The following originally appeared on 8/21/08 at Exit 51.
Stamina
I have decided that it’s a good thing that I was born after the Industrial Revolution. Because quite honestly, I am not a strong enough person to have lived without modern comforts and conveniences.
Central air? Indoor plumbing? At a minimum.
But where I would have really suffered is in the kitchen. See, I’ve read too many books that describe women toiling away for hours and hours in the kitchen each and every day. No sooner is one meal finished than the next one has to get underway. Wait, maybe that wasn’t something I read. Because it sounds an awful lot like life since South Beach.
I knew going into this that it wasn’t just a diet, it was a lifestyle change. Fewer processed, pre-packaged foods. More true cooking. And I like cooking. Really I do. But what I don’t like is when I feel like there isn’t time for anything but cooking. Take Sunday for example.
In the course of the afternoon, I:
- Roasted a turkey breast
- Cooked a pork tenderloin
- Cooked a slab of london broil
- Sliced mixed vegetables for salads
- Made blueberry yogurt and peach yogurt
- Packaged a week’s worth of daily “snacks” (that’s a total of 20 between the two of us)
All that just to get ready for the week. And it is exhausting. That kind of marathon cooking leaves no time for anything but cooking. No bike rides on a lovely summer afternoon. No carefree quality time with SFC. No Sunday naps.
I admit, I choose to take that approach because it makes the weeknights easier. But spending an entire day tied to the stove makes me more than tired. It makes me cranky and short tempered. So we may be eating better but I’m not so sure it has made me feel any better. Is it worth it? Ask me in a few months when I’ve tried on those wedding weight jeans that have been stashed away in the back of the closet.
Bon Appetit Hon 