Doin' the diet dance.
“Step forward with the right foot, then again with the left. Good!”
“Now back one with the right foot. That’s it. Now cha-cha!”
The summer’s family weight loss challenge is like an Arthur Murray dance class. Every week I do 2 steps forward, then the weekend comes and it’s 1 step back. It’s a fun dance of flab!
The backsliding takes place because all our friends and family celebrate get-togethers with food and drink. That’s my problem. I need to ditch this family, and these friends, and take up with people who train for triathlons every weekend.
As reported in a previous Biggest Loser; Family Edition blog post, Party Like It’s 1999, it turns out that adult beverages have calories. And these very same drinks seem to lead, inexorably, to bad food choices. This weekend, it was wine, cheese, and of course, chocolate. The exact same decadent double chocolate cake from Portillo’s that lured me in several weeks ago, showed up at Saturday’s party. It mysteriously plunked it’s chocolateness right down in front of my chubby, drooling self. I swear the Diet Gods are playing with me.
Methinks I smell a saboteur. I wonder if my brother-in-law, Pat, has a charge account at Portillo’s.
Fast-forward to today, midweek, and I am behaving. On most days, lunch for me consists of a Lean Cuisine, or whichever of its brethren was on sale for $2 that week. While placing today’s offering (lasagna) in the microwave, I chanced a glance at the package. The top proudly proclaimed the meal had “Taste Beyond Words”. As you might imagine, I was pretty eager for the timer to go off so I could dig in.
I was not beyond words. Lots of them occurred to me. Words like “flavorless” and “rubbery”, “bland” and “cheese with the texture of Malto-Meal”. OK, that last is a phrase. The point is, I was not struck dumb by the exquisite flavor of this dish.
I cannot understand how the folks at Fake-Fat, Over-Salted Meal In A Cardboard Box, Inc. got this so wrong.
But at least the lasagna-like product accomplished its mission of filling up some of the empty places inside me (gastronomically, not emotionally) so I wouldn’t fall, like a ravening beast, on a co-worker’s Kentucky Fried Chicken carryout (the sadist.)
All the other challenge participants have been pretty quiet about their progress, which leaves me unsure of where I stand in the running. I guess as long as I maintain the 2-1 ratio of losses to gains, I will continue to make progress. I’m hoping that fable about the Tortoise and the Hare wasn’t all hogwash. Maybe slow but steady will win the race.
Peg-o-Leg's Ramblings 
Your illustrations are truly inspiring! As for the frozen meals, ugh – I’ve tried to like them but they smell and taste like chemical imitations of food. My sympathies.
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You’re better off with real food, but these are so handy. When I go out to eat, I always fool myself that what I’m getting is healthy.
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so 2 forward and 1 back means that you are always one step ahead..Well done..
Regardless of all temptations whilst you go on trying you will succeed. It is only when you give up that you have failed
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True! I need to stop weighing myself every day, because sometimes that is depressing. Thanks for the pep talk!
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You might have a better success rate if you get some decent lean cuisines. Try the ones in the black and white bags that you steam. Much tastier than their cardboard box brethren and though they’re more expensive, they’re cheaper than eating out.
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I’ll check the store today – thanks!
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I can’t quit the cake. Seriously, I’ll eat birdseed most of the week if I can have it.
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But you’re in great shape, Tori, so you CAN eat the cake. Chasing a toddler is the ultimate workout.
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Bwahaha! I love these illustrations as well, and your comments about the lots of words that occurred to you. I, too, have had those meals, and have never once thought, “Gosh, I wish I could eat this for every meal!”
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I’m surprised – I thought you’d be pureeing organic carrots for your lil guy at every meal 🙂
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I too need to ditch this family if I’m going to be a serious challenger to you! These past few weeks have been unproductive but I’m trying to pep talk my way to more stringent food choices and more exercise.Got to go,I promised Pat I’d make a blueberry pie with the last of the berries-help!
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Can I come over for some pie? I’ll bring the wine! Won’t seem right not seeing you all this weekend.
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Amen, sisters! I sure picked the most action packed eating schedule for family events ever, I swear! Not doing so great myself. Need to start swimming again. Did see my Dr yesterday and got a px for physical therapy for my knee. It will be weird not seeing fam this weekend, Peg. Have a great weekend!
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Hope the physical therapy helps with that knee. We can both stay home this weekend and nibble on carrots!
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Onward with your slow and steady progress. My money is on you.
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How much do you having riding on me? Because I wouldn’t want you to lose serious $$. Thanks for the good wishes!
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My tip: don’t put what ever temps you in your mouth. Once I start, I can’t stop. My willpower only works in the not-starting phase. It fails every time in the stopping phase!
Nice graphics!
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Good tip. That’s my problem as well. I’m like an old Lays potato chips commercial – I can’t eat just one.
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“It’s not a diet, it’s a Lifestyle!”
Gagh!
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Yeah, that always sets my teeth on edge, too. Might as well say it’s a death sentence.
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