GOOD Days and BAD Days...

Today I'm having a GOOD day. It's my weigh-in day, and I woke up feeling skinny. (LOVE that feeling!).

So I got on the scale and I'm at 165, which is down 1.2 lbs. YAY!!!

I also passed my Certification exam. DOUBLE YAY!!!!

So today? Is a good day.

BUT...!
I know, sure as shootin'....I'll have some bad days, too.
We all do.

Good days and bad days.....days we seem to 'sail through' OP and it's EASY all of a sudden, we've GOT this, and you think "What is all the FUSS about?  This is EASY!"....and you're not hungry and you feel energetic and it's wonderful.

Confidence!

One of the most fascinating things I've noticed, during my time on this website and on my own journey, is the development of CONFIDENCE as I move forward.

The other day I was reminded of this when I got to the gym.
There's a girl there that I know 'in passing'; I see her in some of my classes and we chat occasionally but we've never been formally introduced or anything.

She's nice enough...but she had been calling me "Libby"...for weeks!

So the other day she said "Good morning, Libby" and I responded  (without even thinking too much about it):
"LINDA. My name is LINDA".
I was on my way to a class and in a hurry, and she was heading into the ladies locker room so that was that...but of course, as soon as she saw me next she ran up to me and apologized profusely.

Cut my pain meds down.....AGAIN!

Sorry I didn't blog earlier but it's been a busy day....

First the gym, then I had to travel 1 hour (1 way) to my fibromyalgia specialist, then wait (of course), then see him, then another hour home.

Busy, busy day!

But I'm a HAPPY GIRL right now, because I was able to cut my pain medications down...AGAIN!  I'm slowly but surely getting RID OF THEM ALL. That's my ultimate goal.

I'm now MORE than halfway there. I.e., I'm taking LESS THAN HALF the amount of painkillers I was when I first started TSFL two years ago.

And it's all due to losing the weight AND exercising. My muscles are definitely stronger, and they can lift my weight easier because there's less to lift!

How Hormones Affect Weight Loss

I just read a fascinating article in Shape magazine (March 2014 issue).

It gives detailed info on these 4 pesky hormones...
LEPTIN
GHRELIN
CORTISOL and
ESTROGEN

For example, have you ever felt “still hungry”, immediately AFTER finishing a meal?  Your leptin levels may be to blame!

- LEPTIN is produced by fat cells and released into the bloodstream as you eat. When the body functions promperly, it tells you when to stop eating. The article states:
“Overweight people, however, can produce excess leptin and may develop resistance to chronically elevated levels. Their brains ignore the satiety signals, leaving them hungry even after meals.”

BUT! (here’s yet another reason to exercise!)...regular exercise, especially moderate to high-intensity interval training (which basically means train hard for 30 seconds to a few minutes, then slow it down and catch your breath for a few minutes, then go hard again, and keep repeating that sequence) can help keep leptin levels functioning properly, according to a study, as well as getting 7 to 8 hours sleep a night. (Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep!)

The article further states “For people with leptin resistance research shows that electroacupuncture (which uses needles that carry a small electric current) may help lower levels and suppress appetite.”

Now, I would BET that I am definitely one of those with excess leptin and RESISTANCE to chronically elevated levels.
Because I DO sometimes feel hungry even after I just finished eating!

I figured this was just all part of my food addiction but I think leptin is a factor, too.

I don’t have the inclination OR resources to get the fancy “electroacupuncture” done – plus I bet it doesn’t last, you probably have to go for repeated treatments (meaning more $$) so…isn’t it better to CURB this 'resistance' by working out regularly?

You know what it's about? It's about GROWING UP!

I really believe that. All the times I screwed up....(on this plan as well as others)....and turned that screw-up into a day-long eating fest (i.e., BINGE)....I finally put 2 + 2 together.

And you know what?
Eating 1 jelly bean does NOT mean I'm "off program" and a "bad girl" and therefore I should just toss in the towel and eat "whatever I want the rest of the day because I already messed up".

I'm exaggerating but you get my drift. Ever done that?

Of course you have. We ALL have. We get it into our heads that we HAVE to be "perfect". We put all these totally unreasonable demands upon ourselves, like, "OK, Day 1, it's Monday, I'm set, I'm going to be 100% OP and also start my exercise program and do 30 minutes of cardio at LEAST and I also have all my other things to do on today's schedule, go to work, make dinner, jeez gotta figure out what I'm eating and it HAS to be OP OK...and then come home and I've gotta finish pulling my taxes together and the cat needs to get to the vet and Oh must remember to tell my husband about that back door, it needs fixing and...." etc etc etc.  OMG.  The PRESSURES we put on ourselves! 

S - L - O - W       D - O - W - N. 
Slow your roll. Slow your thinking. Take it ONE.STEP.AT.A.TIME!  Remember, you're HUMAN.

Maybe today isn't the BEST day to start exercising if you've been off plan. (maybe it is, I don't know...only you can be the judge of that). BUT....don't "force" yourself to do it if you have a zillion other things to get done because sooner or later, something's going to crack. You can't do it all. NO ONE CAN.

Another Benefit from Maintenance = PEACE!

Good Sunday morning, everyone!

I've been thinking a lot lately how I've changed so much on the INSIDE. And I find a weird thing happening.

I feel like a calm, quiet little island in the middle of a raging sea.

Around me there is wind, there is rain, there is all kinds of kraziness going on...but within, there is just this PEACE, this CENTERED feeling, this CALM that is....AWESOME!

Now I have to say, this is definitely a NEW feeling for me. I've always been a 'Type A' personality....super-driven, a perfectionist, very hard on myself (and others!)....a hard worker, certainly, but I could get stressed over ANYTHING.

But lately...it's weird. The more things get wild, the calmer I get!

Stuffing down Feelings with little bits of Food....!

Last night while making dinner it dawned on me.

I was putting together a cheeseburger for hubby (he's not on this program although he COULD stand to lose about 30 lbs...sigh..."You can lead a horse to water"...) and it occurred to me how absurdly EASY it would be to quick shove a piece of cheese into my mouth. 

In fact, little things like that were what I'd do all the time before TSFL. It's why I was overweight! Those stupid little "2 milliseconds" of decision made the difference between being fat and miserable and slim and proud of myself. That's all! A piece of cheese here, a spoonful of peanut butter out of the jar there. "Hey, it's PROTEIN, right?" I'd reason. "It's GOOD for me."  (yeah, RIGHT...)

Ah, the BLTS - bites, licks and tastes -- and how ingrained they can be!  I remember the first couple weeks OP and how my hand would automatically start moving towards my mouth and I'd have to STOP myself. And boy, are those moments important! Because every time that happens you're becoming AWARE of your bad habit (and awareness is KEY, of course...Step 1) and then I'd have to stop myself and go "Whoa! Where did THAT come from?" (which is Step 2 - analyze the behavior and try and see what leads up to it).

Why I will Never Quit Spinning Class

I 'made it through' another Spinning class this morning...and as usual it was HARD...there were times (as usual) that I thought "Why am I DOING this to myself? Why am I putting myself through this? My legs HURT! I can't breathe! This isn't fun at all!"

Unlike Zumba class yesterday...which WAS fun.

But I don't intend to quit either one, and here's why.

They each serve DIFFERENT PURPOSES. Not just physically....but mentally and emotionally.

And Spinning especially DEMANDS a lot of mental toughness that I never really developed before. What I had to do to get to goal on the 5/1 notwithstanding. (although that is also 'character building', definitely! LOL)....

No, Spinning is not easy. It isn't easy and it isn't fun. And I always have to tell myself "It's OK if you can't keep up...it's OK if you have to rest or put the tension down slightly for a few seconds...you're not at the level most of the others here are at....you are already working out very hard, there's no NEED to pass out!" 

Becoming Part of the "Winning 15%"

...or maybe I should say 'LOSING' 15%, because I'm referring to the very small percentage (actually I've heard for weight loss in general, the figure is closer to 5%!...but for TSFL/Medifast I was told it's 15%) of folks who lose the weight and get to goal and actually KEEP IT OFF.

Obviously this is a big concern for me as I'm in maintenance now...and once you get to maintenance, you lose that motivational 'boost' you got while seeing the numbers on the scale go down and the clothes getting looser. If you're 'doing it right' you're simply staying the SAME!

So you have to find 'other' reasons to stay motivated. And just continuing to look good sometimes isn't enough! I mean, again, there's that old logic (I've been guilty of using this one, too!) of thinking 'Hey, I can always lose it again, I've got Medifast now, in my back pocket!'

Boy, is THAT a slippery slope to go down. "Been there done that"...and it's not pretty. In fact I would venture to guess that many of the 'restarters' felt that way....only to find it's not so easy to go back on the 5/1! Oh boy...no way is it easy! It NEVER gets easy.

So why not PREVENT that in the first place, right?

3 Measly Minutes...

I just read a fascinating article in Fitness magazine.  It gave some suggestions on how to phrase things we say to ourselves when faced with some tough choices...and how the right wording can make all the difference.

For example, instead of saying:
 "If I deprive myself now, I'll just eat more later"
say
"I'm making a choice, not a sacrifice."

Instead of saying:
"I deserve a treat after the kind of day I had"
say
"I deserve kindness, not calories."

Instead of saying:
"It's a special occasion"
say
"Special doesn't mean stuffed."

And here's a biggie. This statistic JUMPED out of the page at me (well, it also had to do with the large bold type, but still...LOL):

The article said "Satisfying a craving can give you a quick hit of pleasure, but research shows the effect lasts only 3 minutes."

3 minutes! 3 measly MINUTES! That's all!

50 Reasons to STAY OP (on program) this weekend

1. There are only 97 days till Summer!

2. You'll feel such a wonderful feeling of accomplishment come Monday.

3. You will lose weight.

4. You won't have to worry about bingeing. If you don't take that first compulsive bite, the danger is minimal!

5. You'll have more energy to get things done.

6. You'll sleep better without being overstuffed and guilty.

7. You'll save money (as opposed to either going out or ordering in or making a junk food run to the store).

8. You'll be proud of yourself.

9. You'll realize and understand that weekends don't have to be about FOOD.

Let's Hear it for the boy!

Well...let's here it for the MAN, actually. ALL our men.

This blog is dedicated to all those wonderful, frustrating, maddening, drive-us-krazy-but-we-can't-live-without-them MEN in our lives...our supportive husbands, or life partners, or boyfriends...that have STUCK WITH US every step of our weight-loss journey!

My hubby wasn't exactly 'jumping up and down with joy' when I 'announced' that I was going to "TRY" (emphasis on TRY) this program.

I told him "You watch, it won't work...and then I GIVE UP". 

I still remember it distinctly....not that I blame myself at that point.
After all, I'd been on so many diets that I became physically nauseous at the sight of cottage cheese....and I GAINED weight on Weight Watchers because they told me I could have '16 points of anything' (OH BOY...where are the cookies?)...and I could quote calorie counts off the top of my head, yet STILL couldn't manage to put the pieces together well enough to lose the weight because I still didn't quite know what 'good nutrition' really WAS. Not enough to lose weight steadily, anyway.

But I asked him for his support, I told him this would NOT be an easy program, and God bless him, he told me he would support me in whatever I wanted to do.

How to Get to GOAL!

I'm a voracious reader. Always have been.  If I don't have at least two books I'm reading simultaneously (one 'heavy' book on weight loss, attitude, or spiritual growth/meditation; plus one 'light' read like a thriller or romance), I'm unhappy.

For Christmas DH bought me a tee shirt that says "I cannot sleep unless I'm surrounded by books". But it's true! 

I have a large bookcase right behind my bed and it's loaded to capacity with books I've read or am planning to read. That's how I put myself to sleep every night..I 'decompress' with a good read. Until my eyes start closing....and then I put the book down and go to sleep.

I used to soak weight-loss books up like a SPONGE.  I've read LOTS of diet books, from the Stillman diet to the Atkins diet to the 40/30/30 plan to South Beach to, well, everything in between.

Most of those books have now been donated or recycled, by the way. The theories they expound upon? Just don't make sense in the "real world" -- particularly for a food addict. Even some of the behavior modification technique books...you know, the ones that swear if you take 20 minutes to eat it will tell your brain you're full...or to put down your fork between bites, or chew each bite 20 times...well, that's fine and I've absorbed what I could from them and try to apply the ideas that make SENSE to me (that's key!)...but even those after awhile, OUT they go, they're just taking up space I could fill with a NEW book.

A Conversation with Fat Brain

Woke up this morning to grey skies...but at least, NO SNOW (YAY!).
 

Hubby and I went through our usual routines...he made his lunch (God bless him) while I fed the cats...and Fat Brain (hereinafter referred to as "FB" for short) started in....

"UGH...it's Wednesday...that means Spinning class....I don't WANNA do Spinning today...I've been working out SO HARD lately...can't I like, take a day OFF?" 
  ME: "No, you may NOT take a day off, you missed enough Spinning classes when it snowed or due to holidays, remember? Besides you're kicking it up a notch this week with exercise! You're doing GREAT! You did an extra hour yesterday (Zumba) and you pushed it through CXWorx on Monday, too (extra 30 minutes). STOP WHINING".

Got my Breakfast ready....and once again,
FB: "Why do I have to eat MF cereal AGAIN?  Man, I'm so TIRED of MF cereal! I don't care, berry, cinnamon brown sugar, blech, I don't WANT IT. I want something DIFFERENT. What about that Fiber One CHOCOLATE cereal you bought? Have THAT!"
   ME: "No, you NEED the MF cereal and you KNOW it! It's got WAY more protein and vitamins than the stupid Fiber one. And besides, you LIKE IT! What are you complaining about? It keeps us slim. Shut up and eat your cereal!"

Logged onto my computer to check email, busy busy so much to do, play catch up, OK get my email cleaned up (at least for now)....gotta get going, gotta get there an hour ahead of time to sign up or you don't get IN...get dressed, get out the door:
FB: "This SUCKS. What am I gonna do, SIT THERE for an hour? Drink coffee?"
   ME: "No, you can check your email again when you get to the gym! Besides, bring that pad and pen and you can work on your blog, too. Lots of great ideas in my head this morning! Shut up and get dressed...you'll be FINE."

I tried my first Zumba class this Morning!

OK, so I'm like a certified 'GYM NUT' and work out 5 days a week, right?

But I've never tried Zumba. I've heard about it, I've even recommended it because I know it's basically low-impact aerobics to a 'fun' beat....and I know lots of women that used to come to my Curves club RAVED about it...

But I never tried it personally.

Well, I'm kicking it up a notch this week at the gym...trying to add some new things in....so yesterday I extended my workout to 2 hours, and today I decided I'd do the same, and take Zumba AFTER my Pilates class.

I have to say, I was a little nervous...because people looked at me like I was krazy when I said things like, "I hope it's not TOO much jumping around because I don't like being out of breath." (which is the TRUTH...regardless of my Spinning class where I'm like, GASPING (and you should be in that class)...I really don't like it very much. I'd rather lift weights till the cows came home...or do leg lifts, ANYTHING but huff and puff and get out of breath!

But it was 'time'. Time to stretch myself a bit and give it a try.

So there I was...waiting...and I was handed these two small weights that looked (and sounded!) like morracas....and in walked Melanie, this little girl with a HUGE smile on her face. I never saw anyone so full of life before! She just was hopping around (and we hadn't even started yet! LOL) 

I thought "Boy I'm in TROUBLE...."

Get a GREAT START!

I got a great start this morning. I really did!

I was up early, had my MF breakfast and spent a good 2 hours at the gym working out -- 30 minutes with my personal trainer, 30 minutes on the treadmill, 30 minutes in CxWorx class (hard Pilates and strength training with elastic ropes) and 30 minutes total stretching before and after. So a total of 2 full hours.

I left the gym tired but not exhausted; sore but not TOO sore.
(Incidentally, it took me TWO FULL YEARS to work up to this chedule so please please PLEASE don't think you have to do this much...in fact you don't have to work out at ALL on the 5/1.  And when and if you do start an exercise program, START SLOWLY).

Bottom line for me, though... a great START!

And we all want great starts, don't we?

That's why we frequently start -- or recommit or restart -- a program like this typically on a MONDAY. We plan for it. We wait for it. We dream about it.

Sometimes we even wait to start on the 1st of the month...or even the 1st of the YEAR!

Growing Stronger!

I've heard many catch phrases over the course of this program, and many of them resonate with me so much that I REMEMBER them and REPEAT them to myself whenever I have a tough time or a craving.

So I thought I'd share them with you this Sunday (weekends ARE the hardest, for many of us) in the hope that they can help you, too!

Try to remember some of these (maybe print them out?) the next time you feel yourself slipping...and pull yourself out of the muck BEFORE you go off program.

I firmly believe every time we can say "NO" -before- we put that first bite in our mouths, is another huge VICTORY, another step in the right direction, and just possibly another 1/10th of a lb. on the scale, or another 1/16th of an inch 'off' that waistline!

REMEMBER: EVERY DAY "COUNTS". EVERY MEAL "COUNTS".

"Staying OP is hard. Being FAT is hard. Choose your hard."

"I don't eat sludge anymore. I'm allergic, I break out in FAT!"

"Summer bodies are earned in Winter".

"If you believe in yourself, ANYTHING is possible."

"As you get older in life you start to understand, it's not about what you look like or what you own, it's about the person you've BECOME."

"The best way to avoid eating what you shouldn't? Is to JUST NOT BUY IT."

"Embrace and LOVE your body, it's the most amazing thing you will ever own!"

"You are not a DOG. Do NOT reward yourself with food!"

"No matter how you feel, get up, dress up, show up, and never give up!"

The High Cost of Obesity!

People often complain, when they first look at the TSFL program and the cost of the Medifast meals, that it's 'too expensive'. 

But I ran across an interesting article from the folks at Bankrate.com that will make you stop and THINK about the cost....in comparison to your HEALTH and the value of living a more active, SLIM life versus continuing to live with overweight:

This excerpt from it is regarding the cost of bad eating habits. 
 

The full article is called "How much do bad Habits Cost?" and here's the link:

http://www.bankrate.com/finance/smart-spending/bad-habits-cost-4.aspx

More than 1 in 3 U.S. adults is obese and therefore more prone to obesity-related health conditions, including heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, reports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They're also prone to higher health and life insurance costs, medical expenses, food and clothing costs, decreased productivity, and lost wages from missing work.

A study by researchers at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., estimates that extra pounds cost the average overweight man $524 per year and the average overweight woman $432. For the obese, costs dramatically increase. GWU estimates that the annual cost of being obese in the United States is $2,646 for men and $4,879 for women.

Weight issues not only drive up costs; they can also prevent consumers from getting the coverage they need, says Kappers.

"Now you see diabetes and weight issues at the top of the reasons why people are getting declined (for life insurance coverage)," he says. "They're hand in hand."

I can tell you from personal experience that I have to take less prescription medications (no more diabetes for one thing; for another my painkillers have decreased from the fibromyalgia because I have less weight to drag around!)

What's the deal with WATER?

When I first started this plan, I was dismayed (but not surprised) to learn that I ‘had’ to drink 64 ozs. of water a day.

I mean, this was nothing new…especially for someone who’d tried every diet under the sun, after all most of them called for lots of water…but …sheesh…how to get it all IN?

After all, I was a diet soda freak! I loved the stuff!  Diet coke was my best friend. I grew UP with diet soda. I started with TAB! 

But I did it…I concentrated on getting it in, and I did it…especially those first couple of weeks when I thought I was going to DIE of starvation (LOL). It helped, too…with the headaches getting into ketosis, etc.

But after awhile…well…you sort of get out of the habit. It’s easy to get lazy about our water. After all, there are so many more FUN things to drink!

Crystal Light, MIO, Sparkling Water, diet soda, etc.

Well…the diet soda I gave up finally (which isn’t absolutely necessary so I won’t lecture you about it if you just started this program…but I WILL ask you, ‘Does it make you hungrier?’ because it sure did for me! 

PLUS… all those chemicals…ugh…who needs ‘em?

So eventually I DID stop. It wasn’t easy, and I had to pour it all down the drain, I was VERY very addicted to the stuff. I tried just ‘cutting back’ but that never lasted for long. So I had to make it rule NEVER to bring it into my house!

Forgive...and Forget?!

We are all human. We all make mistakes. And on this program, you learn very quickly that you will need to FORGIVE yourself for your 'slip-ups'...but at the same time, never, ever ever FORGET them!

Because every mistake, every stumble, comes with its own learning opportunity. And has its own lesson to teach -- IF we're open to it -- so that we may grow just a little bit more in self-knowledge and understanding.

I learned PLENTY.

I learned NEVER to 'take a break' in the middle of the program. DESPITE -- 'whatever'!  (In my case it was the holidays...my FEAR of being unable to 'stay the course' and stay OP conversely and ironically led me to this disastrous decision.)

I learned that I have trigger foods. MANY trigger foods. I'm still discovering them once in awhile -- but I've learned to recognize the signs of one and to GET RID OF IT ASAP. No debating, no worrying about 'wasting money' or starving children in Africa, if I was overeating it habitually? It HAS to go. Period.

I learned that my reasons for eating aren't as simple as when I'm depressed or miserable or sick or angry or frustrated....I also ate when I was TENSE or anxious or nervous about something, when I was lonely, when I was in pain, when I was embarrassed (!!!), when I was feeling such anticipation about something I 'couldn't stand it'....basically ANY uncomfortable feeling would drive me to eat.
Because I SOOTHE myself with food. Therefore, I'm learning NEW WAYS to soothe myself...that don't involve stuffing my face!

If You're Struggling...

If you're struggling to stay OP (on program), take heart...and HAVE HOPE.

Many, many of us have 'been there'. And it's not the end of the world. You CAN get through it...out to the other side ... you CAN get back OP.

Here are the things that helped me:

- Keep Reading Blogs...

(go to www.medifastcommunity.com, JOIN, and go to BLOGS). READ them.

It will give you 'hope' and may give you ideas. This is my #1 tip! 

I know, you're thinking 'Why should I read about how GREAT someone did? Or how they lost 6 lbs this week? That's only going to make me feel WORSE!

...So don't READ those!
Read the ones from people who are struggling. (the comments from others ALONE may spark an idea or two).
Read the ones with titles like 'I made it through', or 'I did it'....they just MAY give you a GREAT idea to try to get your 'mojo' back.
Read the ones where they sound 'down' (you'll feel LESS ALONE). And read the ones from the veterans whose advice you always get something out of....the ones who 'speak to you'...who you 'get'.

When I had a problem getting back OP (on program) last year, I kept reading....even while I was bingeing!  I just read and read and sometimes I felt like there was something wrong with me, here were all these people doing it and I just COULDN'T seem to get back on track....but I kept reading and my brain sort of worked 'despite myself'. Later on, as I'd be getting ready for bed or cooking dinner or whatever, I'd suddenly have an idea or two to help myself....maybe a new way to store my meals, or a new L&G to spark my interest again, or a new goal I could set for myself.

Even just a new way of LOOKING at the program! Sometimes it's all in just how we phrase things to ourselves.

I was browsing through the forums the other day and I ran across a girl who said,

DON'T SAY "I can't have that."
SAY "I can't have that, I only eat what's on my food plan."

Sounds stupid, but JUST the simple addition of that second half of the sentence can make all the difference!
Because your brain, in the first sentence, just sees the "I can't" (and therefore immediately WANTS it more LOL). 
But in the second sentence, your brain sees an 'out' clause...."only what's on my food plan"....and thinks 'AHA! So I could have...' and thinks about the food plan...and that's what you WANT, right?  LOL
Sounds weird....but it works.

Where are YOU along the Journey?

I continue to be amazed and fascinated by this process, this journey towards "wellness" and health.

I don't know if I'll ever achieve "optimal health" but it's certainly a wonderful-sounding GOAL, isn't it? ("Optimal health" includes FINANCIAL health. OH BOY do I have a ways to go on that! LOL)....

In the meantime, right now? For me? I'll be happy just to maintain my weight! LOL....

But ain't it the truth? We all have our different GOALS...and they depend greatly on WHERE WE ARE along the way.

Moreover, we all listen to what we WANT to listen to....what we NEED to listen to....depending on WHERE WE ARE along the way.

For instance, when I first started here? When people used terms like 'food addict'?  I'd get annoyed.
"What, ME? No way! I'm just....fat!"
So I had an eating problem. Big deal.

"OK, OK -- call it a food addiction if you want, but sheesh....so I love chocolate! Doesn't EVERYONE?  I just eat too much of it, that's all....shut UP already with the addiction stuff."  LOL

BUT...as time went on and I started to get into my own head and unravel my cravings, and defuse them one by one, sometimes painfully...sometimes easily...I started to understand.
I 'got it'.

YES, I'm a food addict....because I want to eat EVEN WHEN I'M PHYSICALLY FULL. 

YES, I'm a food addict because those brownies will CALL me in the middle of the night. Whereas my husband? A 'normal' eater? Forgets they are even THERE! (totally foreign concept to me LOL...)

But I'm ON VACATION! (and other fantasies)...

OK, truth time....show of hands...

How many of us have gone on vacation... and OFF PLAN?
[I always get this 'picture' in my head, of that scene from City Slickers, where Billy Crystal is being dragged through the MUD by an errant cow...and he's screaming, "But I'm on VACATION!!!!"]

We can justify it to ourselves so easily!

It's 'just for now'.
"I'm on vacation, I'm supposed to ENJOY myself. How can I enjoy myself if I have to say NO all this delicious FOOD?!!!" 

But wait a minute.

The last time you were on vacation, did you take pictures of what you ate, or where you WERE? And who you were WITH?

(Actually, I have a SIL who does that, believe it or not. She goes out to eat and takes pictures of the food and posts it on FB. And yes she's overweight. And I'm like "UGH, gimme a break, will you? What is she trying to prove? That she can eat? I can do that too! BOY can I! Wanna have an eating contest? Your place or mine? Oh boy get ready because I can EAT YOU UNDER THE TABLE!" LOL....)

I submit to you...I CHALLENGE you....the next time you go on vacation do it On plan. And ENJOY the PLACES you go and the PEOPLE you're with!  And guess what? You can STILL enjoy the food! OP! (ON PLAN)

I remember a great dinner with hubby...in San Francisco on vacation. I stayed OP! And it was awesome! The atmosphere, the background music, his smile across the table, the fish which was cooked to PERFECTION, being waited on, lots of ice water (I drive waiters NUTS with my requests for water LOL), etc.! 

"Who says" you can't have a great time on vacation OP?
As my fav comic used to say, the late great George Carlin,
"SHOW ME THE RULE".