Alternate title – GREASE IS THE WORD.
I’m glad to be reviving this blog; I’ve missed writing it. What’s more, I really felt in control while I was writing it. I think it actually helped me to lose weight, something I really haven’t done much of since I stopped writing.
When I take it in that sense, it seems that this blog is my support group. Hey, maybe that’s it! You guys are my support group! I know the ones I’ve been to before weren’t very helpful. But you know, I noticed one common denominator – when folks aren’t doing so good, they don’t like to show up. And that’s usually when they need support the most! Weight Watcher’s – you know when those folks go off their diet, they go off the reservation too!
They always tell themselves that they’ll come back after they lose some more weight. Some of them go through with that promise, and they either lose some weight and come back, or they don’t, and they don’t. I don’t want to be the one that doesn’t.
So, what’s happened since the last writing (not counting the update to the main page)? Well, as mentioned I had to take about a month off of the “program”. Of course, there really isn’t a set program. It changes all the time, I think that’s a necessity. That’s why the average “diet” doesn’t work. The closer you are to rigidity in routine, the more intangible will be your success.
I believe I made an update shortly after I stopped posting regularly, explaining why. After both Mom and Marcie were able to make it upstairs, their reliance on me was lessened greatly. However, by that time, the damage had been done. I hadn’t been exercising, or even stretching every day! I kept a focus on eating well, and was going strong for a short while, but little by little weaknesses were triggered.
I don’t really regret that, because I learned a lot about my triggers, for example – that I have them, and what they are. If you’re wondering what I mean by triggers – I’m talking about a food, which – for starters, is hard to resist. Pizza is one. Just the smell of it! Now, pizza, itself, isn’t really so bad, especially thin crust! You’ve got a small amount of bread (sorry, Sicilian fans), some tasty (albeit salty, and sometimes sugary!) pizza sauce, and part-skim mozzarella cheese. If you stick with vegetable toppings (mushrooms and onions!) you’re doing even better.
But there’s grease involved. It gets in my mouth, my nose, and even my fingers! And I have a hard time stopping at just a slice or two. There’s not a lot to be proud of in saying that at one time I could take out an extra-large pie on my own. Hell, I could do that now if I let myself. At one point I could have taken out two with little trouble. So, I guess it makes sense that just being around it makes me want to EAT.
Even at my most disciplined attempt – eating two slices and no more – guess what’s for breakfast? 2 more slices. And lunch? Maybe three more! Until it’s gone, that’s what I eat. Since it’s awakening these cravings in me, I end up trading too much pizza for two slices, followed by hours of temptation to stuff my face. Don’t think I never give in and stuff away, either.
Cheesesteak – same deal. Lamb, even! I mean, who would think lamb? But lamb is pretty fatty, and that means grease! Of course, around the time I went off-program, Rita’s Water Ice Opened up. If you’re not from around here, you might not know Rita’s. Heck, you might not know Italian water ice. But you’ve probably heard of Hawaiian shaved ice, or something like it. Basically it’s very small bits of ice (granular) mixed with some flavored syrup. Rita’s is supposed to be a little closer to natural and it tastes delicious!
Well, Dad decided that he just can’t resist some Rita’s, and who does he send to get it? Me. So I was good. I went, picked up the water ice, brought it home. None for me. I’m just making the run. But he started wanting it every day, so every day I’m running out there and picking up orders for him and everyone else in the house. Well, you know, every day they had flavors I hadn’t tried yet, and they sounded so good! Like Red Velvet Cake! How does one turn that down?
Of course, they have free samples. Well, that’s a great way to try a flavor without sinning too much, right? So I did that for a few days, but then I got to thinking, how would that flavor taste in a Blendini (basically a treat that combines water ice, soft serve ice cream, and candy), or a Misto (water ice milkshake). And after I’d eaten something like that, I was far more likely to binge. Another trigger.
Not only did I learn to identify many triggers, I learned how to deal with them. For example, if I’m going to eat something greasy, I need to wash my hands and wash out my mouth. If it’s extra greasy, like pizza, the kind of greasy that doesn’t just get into my hands and mouth but my nose and my skin – I can feel it! And it makes me WANT TO EAT! Well, when that happens, I need to wash my face to, especially the outside of my nose. The grease fills my pores and I can feel the blockages. I don’t know why, but it makes me want to eat.
So, foods like that take some preparation. I need to plan on how much I’m going to eat, and make sure I won’t have any access to leftovers. I also need to make sure that I have what I need to clean myself up afterward. Not just any soap either. I don’t even care about anti-bacterial at this point – I want grease cutting. Palmolive is my friend!
Not only do I have to scrub the pores in my nose, and other parts of my face, even with slightly greasy foods, if my fingers did the touching, then my nails need the scrubbing. Any old nail scrubber just won’t do either. I need something that’ll get UNDER THOSE NAILS! This is no time to be shy! I went to the hardware store and picked up a tile grout scrubber. This looks like a big toothbrush with thick, clear bristles that are used to clean, and in some cases, rip the old grout out between tiles. You know, the hard, cement like kind. That gets almost anything out from under my nails, and they feel fresh and clean. My cravings are behind me.
As for cleaning out my mouth, one way to do it is to drink water with what I’m eating. Now, when I’m eating pizza, I prefer to drink soda. They just pair so well. In fact, the only thing that pairs better with pizza than soda, is beer! But these options just aren’t productive. For one thing, I’ve basically put regular soda behind me. I’ll still have a rare sip, but I can’t even stand the taste of some sodas anymore. Diet soda just tastes like crap, but it still pairs with pizza. Beer just isn’t an option. When I do have a few beers, I try to keep it simple – just beer. I don’t need extra crap. And frankly, I’m drinking less and less, because I don’t need all the calories and carbs. Though I’m not crazy about wine, I do have a glass here and there, since I understand that can actually help with weight loss, among other things.
Even if I drink water with my food, it’s not enough to properly clean out my mouth, but seltzer water can be. I love seltzer. It’s the perfect meeting between soda and water. I don’t need the sweetness or other flavor. Just the fizz will do, thank you. And it’s perfect for cleaning! Seltzer makes a great cleaning agent. So great that many food service businesses use them to clean the soda nozzles every night. It’s ridiculously cheaper than a normal cleaning agent and by morning, those nozzles and squeaky clean! And guess what – it does a hell of a job cleaning your mouth. That makes it easier to stop eating, and – with a good glass of the stuff at the end of the meal, keeps the cravings at bay, baby!
Well, that’s enough for today. I’ll be back, next chance I get, to fill you in not only on the past, but the present too!
