Walking on Sunshine!

I am so proud of myself this week.  Not only did I heal from an allergy problem, but I did not eat dessert all week and I got in some good exercise.

This is my third week of no desserts during the week and I feel good.  My pants fit a little looser and I feel lighter.  On the weekends I did not go overboard like I thought I would.  Even though I had two slices of pie last Saturday, it still did not have the same impact that five days’ worth of pie servings would have had.

The weather has been warm but windy, so it was perfect for getting outside to exercise.  I laced up my shoes, grabbed a sweatshirt, and hit the neighborhood parks.  I also took my allergy medication and washed my face afterwards to avoid getting sick from exposure to all the pollen blowing around.  What really kept me going was knowing that I was getting some fresh air, burning calories from a brisk walk, and getting some sunshine.   All of those things are good for me, but what felt the best was having lots of sunshine on my skin.  It was a welcoming feeling after having some overcast weather.

The park has lots of benches and bleacher seats that I use to stretch and balance on for some squats.  The beauty of going out to parks like Lake Merced is that not only is there lots of green grass and trees, there are also lots of wildlife.  Ducks swim in the lake and are so cute to watch, especially when they have baby ducklings swimming in a line after them.  There are lots of birds at the lake.  I have seen owls there, graceful herons, and those crazy mallards that like to fight each other for bread (feeding ducks is such a great pastime).  Getting out helps me clear my mind of any stresses that threaten to manifest into sleeplessness, overeating, and other self-destructive habits.

Lake Merced, San Francisco, CA

Having a playlist for working out helps me so much.  I listen to fast paced, dance-able music to keep me on a good stride.  Songs like “Push It” by Salt N Pepa, “Rock Your Body” by Justin Timberlake, “Bad Romance” and “Applause” by Lady Gaga, and some BBD, Bobby Brown, J Lo, Chris Brown, and Ghost Town DJ s (“My Boo” is the jam, I break out in dance when I hear it).

After my walk, I stopped by the produce market and got a bagful of vegetables.  Over the weekend I will be making some salads and fresh corn to supplement my diet.  Those salads will come in handy because I am free to have dessert this weekend, and I have my eye on a slice of German chocolate cake!

One slice of cake at a time

Now that I am feeling better, I am on a roll.

Wish I could have a roll, like a cinnamon or sweet roll today. One of those large, buttery, spiral rolls where you can unravel them and eat them slowly to savor the flavors.  I recently gave up sweets and desserts during the week.  Only on the weekend can I allow myself to indulge in sweet treats.  I decided to place myself on this dietary restriction because it will work best for me.  I am healthy and want to stay healthy and know that I tend to overindulge.

Three weeks ago, I went to the doctor and had a complete physical.  The doctor I saw is fairly new to me, as my previous physician left the clinic and I needed to find a replacement.  I had only seen the current doctor for drop in visits, but I chose him for my new primary physician because he took time to listen to my concerns and helped me make a plan to improve my health.  When the medical assistant had me step on the scale, fear temporarily paralyzed me.  I knew that my pants were tight and I had picked up a bad habit of frequenting drive-thru fast food restaurants for a large sweet tea.  When the weather’s warm, a sweet tea hits the spot.  Anyway, I knew that those drive-thru runs were not calorie free and that sometimes I got something to snack on (what good is a sweet tea if you can’t use it to wash down a French fry?!).  The scale is a lie.  My shoes are heavy, the belt I have on has a metal buckle that must weigh like a pound, or perhaps my jeans are heavy because the denim is sturdy.  Truth be told, I needed to lose some weight.

The bright spot in having the complete physical was when I received the lab report that I was healthy.  No anemia, no diabetes, no high cholesterol.  I was shocked, because I prefer Applewood smoked pork bacon to turkey bacon.  The premium ice cream I ate was full of saturated fat.  Reading labels did not stop me from having a bowl of that ice cream with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies as ornaments.  But, even with my dietary negatives, I had a great lab report.  The only thing that was keeping me from getting healthy was me.

To stay healthy, I decided right then and there sitting in the hard plastic examining room chair, I would make some changes.  One big change was to decrease certain foods in my diet, one dessert at a time.

In my world, the bigger the slice of cake the better.  My concept of serving sizes is three times bigger than suggested serving sizes.  The bigger the bag of potato chips, more power to me.  People that know me well know that I keep a bag of Lay’s.  They also know not to dig all up in my bag like they bought it.  That will infuriate me fast, zero to a hundred fast.  There is not a cake, pie, cookie, ice cream, or tart that I do not like.  After cooking a good meal, I try to pair a good dessert with it.  When making spaghetti, which I make spicy, I like to cool off the heat with a bowl of ice cream.  After chicken Caesar salad, I feel entitled to indulge with a hunk of German chocolate cake. 

After the physical, I discussed weight loss with the doctor.   Confessing to him out loud that I ate dessert almost every evening, I heard myself clearly state how much I was eating sweets.  Flashbacks of ginormous bowls of rich vanilla ice cream, pretty but deadly petite bakery cupcakes in flavors like key lime pie and banana split, and my favorite huge raisin studded breakfast rolls.  I made the decision right then and there that I would not eat dessert during the week.  To fight the temptation, I would not buy the sugary treats during the week.  I decided that was where I would start in my diet overhaul.  The doctor nodded and agreed with me that I could do it.  That made me like the guy even more!

Already, I notice a difference in my weight.  I do not own a scale.  I noticed how my clothing fits a little looser.  So I keep denying myself desserts during the week.

Next stop, Lay’s potato chips anonymous.  Who am I kidding?  That will not happen any time soon.

What foods tempt you and you have to fight off because you know eating them if bad for you?