last ice cream sandwich.
My last snack pack of Oreos.
All washed down with a Diet Coke.
My mother looked sort of horrified when I laid it all out on my desk, but then I handed her the permission form. "He said yes." I hoisted my Diet Coke. "Cheers."
Nancy chuckled and shook her head. "You're a brave girl, Cat."
"I can do it," I said. "I'm motivated." I tore open the wrapper to the ice cream sandwich. "And it's just seven months."
"I could have three litters of puppies in seven months," Nancy said. "It's longer than you think."
"I don't care, I'm excited," I told her. "It's going to be great."
I decided to give my body a good send-off tonight. I talked my mom into ordering deep-dish sausage and onion pizza. I'm not proud to say I ate five slices--I was like a condemned girl savoring her lastmeal. And then I followed it up with my last bowl of ice cream and hot fudge topping. I was so incredibly overstuffed afterward I could barely move or breathe. But I kind of felt content, too--like I'd given my stomach a little party.
One last thing to do before I went to bed. I unplugged everything in my room but my computer and printer. I stowed most of the electronics in my closet, then wheeled my TV and DVD cart into my little brother's room.
"Want these for a few months?"
Peter looked at me like he was afraid to seem too excited. For an eleven-year-old, he can be awfully suspicious. "Why?"
"It's an experiment. Want to borrow my iPod and CD player, too?" I could see he was skeptical.
"It's okay," I assured him. "No trick. I just want to focus on homework this year."
That sounded more like me. "Okay," he said, "I guess, if you want." Like he was doing me a big favor.
I also unplugged my alarm clock, which is going to make it hard to get up tomorrow morning--especially since I have to make sure I'm up early enough to walk to school. But I figure I'll gain the time I normally spend straightening my hair. This is a time for serious sacrifices, and I'm afraid decent-looking hair is going to have to be the first thing to go. But that's what ponytails are for.
I just realized I can ask my mom to wake me up--there's no reason she can't use an alarm clock. And tonight both my parents seemed surprisingly supportive of the whole project--especially once I emphasized all the health benefits of giving up junk food for seven months. My dad even said he might try that. I'll believe it when I see him eating fruit after work instead of barbecue chips and a beer.
The one thing my mom did say is that she's making an appointment for me next week with a registered dietician friend of hers from the hospital. She wants to make sure I'm still going to get all my calcium and everything, even without all the ice cream. Ha.
The one favor I asked them is that they not tell Peter what I'm doing. The last thing I need is him blabbing to any of his little friends who have older siblings that go to my school. People probably already think I'm weird enough--I don't need to give them another reason to think so.
Time to do some homework and get to sleep. Then tomorrow is it. Clean slate. Start over and keep it real and keep it pure.
And watch the transformation unfold.
11
RESEARCH NOTEBOOK, CATHERINE LOCKE
Day 1, Thursday, August 21
Breakfast: Glass of water, apple, banana.
Technology avoided: Opened curtains instead of turning on bedroom lights. Had to use bathroom light--no windows. Cell phone and computer off since last night. No music. No TV. No blow-dryer. No wristwatch. Walked to school.
We're supposed to record everything in our research notebooks so Mr. Fizer can take a look at them every week and make sure we stayon track. We also have to bring our notebooks to the science fair in case any of the judges want to check our work. But I figure not everything is everyone's business. Some facts are just for me.
Like the fact that I looked so ugly when it was time to leave the house this morning, I almost backed out of the whole deal.
I never
My last snack pack of Oreos.
All washed down with a Diet Coke.
My mother looked sort of horrified when I laid it all out on my desk, but then I handed her the permission form. "He said yes." I hoisted my Diet Coke. "Cheers."
Nancy chuckled and shook her head. "You're a brave girl, Cat."
"I can do it," I said. "I'm motivated." I tore open the wrapper to the ice cream sandwich. "And it's just seven months."
"I could have three litters of puppies in seven months," Nancy said. "It's longer than you think."
"I don't care, I'm excited," I told her. "It's going to be great."
I decided to give my body a good send-off tonight. I talked my mom into ordering deep-dish sausage and onion pizza. I'm not proud to say I ate five slices--I was like a condemned girl savoring her lastmeal. And then I followed it up with my last bowl of ice cream and hot fudge topping. I was so incredibly overstuffed afterward I could barely move or breathe. But I kind of felt content, too--like I'd given my stomach a little party.
One last thing to do before I went to bed. I unplugged everything in my room but my computer and printer. I stowed most of the electronics in my closet, then wheeled my TV and DVD cart into my little brother's room.
"Want these for a few months?"
Peter looked at me like he was afraid to seem too excited. For an eleven-year-old, he can be awfully suspicious. "Why?"
"It's an experiment. Want to borrow my iPod and CD player, too?" I could see he was skeptical.
"It's okay," I assured him. "No trick. I just want to focus on homework this year."
That sounded more like me. "Okay," he said, "I guess, if you want." Like he was doing me a big favor.
I also unplugged my alarm clock, which is going to make it hard to get up tomorrow morning--especially since I have to make sure I'm up early enough to walk to school. But I figure I'll gain the time I normally spend straightening my hair. This is a time for serious sacrifices, and I'm afraid decent-looking hair is going to have to be the first thing to go. But that's what ponytails are for.
I just realized I can ask my mom to wake me up--there's no reason she can't use an alarm clock. And tonight both my parents seemed surprisingly supportive of the whole project--especially once I emphasized all the health benefits of giving up junk food for seven months. My dad even said he might try that. I'll believe it when I see him eating fruit after work instead of barbecue chips and a beer.
The one thing my mom did say is that she's making an appointment for me next week with a registered dietician friend of hers from the hospital. She wants to make sure I'm still going to get all my calcium and everything, even without all the ice cream. Ha.
The one favor I asked them is that they not tell Peter what I'm doing. The last thing I need is him blabbing to any of his little friends who have older siblings that go to my school. People probably already think I'm weird enough--I don't need to give them another reason to think so.
Time to do some homework and get to sleep. Then tomorrow is it. Clean slate. Start over and keep it real and keep it pure.
And watch the transformation unfold.
11
RESEARCH NOTEBOOK, CATHERINE LOCKE
Day 1, Thursday, August 21
Breakfast: Glass of water, apple, banana.
Technology avoided: Opened curtains instead of turning on bedroom lights. Had to use bathroom light--no windows. Cell phone and computer off since last night. No music. No TV. No blow-dryer. No wristwatch. Walked to school.
We're supposed to record everything in our research notebooks so Mr. Fizer can take a look at them every week and make sure we stayon track. We also have to bring our notebooks to the science fair in case any of the judges want to check our work. But I figure not everything is everyone's business. Some facts are just for me.
Like the fact that I looked so ugly when it was time to leave the house this morning, I almost backed out of the whole deal.
I never
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