I was still starving. Perhaps there was some medical truth behind the concept that carbs should not be eaten alone. Hmmm.

I went back into the kitchen only to spot a box I had received as a holiday gift. It reminded me of a cigar box, only larger. The contents of this box were 12 bars of chocolate, which I had originally envisioned as decorations for upcoming gifts for birthdays or Valentine's Day. But, it would have been truly inconsiderate to give bars of chocolate away as gifts without tasting the goods first. So, I chose the milk chocolate with almonds. It was absolutely creamy and amazing chocolate. The bar was the second course in my dinner of Naan & Chocolate. I'm pretty certain I will not be adding these to any gifts. By the way, if your mouth is drooling like mine is right now, check out this tasty goodness for yourself: www.blommer.com. This is no ordinary chocolate, hot stuff. No, this is not paid advertising but that is not a bad idea.

My abs and myself have both been behaving lately with nutrition and even visiting the gym from time to time. So, why deprive oneself of the tasty treats? Which is exactly why, after a long 2 days at work this week, I'm enjoying a smooth Bell's Special Double Cream Stout. The beer equivalent of Blommer Chocolate. I guarantee I will not see my obliques tomorrow morning in the mirror no matter how much trick lighting I try to use. However, the past couple weeks have taught me how to make compromises and make good decisions. I truly believe that anybody can use any diet and succeed ... until the diet ends. But, to experience personal growth and have a healthy, functioning body you must compromise instead of trying to function with harsh extremes. And, compromise is not something that comes easily to me.

What I mean by compromise is Food Heaven or Hell. Tomorrow I will be in Nutrition Purgatory. Did I mention I had the most amazing cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake today? Oh, did I forget to mention that? I was at work and someone who wants us to pay more attention to them sent over the most gorgeous cupcakes. You can't say no to these. I won't eat just any cupcake. What do you think I am? The website for this is even sweet. It has that super fun feature where dragging the mouse creates fun shapes all over the screen. Check it out - it's like a fun game when you are bored at work: www.georgetowncupcake.com.

It's definitely good to know my abs are waiting to come out to walk the red carpet. But, I have to keep them in line. They cannot get too much, too fast without really doing much work. Who do they think they are? Miley Cyrus? I also have to keep myself happy to balance out the enormous amount of grilled chicken, scoops of whey protein, egg whites, vegetables, and gallons of water I've been drinking.

The great news is that you can actually subtly control the way your body looks from day to day with careful food choices. As I said, I will definitely not be seeing my abs tomorrow morning. I might actually see what appears to be a gut. I'll just know it's the Bell's Special Double Cream Stout and Georgetown Cupcake competing for some attention.