This post is a bit long. It's two posts in one.
Mother's Day held a pleasant surprise for me this year. I wasn't expecting it, but my youngest daughter called and invited me to meet her and her boyfriend for lunch in what I like to call the "Jewel" of the Central Coast...Morro Bay.
This little fishing town never dissapoints and is the place the central valley of California uses as a cool getaway all summer long. The heat in the state can get to sweltering heights so on any day of the warm season you will find many people combing the beaches, strolling the streets, whaling watching, surfing, camping, rving, antiquing, and about a million other fun things you can find to do in this tiny but activity loaded spot.
The day started out at lunchtime. They, my daughter and her boyfriend were headed south from San Francisco to get to L.A. in time to get on the boat for a cruise. They called and surprised me asking to meet in Morro Bay for a bite to eat and a stroll around town.
I got there first and thought we would eat at Giovanni's, one of the oldest seafood restaraunts there. It's a great place to eat. The food is standard fresh catch of the day, but what's great about Giovanni's is that the seating is alfresco and you're so close to the rock you feel you can reach out and touch it.
I did'nt choose Giovanni's while I waited for them to arrive. Partly because of the line...
I thought of another place down the street where we could sit inside and look out at the little bay and watch the otters and sea lions while we had lunch.
But first, some fun for me.
It was Mother's Day and fairly busy around where I was waiting. The kids were literally three minutes up the road. I was looking around, up and down the street for places they could park and there just weren't many options. Suddenly, the spot right in front of me on the street became available and I thought, why not......I promptly stepped into the spot and stood there like you would save seats in a theater or something and just stood there until they came around the corner and pulled right in. Needless to say, I got a few frowns from motorists. Just doing my job. It was Mother's Day afterall.
They parked and we hugged for a very long time. I hardly get to see my youngest so this was very nice. Josh called me "tough" for holding their spot...the thought did actually cross my mind as I stood in the street that I was squaring off against CARS...
We strolled down the street amongst tourists and the quaintest shopfronts. Josh kept wondering out loud why he hadn't been here yet. He's from The Bay, and it's only a three hour drive here. He kept mentioning what a beautiful little town it is, and he's right. I think of Morro Bay as the Jewel of the central coast. There are so many cool little towns along Highway 1 between San Francisco and Los Angeles, but in terms of Aesthetics and charm I would argue that Morro Bay is definitely one of the best.
I chose the Libertine Pub for lunch. It's a great sit down and stay awhile spot. The food is delicious and they have their own selection of ales, beers, and coffees...there is an open bar on the street and a restaraunt in the back with all window views of the bay and the iconic Morro Rock. There's a young vibe to the place with a room as you walk in with a console record player, darts, and ping pong. We had fish and chips and pineapple mimosas. It was so nice catching up and I shared with them about my transformation blog and how that was just getting started. We played some ping pong too.
...and the fun didn't stop there. We walked all up and down the gorgeous waterfront. We couldn't have asked for a more gorgeous day. It was so much fun just walking around, looking in a few of the great places to visit. Here are a few more pictures of the sights you see in this awesome seaside spot and then onto the first few days of this blog and what it's been like getting started with my diet.
All you can eat crab on Tuesdays you say? I'm in!
One of the famous iconic features of the watefront. A giant chessboard. Those cabinets in the background hold the pieces and they are open during the week and Saturdays. There are also tables to the side with boards imbedded into them as well for those who prefer the non liliputian method. FUN!
Of course we went into the Shell Shop. Do NOT come to Morro Bay and miss visiting this place. I've been coming here since I was a child and not much has changed. I'll have a whole article on it on the website. *coming soon.
Tara's Transformation.....the first few days
Well, I started. After thinking about doing it for a long time I finally decided to just do it. I did. Pre, sort of... the first few days before Mother's Day, and then fully the day after. I've been going strong. Sticking to my promise to not eat any wheat flour or white sugar. I weighed the day I had my family take my before pictures and that weight is my beginning weight. 231 pounds. I'll weigh myself officially every six weeks, so that will be six weeks from May 15th. I've been journaling my food intake and I'm really going to post it on a regular basis. I'm putting the first few days here, and it's very un---organized, and completely NOT what you'd expect to see from a say, proper or traditional diet.
-I didn't shop for food
-I work full time
-I won't have a budget to shop for food til the beginning of the next month
-My video channel is happening slowly because I'm teaching myself how to make and post youtube videos right now, from the scratch and in my spare time
And there's one important point for me to make right here.
I'M NOT GIVING UP!
I promise you, in ten months you are going to see a polished product with crisp videos and perfect meal plans. But like any embryo it's gonna have to grow. The only difference is, you're going to get to watch it go through it's "ugly" stage.
Some stuff my friend Al Einstein said,
"There is no innovation and creativity without failure"
"When something is difficult it doesn't mean to not try, it means to try HARDER"
"I have tried 99 times and have failed, but on the 100th time came success"
and one of my favorites...
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything NEW"
Some facts about my friend Al,
1. He didn't speak til he was 4.
2. His parents thought he was sub normal.
3. He was expelled from school and his teachers described him as mentally slow.
4. He won the Nobel prize and changed the face of modern physics.
5. He was named the best scientist of the 20th century.
Albert Einstein just kept his nose to the grindstone. He believed in himself and continued with what he believed in against the odds. He's one of my greatest inspirations.
This was my first day. I haven't shopped yet, but I am determined to stick to a diet without wheat flour and sugar. Here's what I ate that first day.
May 15, 2019
7:00AM
1 1/2 ham and cheese eggs cups. (the recipe will be here on the blog under "recipes"
150 cal.
12:00PM
Baja Cod Salad
apprx. 650 cal.
6:00PM
1/2 c. corn
62 cal.
1/2 c. pork n beans
140 cal.
3 oz. ground turkey
128 cal.
1/2 c. white rice
100 cal.
I drank at least 4 bottles of water. There are 16.9 oz in the water I drink. I try to get at least 64 oz. a day. That's what my doctor recommends.
Pretty plain and simple, but it will get more complex when I get to shop. The important thing is that I get enough calories without getting too much and that I HYDRATE!
May 16, 2019
7:30AM
1 grapefruit
52 cal.
12:00
4 oz. ham
180 cal.
2:00PM
Snack...1 serv gluten free tortilla chips
130 cal.
1 serv Harvest Snaps
130 cal.
7:00PM
2 c. white rice
406 cal.
1c. pinto beans
206 cal.
Water....CHECK
May 17, 2019 IT'S FRIDAY!!!
7:00AM
1 avocado
227 cal.
12:00PM
1 Smart Water
0 cal.
2 bananas
96 cal.
9:00PM
sugar peas
20 cal.
napa cabbage
100 cal.
broccili
30 cal.
2 c. white rice
406 cal.
Water....check, check.
