OBSESSED

A few years ago, I saw an episode of an A&E television show called “Obsessed” that gave a glimpse into the lives of people with different anxiety disorders. One man was obsessed with working out. He would get up extra early in the morning to go to the gym before work, and he would work out during breaks at the company gym, and then would stop at the gym AGAIN on his way home.

At the time, I was a complete couch potato and could not fathom ANYONE being willing to subject himself to such torture not just once, but THREE or FOUR times daily! But now…now that I’m a long-distance-runner-hurdler-professional-weight-lifter-and-all-around-athlete 😉 I can relate a bit more. Well…actually I guess I should say that since I now go to the gym (usually) three times a week (except in December) I can relate a bit more.

It is hard not to be a bit obsessive when you’re trying to get rid of extra weight. The grocery store feels like a battle zone with sugar IEDs lurking on every aisle. The “Grilled Chicken Bowtie Festival” winks at you from Carino’s menu, luring you in with the words “grilled chicken” and then slapping you with the sneaky asiago cream sauce. And it’s scary to fall off the workout wagon – because once you’re off, it’s so hard to get back on again!

Here’s what I’m still learning. It’s okay to have some Bowtie Festival every once in a while, and even then you don’t have to eat the whole plate full. If you have a 14 year old boy, you can count on him to be happy to finish anything you can’t. You can also have some Raspberry M&M’s, if you can make the bag last for a couple of months (yes, months!) And it’s not the end of the world if you go a week without working out. Just get back on the wagon and keep going.

Food log today: Egg McMuffin from McDonalds. Chicken tortilla soup and some Garcias chips for lunch. Buffalo pretzel chips for snack. And maybe a Ghirardelli peppermint chocolate square. Four slices of lean brisket and a spinach salad for supper.