My Achilles Heel Is Ranch Fries: It May Not Be an Epic Struggle, but It's Mine

When it comes to my diet, I’m kind of like that girl in the nursery rhyme: "when she was good, she was very, very good, and when she was bad, she was horrid.”

I’m a vegetarian anyway, and when I actually pay attention to what I eat, I end up getting plenty of vegetables, some fruit, lots of protein and just a few carbs. Awesome! When I’m not paying attention, my diet consists mostly of Egg and Cheese Biscuits, baked potatoes, and Purple Onion ranch fries (although lately I’ve been experimenting with cheese fries). Not exactly a food pyramid so much as a flat line … which could be taken as some kind of metaphor, I guess.

I don’t think November is the time to start a full-on Food Watch, considering this month I’m trying to win Triathablog, finish a novel for Nanowrimo, and plan holiday parties and gifts … oh, and hold down a full-time job. But I do want to stop the downward spiral.

I’m terrible with moderation (give me an outlandish blog challenge and I’ll run every day, but give me freedom and I’ll sit on my couch), but it looks like I’m going to have to get better at it if I’m going to get vitamins or protein for the next couple months. This is Triathablog, not Supersize Me — there’s no need to prove I can run fueled only by McDonalds.

My energy is low, and that's not good for my health or my running, so I'm hoping to start small changes. I'm going to keep drinking lots of water, and I'm giving up soda after today. I'll try to eat some fruit or (gasp!) even a vegetable or two. Maybe substitute hummus for ranch fries next time I’m at the Purple Onion. (Or maybe not; let’s not go crazy.)

Here’s hoping.