One Day at a Time... I Win!

Have you ever been to Sunfest? I have. I have for many, many, years. Every year I am out on the barge determining if I need to throw up or have another shot. This year was completely different. I just needed to get through today. Focus on eating right. Dance and get my steps in. 

Of course, they upped their game! The food section this year was off the chain with more selections. Chicken and Waffles, always wanted to try that. Fried pickles, I could eat those for breakfast lunch and dinner. Chick-Fil-A? What! Fried Chicken on a yummy bun, IN!

Then there were the Rum stands and the beer stands every 250 feet. This was a challenge to say the least. So how did I do?

Well, I ate as I should in the morning. We went to Duffy's prior to going in the gates and I had the appetizer of Shrimp Tacos. I figured that was better then the 10 wings I wanted. I drank 2-33 ounce bottles of Smart water and then entered Satan's playground.

The positive, I got in almost all 10K steps. The negative is that in 7 hours I had one Coors Light, one Blue Moon Belgium IPA and one Gin and Soda. The gin & soda, I think was more soda then water. I did the best I could at the food area. I got the Gyro with chicken, no tzatziki sauce and put on some red wine vinegar. I did totally eat the pita bread. 

So did I win this day? I think I did. If it had been the previous year I would have had several rum punches, several beers, tried the chicken and waffles, the spicy chicken sandwich from Chick-Fil-A and then gotten some candied almonds. I would have gone to World of Beer and drank some cool stouts and called it a uber night. 

I take it as a win! Could I have done better? Yup. However, for today, I did better then yesterday. I did more then last year. I did more than last week. So maybe it is one day at a time. Maybe I do focus on right now and then compare myself to before to see my improvements. Use that opportunity to praise myself, instead of beat myself up about what I did wrong. 

Today, I won!

Now to Sunday brunch with friends. How about I do one meal at a time? No to bottomless mimosas. I don't think I have ever done that.

The Beginning!

Why is it so hard to diet and so easy to eat a cheeseburger? Cheeseburgers are good. In fact, when I type in burpees (I don't do them or like them) Siri autocorrects it to burgers. I think Siri knows what is going on.

Have you watched Andie Mitchell's TED Talk on her weight loss? What a funny new perspective? Live in the day and being skinny isn't the answer. Weight loss doesn't have a direct link to happiness. Once you are skinny, like all those other girls, you'll need to navigate through an entirely new set of issues.

My sister-in-law, whom I love, is skinny. Skinnier then I will ever be unless I have a fatal disease that eats my fat for me. I know that she gets her own set of body shaming. "You are too skinny.", "Do you eat enough?" and so on. It aggravates her. It should, why is that the conversation she gets when she walks in to a room. Well, I think she is perfect. I guess there is no winning.

However, there is a challenge happening in my head. I had a moment much like Andie, I've been playing this game with my scale. It is called, "Just stay under 200". I have been playing it for 13 years.

I was never a skinny kid. I ate well. I was the daughter of a meat cutter. No, don't assume my daddy was a meat cutter. It was my mommy.  I grew up with sausage or bacon on my plate, lunch meat in between my yummy pieces of bread for lunch and 99 cent filet mignons for dinner. I wasn't fat, but I wasn't easily tucked in to my high waisted 90s jeans either.

I got on the scale about 3 months ago and BAM! There is was, 203. You have got to be kidding me. I laid in bed and counted up all the things I ate that I shouldn't have been eating. Wine, chicken wings, wine, cheese sticks, wine, jalapeno poppers, wine, fries, wine. As I looked at this list I saw a common theme. Look at all that fried food. Huh, good thing I had some wine to wash it all down. I might have choked if I didn't.

I started stalking Marie Osmond. She lost all that weight, right? She must have some insight. I went to all the pages that she was tagged in and proceeded to go on a wikipedia spin. Not through the words but by clicking on before and afters. Ok there is the overweight girl before and then after, is that her? Did they pay a body double? They do that. My sister-in-law was approached to take a picture of her being the after for a weight loss company.

I would like to say that I read all the inspirational words that Marie wrote but I am not the reading type. Who could un-see all the NutriSystem banners with all her pictures. So, I went online and ordered. I got my first box and prepped for the first week. I did this about 9 times over the course of 2 months. Start, fail, start, fail, start, fail, I don't think I made it through 2 days. After 3 months I am here to tell you, I am 217 pounds. What the hell happened?

The food provided by NutriSystem was good and there was plenty of it. Oh I know what happened. Parties, weekends, dinners, so on and so forth. Good thing I had wine to keep it all down.

This week I tried again. At my highest point in weight and my clothes begging to rip at the seams, I stayed the course. I carried a gallon of water to work with me everyday. I pre packed my powerfuels and smartcarbs. I packed myself before I went to work.

I did it, I got through the week. Not without my challenges. Friday, my company said goodby to its CEO. Our main street was turned in to a festival. Our cafeteria workers at 4 pm put on penguin suits. Our starbucks was turned in to a mini bar with wine and beer. Are you freaking kidding me? My co-workers who know my affection for getting the party going begged, pleaded and nudged me away from my desk and to the festivities. I didn't know this man and he didn't know me. I grabbed a miniature bottle of water and quickly had it yanked from my hand and replaced with a warm, deep red glass of Pinot Noir. Seriously?!?! The food gods were against me. Plates of spinach pies, cocktail weenies and bacon wrapped goodness were floating around.

 I held on to that wine like a life preserver. I gave excuses. "I got an email to get out" or "Guys, if I don't finish my work I will be here all night." Yet, the peer pressure pressed on. I finally took a tiny sip of my wine after everyone else had finished theirs. As I brought the wine goodness to my lips, a hand extended to tip it a little more. Good GOD! I pretended to go and say hi to someone and then I walked out the back door, wine in hand, and back to my desk.

I then was asked to go and have dinner at a waterside restaurant. I'd had enough and ordered a Bud Light. No offense to those who drink that water but I wanted a rich heavy micro brew. I ordered properly, I ordered a yummy salad with grilled grouper.

Went home, declining an invite to come over and drink and play cards invite, and quickly got under my covers. Tomorrow is Sunfest. Is this a one day at a time opportunity?

P.S. I forgot to post if it worked. Did I lose weight? 7 lbs are gone. Goodbye 7 lbs. Can I keep them gone? Looks like I have a new game.