I’m Surrounded By Nuts!

No, I’m not hungry for anything strange and metephysical, the thrist for knowledge, hungry to learn, none of that garbage….this blog is not serious or deep, it’s literal……..I’m hungry!

Two days ago marked the beginning of the end of my weight gain. We’ve started a “Biggest Loser” contest at my office and being highly competitive in nature and knowing that I could stand to loose a few pounds and inches I happily plunked down the $20 entry fee and have now begun my journey down the path of “The Dieter”. This is not a path that I find particularly enjoyable but the winner gets the pot, consisting of all participant fees. Right now I’m not sure how many are actually participating but that doesn’t really matter……although hopefully it will be enough for me to buy some new jeans, since I’ll need them!

OK, so it’s only day 3 and so far, so good. I’ve been up every morning working out for at least 1 hour and I’ve limited my food consumption to fruits, veggies and low fat foods. I’ve decided to cut out breads, pastas, rice and crackers…..all foods that I have eaten regularly and mostly out of convenience. I honestly am beginning to feel better, not so bloted all the time. I knew I would feel better and I’m thankful for that if for nothing else, but what I didn’t see coming however is the total and complete LACK of SUPPORT!

So I guess that I should have seen it coming, it’s a contest afterall. Don’t get me wrong, I’m about the least sensitive person out there so it’s not as though my feelings have been hurt it’s just that some people are being evil (and you know who you are)! Other participants in my office are leaving messages on my Facebook page like “Come into the office and we’ll get you a cupcake with extra frosting” or how about the status update “does anyone in my office want a cookie? loaf of bread??” I know I should have expected it. So how do I combat the big talkers? By not saying anything and quietly dropping the 25 pounds that I want to loose and by taking the winnings and laughing all the way to the Mexican Riviera! Maybe they are more motivational than I give them credit for.

Dieting has also given me a hightened awareness of food advertising. Take today for example. I was listening to Dr. Laura in the car and a commercial came on for Sheri’s Restaurant. Care to guess what today is?? That’s right, it’s free pie Wednesday……shoot me! I love Sheri’s pies. And they don’t just say “It’s free pie Wednesday” they have to go into all of the different pie flavors…..like Banana Cream, Marionberry, Strawberry Rhubarb, Peach, Lemon Merange…….you get the point. I was so busy foaming at the mouth that it didn’t occur to me to change the channel until it was too late, the damage to my pysche was done.

Kids can be brutal too. Last night FD came home from her volleyball game and off-loaded the bag of goodies given to her by her “secret sister” which included crackers, candy, a coke and countless other yummy treats. I gave her the evil eye and that’s all it took. She bagged up her treats and headed for her room faster than you can say Hot Tamales! The problem is that now I know where to go to find “real food”.

I’m learning something through this process though, dieting is not so much about loosing weight as it is about gaining self-control. Over time and over the years it’s been easy to make excuses for not eating right but what it really comes down to our ability to say no, make good choices and stick to good habits. While I’ve also been reminded that support comes from within I’m also reminded that the choice to not pay rent for office space at my company’s location was the best decision as far as dieting success!!