First of all, I just discovered the comments section of my blog. I don't get notified when I receive comments, and just had the pleasure of reading them all now. Thank you so much for your encouragement, I appreciate it soo much! Tonight was the perfect time for me to discover it...it's homecoming weekend at Allegheny, which means alumni, parties, and fun. It's also the weekend of a close friend's bridal shower and bachelorette party in Pittsburgh, for which I have to leave early tomorrow morning. As a result, I'm staying in tonight doing my weekend's worth of cooking. I've been feeling down because I have feel secluded and missing out on the fun; I feel like my senior year is flying by and I'm not enjoying it to the fullest (because I'm usually stuck in the kitchen, or doing work, or secluding myself on purpose to avoid feeling left out and dealing with temptation). I even fought with my boyfriend when he told me I'm not missing out, that I'm going to look back on these few months with pride and fond memories, and my response was "You have no idea!!!!" which is just silly. When I came on to write my daily food log, I was incredibly encouraged by reading comments. It reminded me that I actually love what I'm doing, that I'm passionate about the results of this project, and that life isn't about being drunk at bars. So again, thank you for your comments, I love to hear your feedback, and I feel much more centered having read them.
Another thing I'd like to offer is answers to some "frequently asked questions." I'll add to this list with time, but for now these are questions I am often asked:
"How do you feel?"
Physically, I'm healthy as a horse, and I'm not lying or embellishing. I thought the lack of salt was going to hurt me, and I think it did in the beginning. It took me a while to adjust; I often felt light-headed, weak, and dizzy, but I don't feel like that anymore (unless I don't eat for a long time). I exercise regularly and eat well, which are keys to a healthy lifestyle. Another interesting fact is before this year, since I arrived at Allegheny as a freshman, I had not gone a fall semester without getting a sinus infection. I've always had "bad" sinuses, and ALWAYS got sick when fall came. This semester I've surprisingly stayed illness-free (hopefully I'm not jinxing myself!). Plus, I've stayed healthy without taking any vitamins or medicines (those aren't local). So I'm not lying when I say I feel great. Emotionally, my project has had its highs and lows, but overall I'm satisfied and proud of my dedication.
"Do you ever cheat?"
This question always makes me laugh. My best friend since I was 2 years old, Kali, has always been on the mischievious side...when I visited her over fall break, she said "Moll, why don't you just put salt on that? No one would ever know!". And it's true that I could cheat and no one would know, but I would only be hurting myself. If I cheated, I would feel terrible and disppointed in myself. So no, I have not cheated and will not consume anything that is not local and organic until December 1st.
"What's the first thing you'll eat when you're done?"
This I've given lots of thought. My project isn't just a 3 month diet, it's a lifestyle that I have every intention of maintaining, but without such strict rules. I'm a little surprised about the things I miss the most. I thought I would crave McDonalds or something crazy, but I think I would puke my guts out if I had anything along those lines. Instead, I can't wait to drink coffee - I have no idea why, I've never been a huge coffee-person and tend to prefer tea, but I am so eager for a hot cup of coffee the morning of December 1st (fair trade organic coffee will definitely be added to my diet then!). I also miss some baked goods like bagels and breads...cornbread and flatbread are great, but I'm looking forward to having some more carbohydrate variety. Finally, I miss 2 of my absolute favorite things, which I totally anticipated - wine and cheese. I haven't been able to find local wine made from organic grapes that has no preservatives, etc. Likewise, I can't find cheese that has no salt or acids, and I can't make my own without these important ingredients. I'm eager to have them back in my life, and my roommates and I have already decided that we'll be having a wine-and-cheese party the first weekend in December!
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