Sadie is down another 4 ounces, for a total of about 5 pounds. Yes, progress is measured in ounces–but we’re headed in the right direction. This process of getting my beagle-dog back on track has been almost as good for me as it is for Sadie–I tend to be a quantum leap sort of person. When I set a goal, I usually achieve it, but ounce by ounce? That’s a new one for me, as many times as I’ve been to Weight Watchers. 🙂 There is an interesting parallel here, too, it seems to me–once I managed to stablize my own weight, I was able to deal with Sadie’s problem. I just wonder if she wasn’t reflecting my own dilemma somehow, like a furry little mirror. I don’t diet anymore–I just try to eat sensibly and use salad plates instead of full-sized ones, and eat mostly whole foods.
I find that if the rules are too rigid–this many points or calories or fat grams or whatever–I can’t stick with it. So while I try to stay away from processed foods, which are not really foods at all, my friends, but chemical creations for the most part, I do indulge in certain soups, like Progresso. I still like to boil up a pot of macaroni and dump in a can of whole tomatoes.
I guess you could call this the Common Sense Diet. 🙂 As any of you who’ve struggled with weight will know, it’s an ongoing thing, but the fact is, most of us know, deep down, what we should and shouldn’t eat, and when. The trap of “convenience foods” is just that, they’re convenient. Ditto “fast” food. But they don’t nourish you. When I see very overweight people, my heart breaks for them–none of the stereotypes are true. (Lazy, undisciplined, etc.) The truth is, their bodies are starved for real food–good old fruit, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish and chicken. And trust me when I say that some of the smartest, most talented, most dedicated and accomplished people I know struggle with extra pounds. When are we, as a society, going to stop judging human beings with a valid place on this planet by the way they look? We have little girls going on diets. Whole generations of women who might contribute something to the world, waste their lives fretting about the size of their jeans, the lines in their faces, all of that. What might we accomplish if we focused on the real needs all around us, instead of ourselves???
I don’t know about you, but I get pretty bored with ME. Yada-yada-yada. Me, me, me. What a DRAG. 🙂 Maybe it’s because I’ve just been out on tour, and done so many interviews, but I’m weary of the subject. 🙂 When I go to book signings, the best part is meeting YOU, not talking about myself.
And I’m rambling. Again.
Feet back on the ground. I’ve got a new book to write (YES!), a radio interview, and a dentist appointment today. Sadie is resting up from yesterday’s treadmill rounds, and Bernicie is cuddled up nearby. The cats are roaming the house, the way cats do. The horses are in the barn, waiting for the Canadian Wrangler to serve breakfast and let them out into the pasture.
It’s all simple. It’s all good.
And as flashy as that rabbit looks, dashing down the road in a fur-blur, you can bet on this much. The turtle will always win. Step by step, ounce by ounce.
Speak a kind word to someone.
