Guest Blog by Helen Dutton
Okay, so perhaps going to the grocery store right after boot camp today, the final S3 weigh-in day, was not the best idea. During the contest, I didn’t follow the suggested meal plan perfectly but I did make different choices during the eight weeks than I would have previously. And in the course of the 35 minutes inside the grocery store, I came face to face with each of those choices again.
My grocery store journey started like any of those from the past eight weeks: green peppers, spring mix, zucchini, and green beans. I got grapefruit and oranges for my kids. When I saw the bananas, though, it was like I’d just seen an old boyfriend – “OH! Doesn’t that look good! I’ll just get a couple. Maybe I’ll have one for a snack on the way home.” That euphoric feeling escalated when I saw sweet potatoes but the encounter was still fairly innocent. I remembered your words about these earthy delicacies from before the contest and I vowed to just have half of one for lunch. Okay, maybe today, to celebrate, I’d have a whole one.
Things really seemed to break down when I got to the deli counter. All natural turkey – no change there. But then I ordered enough sharp cheddar not just for the kids, but for me, too. That reminded me of Butter’s (on Main Street) and their aged gouda; I’d stop on the way home. That got me thinking about all kinds of delicious treats I could have and I felt myself getting excited. Maybe we’d have pasta along with grilled chicken instead of a salad…. Brownies sure sounded good, too…. What else could I find at Butter’s – some great wine, perhaps?
Then I realized that I was getting excited about food. Isn’t excitement meant for watching the kids try or achieve something new? For roller coasters and special family moments? Whoa. And I thought about stepping on the scale again after the weekend and how I’d feel if the number went up. Now I didn’t lose a ton of weight during the contest (4 pounds) but I have made continuous, steady progress since I joined boot camp in September (16 pounds – yeah, me!) and, standing at the deli counter, I realized that I wasn’t willing to put ANY of it back on. Not an ounce.
My kids and I will still go to Arnie’s today (I’ve already committed to that) but rather than the chocolate brownie peanut butter flurry I had been thinking about, perhaps I’ll just share something with one the kids. Or, if I do splurge, I’ll get one scoop in a cup. After all, Arnie’s ice cream is more than just a pleasure to me; it’s one of my treasures. And giving this new body a treasure once in a while is okay by me.
As I watched my grocery purchases roll down the check-out lane, I counted only three items in a box; I realized that I hadn’t gone down the cracker/cookie aisle (and didn’t miss it – no treasures can be found there, I’ve discovered); and I watched proudly as I unloaded primarily vegetables from my cart.
I didn’t have a banana for a snack; I had a piece of string cheese – straight out of the S3 Eternal Eating plan. Interesting that at the beginning of this contest, I’d think “Yeah, it’s called ‘Eternal’ because these eight weeks are going to feel like an eternity”; now, I see that I truly can, and deserve to, eat like this and feel this great forever.
Thanks, Dean and Nancy, for training me, educating me, and coaching me.
{ 1 comment }
Good for you Helen. Changing the mind set from Cheats to Treasures!
Priceless.
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