Traveling to Dallas

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am a Mary Kay Sales Director. Tomorrow I will be traveling to Dallas for our annual Seminar (convention). It is a wonderful 4 days filled with excitement, motivation, and training. I will be in the company of 12,000-14,000 Mary Kay consultants and directors from all over the country and indeed all over the world. We have a fantastic time!
I am so looking forward to these next few days, but I am also expecting a challenge. You see, there will be 7 meals provided for me during this time, including 2 formal dinners. Yes, Mary Kay Seminar is a 'slippery place' in my life, and Mary Kay ladies are sometimes 'slippery people'. Hmmmmmm. Staying true to my diet plan may indeed be challenging, but right now I feel strong, and I'm making plans for what I can do to remain on the 'straight and narrow' during this time.
I plan on writing short posts to share with you my dietary challenges and victories each day.

Lisa and I are making plans to add a section to this blog which will enable her to share her low carb/no carb food and cooking ideas. She is a very creative cook especially in the area of low carb cooking. I have always been impressed by her abilities in this area. No, she didn't get it from me. Anyway, be looking for low carb cooking tips, recipies and meal ideas in the near future!

Slippery People

This is the second part of my thoughts on an Alcoholic Anonymous teaching about avoiding Slippery Places, Slippery People, and Slippery Things.

Something that is slippery is different from something that is slick. If you pick up something that is slick or step on something that is slick, you are almost certain to drop it or fall. If you know that it is slick ahead of time, you will probably find a different way of accomplishing your task rather than picking it up or stepping on it.

If you pick up something that is slippery, or step on something that is slippery, there is a chance that you might drop it or fall, but it is not inevitable, if you are cautious. Therefore, if you know ahead of time it is slippery, you might go ahead and carefully do it. That is why slippery is more dangerous that slick.

For a recovering compulsive overeater, slippery people are dangerous. They are your friends. They are fun. They are probably obese. They love to eat and they always have food around. They love you and they love it when you eat with them. Right? Inwardly they will be jealous of you for finally gaining control over your 'addiction lion' called food and they will even admire your strength and 'will power'. However, because of their jealousy, they may try to subtly tempt you into returning to your old ways. They may not do it on purpose, but trust me, they will be glad (even if they don't say so) when you once again join their happy, but miserable overeating clan.

Oh, yes, your addiction may be enough under control that you can be around these people and not overeat. For a while. But little by little, bite, by bite, you will slip, yes, slip back into your old ways. It is almost unavoidable. I am not being pessimistic or negative. I am being realistic.

So what do you do? You can find new friends and never, ever see your old eating buddies again. That is only partially realistic. What if the slippery people in your life are your family? Totally avoid them? Not possible.

I don't think it is realistic to completely change our circle of friends and certainly our family. You just do your best to avoid situations where there are the types of food that will tempt you to overeat. Again. do your best. Personally, it was helpful for me to bring food to family gatherings that I can eat. Taking care of your dietary needs yourself, will give ensure there is food present you can safely eat.

Being aware of the 'slippery' situation you are in, will make you more cautious about you eat. You must have your 'lion' on a short leash and tightly held.

Another Alcoholic Anonymous teaching is about taking one day at a time. I may not be able to do something for the rest of my life, but just for today, I can do it. Remembering back to my Overeaters Anonymous days, there were times when my prayer was not for the day. Instead it was, "Lord, help me make it though this meal." "Lord, help me make it to the next meal." "Lord, help me make it through this church dinner."

Yes, fighting a food addiction is hard, very hard, but God's grace is sufficient, not only for one day at a time, but for one meal at a time.

Well, Maybe My Weight Doesn't Matter, But I Do Care!

A couple of days ago I wrote a post stating that the numbers on the scales are not the top priority when you are seeking to control an overeating addiction. Instead not abusing food is the focus and daily goal of a recovering compulsive overeater.
However, I am here to tell you that I do like to see the numbers on my scales go down. Don't you? You get in the morning, stand on the scales and say, "Yes!", when you see a lower number than the day before! I do!
And what about the days when the scales may show the same weight as the day before, which they will on most days, or oh, dear, the numbers go up by one or two pounds. Does your "Yes!" turn into "Oh, no. This is not good. I am doing my best. I have eaten everything I should and nothing I shouldn't. This is diet is just not working for me. I think I'll eat pizza today, and maybe some dessert as well." If you are one of those people who can't handle a momentary increase or a temporary stabilization in your weight, then Don't Weigh Daily!!!! Do it once a week, or once a month. Not daily. Don't sabotage all your hard work and right eating by just seeing discouraging numbers on your scales.
Lisa, my daughter, has been on this new eating plan for almost a month now and I don't think she has weighed once. She fears that she might be discouraged if she gets in the scales and sees little or no weight loss. Lisa knows she is losing weight by the way her clothes fit and that is good enough for her. Yea, Lisa!!!
For me, however, I like to see the numbers daily. Ok, at least twice daily. Yes, this is coming form the same person who wrote 'It doesn't matter what you weigh." Yes, that is true, but I do care!
I have not told you what my starting weight was. I thought about whether or not to share that gosh awful number with you and decided against it. The main reason? I am too embarrassed. I just can't write that number on this blog and know that all the world is going to see it. I can't do it I will, however, share with you my pounds lost as they gradually come off.
In a few days I may write about my goal and how much I have to lose and then you can do the math!
For today let it be known that, thus far, after my 6th day on the diet, I have lost 3 pounds!!!!! Thank you for your applause!
Have a wonderful day. May God bless you and your family.

Slippery Places

This morning I was watching the news and, of course, one of the lead news stories was the continuing saga of Lindsey Lohan. I feel sadness for her. One of the news anchors said, "She has everything anyone could want, and yet she makes these bad decisions. Sad." The anchor was only partially correct, in my opinion. In some ways she is actually very poor. She is rich in what she doesn't need and has very little of what she does need to live a full and happy life.
Anyway, on this news program Danny Baldwin was brought on to discuss his feelings about Lindsey Lohan and her addictions. He has been through rehab many times with varying degrees of success and failure. At this present time he is apparently staying clean and sober.
As he spoke something he said caught my attention. He was talking about the 12 Step Program and shared that one of the things they learn in this program is to avoid "slippery places", "slippery people", and "slippery things".
That statement spoke volumes to me as a compulsive overeater, and it has been in my thoughts off and on all day.
For those of us who see overeating as an addiction, it is every bit as real as a drinking addiction, gambling addiction or any other kind of addiction. It is an addiction which can be every bit as difficult to overcome as any other addiction. That said, I still believe that we have choices. Yes, we can choose to not eat that 4th brownie or we can choose not to order the large double meat hamburger with extra cheese and fries. Yes, we can choose not to eat those things, but sometimes it is very very hard. Even when we do make the right choices for a season in our lives, staying 'on the wagon' and not ever abusing food again is realistically speaking almost impossible.
When I was a member of Overeaters Anonymous this analogy was used: Think of your addiction as a lion. For an alcoholic, drug addict, gambling addict, or any other kind of addict, you can take your lion, you addiction, lock him in a cage and leave him there. Never take him out again. As a recovering addict can never again take a drink, never again gamble, etc. You must leave the door to the cage closed. Though you may hear the lion roar, as long as he is in the cage, he will not control and destroy your life.
For a compulisve overeater our 'lion' is food. We cannot leave our lion in his cage. We must take our lion for a walk 3 times a day at least. Inevitably there will be times when we get 'scratched'. There will be times when we just eat too much of something. I will write more about that on another day.
A "slippery place" for a recovering alcoholic is a bar or another location where liquor is present. For me, a compulsive overeater, a slippery place is an 'all you can eat' restaurant. I will do just that---eat all I can!!!
Avoiding slippery places is, of course, easier said than done. If, as a compulsive overeater, you find your self in a 'slippery place', where the temptation to over eat is very strong, put a very strong leash on your 'lion' and don't allow yourself to engage in 'slippery eating behavior'.

This is my 6th day on this diet and I have had a great day, excellent energy level, no much hunger, and generally feeling good.

No Sugar, No Processed Carbs--5th Day

Up to today I had felt just fine. Enough energy. No cravings. No weak feelings. I felt just fine. Until this morning. I got up feeling, well, for lack of a better word, I felt blah!!! I was tired and I just felt heavy. No energy at all. I checked my blood pressure and it was normal, as was my blood sugar. Hmmmmmmm
No, I didn't go and eat a peanut butter sandwich, snack crackers , or any such thing. After 'instant messaging' Lisa, my daughter, I followed her suggestions. I drank some milk, and ate a handful of nuts.
Then I did as my 96 year old grandmother says, "Count your blessings, not your pains." I counted my blessings, put a smile on my face, and went out and worked my Mary Kay business. I got so busy in fact, that I didn't have time to think about how I was feeling. All things considered, it was a very good day!
So my "blah" feelings were really not that important. All I had to do was get busy doing something and quit thinking about them. Then soon, the "blahs" were forgotten in the midst of the busyness of the day.

It Doesn't Matter What I Weigh

It doesn't!?!?!?!??!?
From the perspective of being a compulsive overeater, it doesn't matter what I weigh. The number on the scale is not the most important thing.
For a compulsive overeater who is living in recovery mode, the very most important thing, the top priority is to not abuse food. Not eating compulsively or thoughtlessly. That means, not absentmindedly taking extra bites while cooking, not eating little bits of cake just to even out the jagged cutting line, and not getting a hamburger and fries just to calm nerves or relieve stress. Has anybody beside me ever any of these things?
When we as compulsive overeaters have that raging desire to eat and eat and eat, even when you are not hungry, even when it is embarrassing, even when you know it is unhealthy, under control, then controlling our weight will not be a real issue. The numbers on the bathroom scales will within a healthy weight range! Yes!

More About Carbs

In the diet that we are on, we are not totally avoiding carbs. We are avoiding all processed carbs such as breads, pastas, chips, crackers, etc. We are also avoiding potatoes, corn and other starchy vegetables. We are eating legumes, nuts, and lots of fruits and veggies. We are avoiding foods containing refinded sugar and fruit juices.
Our daughter told me that the first week on the diet she thought she was going to die, because she was so addicted to starches. Since that first week though, she has had lots of energy and felt great!
This is my 4th day on the diet and so far I am doing well. I had a bit of a week moment after lunch today when I went through the cabinet looking for something more to eat. I wasn't hunger, of course! I was just wanting something......
Victory!!! I didn't eat anything, I did what is always the best thing for me to do in that situation----walk out of the kitchen! Yea!!!!