MILEPOST 153 - AND AWAY WE GO!

MILEPOST 153 - AND AWAY WE GO!

I THINK I MADE IT!!

This week may have proved to be the "ultimate" test. I did manage to lose another 2 pounds, so I guess that my pores did not absorb too much of the fatty, sweet foods that I spent preparing for 5 days last week.

I spent most of the first part of the week planning meals, snacks, sleeping arrangements, entertainment, etc. and the rest of the week initiating the plan. As Bob said, I worry too much! And, of course, he's right. But, my first real challenge came on Friday, when I spent the entire morning baking cookies to feed 20 + people for 3 days. I made it through that challenge with flying colors:

• I made molasses cookies, which are my favorite to eat right out of the oven, while they are still hot and gooey.
• I made Snickerdoodles, which is my favorite cookie dough to eat.
• I made coconut - oatmeal cookies, which are just plain good under any set of circumstances.
• The cookies were always available for people to take anytime they wanted, so they were an ever present temptation throughout the entire weekend.

Although I was tempted, I didn't stray.

"When you face your fear, most of the time you will discover that it was not really such a big threat after all. We all need some form of deeply rooted, powerful motivation -- it empowers us to overcome obstacles so we can live our dreams." - Les Brown

Bob's mom, his sister and brother-in-law arrived Friday evening and we took them to Wine O"Clock for dinner. That was my 2nd challenge - even though Laurie always fixes me a very wonderful plate with my approved foods, the delicious home-made soups are very difficult to pass up. And, the desserts are to die for. Another challenge met and another success.

Bob's brother and his 4 kids arrived later Friday night, so the next challenge was breakfast Saturday morning. Homemade blueberry pancakes and sausage. Again, Success!

Jack got home shortly after breakfast was finished, and we started to prepare dinner for all the crew. I have found that one of the best things to serve to a large number of people is a salad bar. Of course, I can have most of the items found on a salad bar, and we had bbq lamb chops (which don't tempt me) and bbq steak, which is approved on program. The sides of mashed potatoes and grilled veggies made up the remainder of the meal. I could have the roasted asparagus, and even though I love mashed potatoes, there was enough of everything else that my challenge there was minimal.

"Discipline is just choosing between what you want now and what you want most." - Unknown PosPositive

Then came Sunday. Started the day with home-made buttermilk biscuits and a one-pan egg dish with ham, onion, potatoes, scrambled eggs and cheese, and lots of fresh fruits. I could feel myself beginning to falter. The fruit looks so good - and it is normally considered good for you. I am not allowed to have fruit through this phase of the program, however, so I still had to be strong and ignore the many temptations. So far, so good!

We boiled potatoes for potato salad, which Rob made. He is the expert potato salad maker - it just always tastes better than any other. Barbeque ribs, my famous baked beans, and buttered carrots. Now, this really surprised me. The bbq and the beans smelled wonderful and my taste buds were becoming very active. But, I never had given much thought to how good a carrot smells. Now, I know. A fresh carrot smells wonderful. I think that might be the first thing I have to eat when I reach the next phases of my program.

Again, I was able to make the choices that allowed me to remain on program. By now, we were reaching 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. Weekend is almost over. And, then out came the fresh rhubarb-blueberry crisp that Jack had prepared for dessert. And, the carrot cake with creamed cheese icing that Bob had picked up at Costco for Howard's birthday cake.

Now, I know that at times, I have made an almost super human effort at staying on program and not faltering even in the slightest. But, those two desserts sitting on the table in front of me were just too much. I had a very small serving of rhubarb-blueberry crisp with half n half, and a TINY piece of carrot cake. I allowed myself to enjoy every bite. What did I notice most? It was so sweet that I ended up with a real sugar high. When I was filling my body with sugary foods all the time, I didn't realize that I was actually over dosing on sugar.

All in all, I feel the weekend was a success. I was able to make it to the final hours and then had a very small serving of each dessert. I am pleased that I didn't allow myself to have any of the tempting foods early in the weekend. I believe the choice I made, although it didn't follow the program completely, was a positive one. I didn't feel cheated - nor did I feel as though I had cheated. Those of you who follow me regularly - am I fooling myself? Am I rationalizing a poor decision? Or, am I justified in making a choice like this on special occasions?

"You are either moving forward or backward, life is never stagnant. Change is the only real constant." gurusinghdaily

As soon as I post this weekly update to my blog, I am off and running. Rathdrum today - then tomorrow we start off on our road trip to Boston to see Toni, Michael and the girls. I believe my life is made up of challenges. There is no "normal" - new and different tests present themselves every day. Isn't that wonderful? How boring would it be if every day was the same as the day before - and tomorrow the same as today.

"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes." - Andrew Carnegie