Weighty Matters

This week, I missed my meeting. I *hate* missing meetings more than you know. Even after all this time, I still love the weekly meeting. I have missed maybe 7 or 8 in nearly 3-1/2 years, two this month alone (one to illness, and this one). Yesterday at work, we had not only Dress-Up Costume Day but Ethnic Luncheon Day. We were to bring a food that's either from our heritage, our specialty, or otherwise connected to us. For instance, two folks brought things from their spouse's heritage. Really, my heritage is "Southern" -- we've been over here for so long, there's no special dish that's been passed down over and over except for those delectable (read: fattening! tasty! bad for me! fantastic!) Southern casseroles and desserts. But I do love good Mediterranean food, so I thought I would bring that. As luck would have it, I discovered a homemade falafel recipe in a magazine. VOILA! Inspiration struck me, and so I signed up to bring falafel, tabouleh, and humm...

Yep! I joined Fitness 365 here in town this week while they are still having their "no joining fee" special. And last night, I worked out there for the first time. I am very pleased. It's a fairly quiet facility -- for 7:00 PM, there weren't a whole lot of people. Of course it was also raining, so that may be why it was so quiet. It's a nice facility and I'm really looking forward to working out there. In fact, I'll be heading there early tomorrow morning for a pre-work workout! I wonder how busy it will be at 5:00 tomorrow morning........

Today, I was honored to take part in a 5K -- my fifth this year! Now, I am all about a good cause, and a good walk, and charity 5K's are the best of all worlds. This one was for an awesome cause, finding a cure for juvenile diabetes. I remember when my friend Tee's brother was born ..... and now he's grown with kids of his own, the youngest of whom has this disease. Another friend from Girl Scouts through high school has a teen daughter who was diagnosed within the last year. These are children who, through no fault of their own, have a body part that decided it wasn't going to do what it was created to do. So I was very pleased and happy to help this cause out and be part of Team Gabriel! There are a few other 5K's coming up before the year ends, and I really want to take part in another one. There's one I know on Thanksgiving Day -- I just may do that one. But there is another coming up sooner for lung cancer, and I would love to help with that. If I can do on...

There isn't much to report. I've been monitoring my weight this month, and so far, so good -- I'm still within my 2-pound range, so I'm happy about that! This is birthday weekend -- dinner tomorrow night with the family, a benefit 5K on Saturday morning (for JDRF: Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation), shopping with Mom Saturday afternoon, church Sunday, and then my godson's birthday party on Sunday. I know it's going to be a wacky weekend, so I have to step up the exercise next week to help compensate. I miss the biking.... seriously! So I'm going to work on even more of that. I'm working with several of my medical team .... ha, I have to laugh at the idea of a medical team.... to figure out just how the heck to get insurance to see that carrying around 30 extra pounds of flab is not healthy and I gotta get rid of it and I'd love them to kick in. Don't get me started. I am on a tear about the SORRY state of things when insurance doesn't wan...

This week's topic was "DIY: Project ME!" about taking care of yourself as a priority in weight loss. What? you might say..... What difference can it make in weight loss? Plenty. So here's the deal: take care of yourself because no one else will. It doesn't matter if you're married or single, in good health or struggling, childless or Michelle Duggar ........... if you learn nothing else in life it's that no one else can care for you. You have to care for yourself first and foremost. Oh sure, there may be people around (spouse, child, etc.) to help you in your self-care, but you have to do it for yourself. I don't know why exactly, but sometimes we have a lot of trouble with this concept. Maybe because we're women -- generally, the nurturers, caretakers, etc. It might be because we're Southern and it's drilled in us that the key to JOY in life is to put Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last. There's guilt for not handling everyt...

Okay, let me preface this by saying that as a very loyal Gamecock fan, it breaks my heart and spirit that I am resorting to using a phrase loved by Clemson's head coach. But it is apropos for this post. When Dabo Swinney was named Clemson's interim head coach last year, one of his catchphrases was "All In." It's not a bad philosophy, truly. If you know anything about gaming (mostly in poker), you know that "all in" means that you are betting everything you have at hand that you will win. If you don't win, the other player(s) at the table get everything you have, and you must walk away. So what does that have to do with weight loss? Quite a bit, actually. And it applies to so much more than just weight loss, but I'll just stick to that. Being "all in" means that you are determined to reach the goal. There isn't an obstacle that can stand in your path and cause you to lose. Winning is non-negotiable; it's a done deal, the only thi...

After yesterday's disastrous day, I weighed in this morning at my usual center. I wasn't sure what to expect. I hopped on the scale at home before eating breakfast -- below goal, so I realized I could eat and still be within my Lifetime threshold. I stepped on the scale at the center, and there it was: only 0.2 pounds above real goal. WOW!!!!! The first time in ages I've had that much room to spare. YES!!!!! I am thrilled, over the moon. To celebrate (ha!), I had a cookie from the luncheon we had today. I have to applaud Publix bakery: they at least put a calorie count on their packaging! A lot of places don't .... just an ingredient list and a hope that you just throw your hands up and say, "The hell with it" as you indulge. The cookie was a little higher in points than I would ever like to go for such a small snack: for the same 120 calories I could have had a buttload of grapes or an apple and a half. But you know, I haven't had a bakery cookie since my...

Okay, obviously, I am not at my WW meeting; nor am I at the Peace Center for the PostSecret event as I had planned. I am at home, trying to get my bearings, having been hit by a freight train. I don't know if the name of the train was "Seasonal Allergies," "Common Cold," or "Reaction to Flu Shot." But let me tell you -- whichever it is, it's a lulu. Around Tuesday afternoon, I started feeling the familiar stuffiness (but that's a given), alternating with a runny nose, and a scratchy throat. That's usually an allergy thing for me, and I didn't feel exceptionally rundown like I would with a cold. That was in my favor. I was scheduled for a flu shot on Wednesday at work, and I read the CDC Q&A that the clinic provided -- mild illnesses were okay. I felt the sting of the needle and the slight burning that I was told to expect. But nothing else. Until noon today. I ate my usual morning snack, a little later than usual. By noon, my stomac...