Weight: 153.2
OK, I'm getting there. I am almost back down to the weight I was before my crazy food binge in San Diego, particularly in the San Diego airport as we sat around for half a day waiting for our delayed flight. But that is not the good news I am referring to. The good news I am referring to is that I am not having sugar cravings. My biggest fear with regard to my program and lifetime goal of weighing 150 pounds and staying on a healthy eating program for the rest of my life is sugar addiction. I believe sugar is an addictive substance and it is my fear that if I slip and eat sugar I will start having cravings that I will have to fight to control until I am solidly back on program. I am happy to report that I have not had sugar cravings or junk food cravings of any sort this week. In fact, I have had the exact opposite response to my 24 hour binge (the binge really was isolated to the last night we were there and the day we spent in the airport). I felt so crappy on Tuesday that I was urgently motivated to get back on program. We got home much later than anticipated on Monday evening, so we stopped at the store and bought enough essentials to get us through breakfast the next day. I had a few leftover items in the fridge that I had cooked late in the week that would get us through Tuesday lunch and dinner. On Tuesday I made a shopping list for Jack and he brought groceries home for me to cook that evening. I got our cooking done on Tuesday night and by Wednesday morning our refrigerator was well stocked with our normal on-program foods. The overwhelming emotion I felt in that moment, when I knew we were stocked for the week, was relief. I was so glad to know that my breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the rest of the week were prepped, cooked, and ready to go. I didn't feel deprived or sad that I couldn't keep eating crap, I felt glad that we had a solid program to go back to and that we both did our part to get good food back in the refrigerator. It was in that moment that I realized how regimented I really am with my program. And you know what? I am totally OK with that. My very well planned food program takes the decision making out of what I am going to eat from meal to meal and day to day. I make all my food decisions for the week on Saturday. Jack goes to the grocery store and brings home the food. I cook all the food on Sunday. Done. No more decisions, no worries, no guess work. No struggles, no cravings, no more work. I just pack up my little plastic containers, take them to work, and warm my food up at meal times. It really is easy. Jack has delicious, healthy meals to eat when he gets home from work. This really does work for both of us.
It works so well that Jack came home from the doctor's office with a perfectly clean bill of health. Blood work, blood pressure, etc., it's all good. We got the letter back from the doc on Friday, from Jack's follow-up appointment, "I am happy to report that these are excellent results!" Excellent results! Isn't that great? At 60 and 54 years old, we are both in excellent health, we don't take any maintenance drugs, and we feel as good, if not better, than we have ever felt. Jack's skin is clear, my shoulders don't ache, and we are happy and content. Good food, regular exercise, plenty of sleep and lots of love is a wonderful prescription for good health. I am glad that I have found a program that works for me, but it is fulfilling to know that I have helped Jack live a healthier lifestyle, too. It took me a long time to find a man that I am actually happier living with than without; I need him to stick around for a while. I am pleased that he is as interested in being healthy as I am. It makes this so much easier and so much more fun.
Yesterday, as we were watching the ballgame and I was looking at Facebook a little bit I did comment on how it would be nice to be able to eat whatever I want and not get fat. It is amazing the number of posts people put up about food, eating out, drinking, going to bars, etc... Jack pointed out that even if I could eat whatever I wanted without gaining weight, it wouldn't mean that I was healthy. The food we eat is good for us. It's not just about maintaining my weight, it's about keeping blood sugar, hormones, gut microbes, and essential cholesterals, at a healthy level. In a way, my weight is just a harbinger of the real news. When I'm at a healthy weight, it is because I am living a healthy lifestyle which keeps all systems working in good condition. When I binge and eat crap food, my weight shoots up indicating systemic inflammation and a body in crisis. In that respect, I guess I am lucky. My desire to maintain a healthy body weight is what has motivated my lifetime search for a program that works for me. If I was never overweight, I don't know if I would have ever gone down this path in search of a perfect program for myself and my husband. But I have been searching, for decades in fact, and finally, after all these years, I have found the program that works. Yes, I guess, in a way, I am lucky. My body has a built-in early detection system. "Gained three pounds over night, you consumed poison, stop that immediately, go back on program right now!" I can see how that is a good thing. I guess I should quit my bitching and be grateful for a body that helps me see right from wrong.
So yes, today is a day filled with good news. It doesn't hurt that it is the second day of a three day weekend. It's nice to have the time to pause and reflect at what is right with the world, rather than just barely having enough time to plow through the day and get everything done that needs to be done. No complaints. Not today.
See you later!
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