Week 18, Day 1

A couple of days ago I switched from 8 pound weights to 15 pounds. I was ready, and the added weight isn't impossible to handle. But it's sure not easy. I liked easy. I'll like this better when 15 pounds doesn't hurt so much. In fact, I think I'll do a little bragging about it. I will have earned it. :)

Speaking of earning some bragging rights, I'm at 221 today. Perspective is everything. There was a time when I would have been appalled at weighing 221. Today I'm delighted. Only 22 pounds to go to get under 200! I know for sure I can do that by my birthday. Heck, I'm pretty sure I can do that by Valentine's Day! In Sept 2007 I weighted 279. The thought of being this close to being under 200 completely thrills me!

Last night Adam and I went out to eat with friends. They wanted to go to Cracker Barrel. For those of you who are unfamiliar with that restaurant, it is a place with yummy down-home country cooking, complete with veggies soaked in fat, meats covered in gravies, and king-sized servings of all kinds of goodies that really aren't good for anyone watching their waistline. And I'm a complete sucker for their chicken and dumplings and their blackberry cobbler. Massive quantities of both. Last night was a big test for me. But I was good. I think so anyway. I ordered the meatloaf dinner. I've had the meatloaf there before, and I don't think it's full of a lot of bread and fillers. It has ground beef, green peppers, onions, tomatoes, and of course an egg to hold it together. And for the side dishes that come with it --and they don't have much that's healthy to order from since most of the actual veggies seem to be laden in grease -- I ordered corn, hash brown casserole, and dumplings (my favorite thing on the menu). I ate the corn, most of the meat loaf, half the hash brown casserole (which isn't like a full-blown whole casserole, but rather a small dish of cheese covered hash browns), and two bites of the dumplings. Adam ate the rest of the dumplings, and I left the rest of the food behind once I was full. No dessert. I didn't even look at the dessert options. And I was okay with all of it. Actually, I was surprised. I was looking forward to the dumplings, and they tasted kind of like cardboard to me. I don't think they've changed, though. I have. So...I still like Cracker Barrel, and it's a great place to go for comfort food. And now I know that I can go there and not completely blow my diet. It was a good night.

Today's Tip:
Dieting can sometimes be like walking across a field full of landmines on a beautiful Spring day. You have the advantage of knowing where the landmines are, though. You have to be careful or you're going to blow it, but you do know what your temptations are, what foods you ought to stay away from, what places and times of day cause you problems. Be careful and diligent. But also enjoy the scenery as you cross the field, and stop to smell the roses once in awhile.