Memorial Gras

The night before I start my trial month, I felt a strong need to feast before the fast. I guess it's the Coastie in me, mixed with the fact that I still haven't developed the will-power to decline an invitation to a good Mexican restaurant. I think I did fairly well by ordering the vegan burrito (steamed veggies, avacado, black beans, tomatillo sauce), but I still can't stay away from those stupid tortilla chips. On top of which, my friends wanted to get ice cream afterwards, which I ate but justified to myself given that we walked to the ice cream shop.

So now I'm wondering, does justifying these indulgences ever help? Why do we feel the need to talk ourselves into these things? I could have easily given myself the extra exercise without the extra calories.

But such as it is, I'm armed with my brand new bagful of fresh fruits and veggies and hearty whole grains. I've gone through my fridge and pantry and thrown out every bit of fatty, starchy, sugary junk I can find. I'm ready to start fresh tomorrow! Here's to finding some sort of workable balance....