Birthday Bash, Willpower, and Padded Vans

Yes, I did survive my birthday weekend.

Barely. 

It's taken me 2 whole days to recover, but I am finally back to tip-top shape today.  That's the only thing that I'm hating about being older; I just can't bounce back from an all weekend bender the way I used to.  Not that I have all weekend benders every freaking weekend or anything. Just special occasions like my 30th birthday, maybe New Year's, or a weekend at The Lake.  But jeez-la-weez, it's been a rough couple of days.  There were a few of my friends that were doing worse than me on Sunday morning, and they had to drive back to Texas. (So glad I'm not them!) But there were some shots involved in the weekend drunkenness; boys were taking Crown shots, I was taking sissy girly shots (and I only had 2, maybe 4, I'm not really sure.)

I'll upload some pictures later, I haven't gone through them, so they could be REALLY interesting.  Anyway, enough with the 'party' side of my life. 

In honor of my 30th hoo-rah, I've decided to make some major changes to my life.  First, I'm changing up my diet from Herbalife shakes to Atkins.  My bloggy friend did a Biggest Loser Challenge and incorporated the Atkins diet into the last two weeks of it.  I read about her successes and hardships and thought that maybe I ought to try it.  In my book, the pros out-weigh the cons, so I did some research and made it 'official' starting today. 

Don't get me wrong, I loved the Herbalife shake thing.  It really curbed my eating and helped adjust my portion sizes which in turn helped me lose about 8 lbs.  However, I've been drinking my breakfast and lunch for about 3 months now, and it's just getting old people.  GIVE ME SOME SOLIDS DAMN IT!  Whew, I feel better.

The one thing with Atkins is that there is no alcohol in the first two weeks. WHAT?!?! And I'm still going to try it, you say? Yes. Believe or not (despite the above 'birthday party' paragraph about getting wasted) everything in my life does not revolve around brewskies.  It may sound like it does, but it doesn't.  Plus, I really think I need a good ol' break from it too.  I know that beers, even if drank only on the weekends (which is what I do), are not doing my healthy-mojo-way-of-life any good.  And I probably could have lost double what I have up to this point, if I had cut out alcohol all together.  (Let's get real peeps, 'all together' ain't ever going to happen.)  BUT, I'm more than willing to forgo my beloved Bud Light for a few measly weeks, in the name of health, of course.

And while I'm on this 'new' health-nut-kick thing of changing my whole life, I've decided to also quit my nicotine habit.  I did quit for about 2 weeks some months ago, but obviously that didn't stick.  I just knew I was going to smoke on my birthday, so why quit when I knew that I was going to sabotage it. But today is the day. I'm going to do it this time.  I will conquer tobacco.

I just want to point out that quiting alcohol and cigs all at one time goes against everything I believe in. My philosophy has always been: One thing at a time.  I believe that you should never under any circumstances get rid of more than one stress-relieving, addicting habit in your life at a time, because bad things happen. Very bad things. I WILL become a raging psychotic bitch that will hurl insults like a monkey hurls poo and not think twice about the repercussions. 

That being said, I'm still going to do it.  It's going to be sooo unbelievably hard, but I KNOW I have the willpower to do it.

Willpower.... come here Willpower.....where are you hiding Willpower......come out, come out wherever you are! I'll give you a nice big treat of.....well.....I'll give you a great big salad. Hold the croutons.

It's official, the no carbs, no alcohol, no cigs lifestyle is already getting to me. Where's the padded van?