Day 60: Life After Cheetos

I found this cool poster on Fat Mama Does Yoga’s tumblr that says stuff I really agree with – except for the last line. No, yoga is not the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Giving up chips (potato, corn – basically anything salty and crunchy and has little to no nutritional value) is. I wish I were kidding.

But give it up I did. Because much to my chagrin, I’m not blessed with superior genes that allow me to subsist on junk food and still be fit and healthy. No no no – apparently, in order for me to not drop dead at 40, it is imperative that I make Cheetos an occasional instead of a regular. Stupid healthful living.

The good news is, I kinda made it (I still have to live with the kinda, it’s only been a few months). Sure, it was touch and go for a while. There were dark days filled with dark thoughts like, what good is living to be a hundred if you’re doing it without potato chips? Or my personal favorite: maybe I can devote one day eating just one bag of Cheetos – that’s about 7 calories less than my recommended calorie allowance! Good thing I’m older and not as indestructible as I used to be. I quickly got off the crazy junk food train when I felt dizzy one afternoon because of the heat and the (suspected) high blood pressure.

How do I fill the void left by Cheetos? Glad you asked. I use stovetop popcorn. Mega Mexicana corn nachos, from a Philippine brand that supposedly uses non-GMO corn and little else. Homemade hummus. French Baker’s whole wheat bread. Pure fruit and vegetable juice. Banana smoothie with malunggay, aloe vera, and maca powder. Lots of bananas and green mangoes. Fresh oregano leaves (this is actually where the blog’s name came from. At the beginning, whenever I felt peckish, I’d go to my mother’s garden, snap off several oregano leaves, and munch on them – kinda like her goats). Frozen grapes and watermelon (my favorite!).

I know. Reading this makes me sad too. But as a junk food addict, I felt I had no choice but to go extreme. Besides, a lot of my old (musty) clothes fit me again. I don’t get winded walking up two flights of stairs anymore. My mother is happier. Plus, those corn chips dipped in hummus are really quite tasty. And oh my God, those frozen grapes!

So – am I onto something, or just delusional? I guess I’ll know for sure in 40 days.

My practice:

Chaturanga-free Fire Flow Yoga – this made me aware of my muscles again.