Lighten Up

So I haven't posted since the 18th.  I'm sure that some of you worried that I have made shipwreck.  But, things have been going very well on the food battle front.  I just have been very busy.  Last weekend, I was up in Jacksonville to teach some seminars at the Florida Baptist State College Conference.  It was great.  I love teaching and hanging out with the ministers there.  I got some bad news from a friend of mine there, which really bummed me out.  But I stayed strong on the food front.  On Monday, I was at 322 pounds.  So, I've lost 33 pounds so far.  (That included two this past weekend.)

There were the usual challenges that came from being out of town.  On Saturday, the hotel had nothing I could eat on their breakfast bar.  So Charles and I ran over to Publix to get yogurt and bananas.  For lunch, our awesome friend at the State Convention made sure we had salads to eat - even gave us two helpings of grilled chicken.  So, I figured out that to have the right quantity of chicken on a Chick Fil A grilled chicken sandwich, you need at LEAST one and a half servings.

It is really cool to see how people respond to my efforts.  They are very encouraging and helpful.  My friends at the conference patted me on the back.  They told me that they were trying to fix some of their eating habits, too.  That really is humbling.  I can't believe that I could be helpful to anyone on the weight issue.  But several people have been motivated through my blog - which is great.  My super awesome mother-in-law went out of her way to make sure that she had all the foods I needed at her house for our stay there.  She got Greek yogurt, veggies, meat.  It was awesome.

The most fun thing this past weekend was that I got to hang out with my friend, ministry partner, and chief food advisor - the legendary Charles Wise.  He has also been working on his weight - he's lost 30 pounds.  So we were in the same boat for the most part.  He isn't dealing with food addiction issues, too.  He's just eating better.  So, to celebrate how well I had been doing, we went to Ted's Montana Grill.  You have to understand, that is our absolute favorite restaurant.  Why?  One thing: bison.  They have bison meat.  They make burgers, ribs, chili, steaks, all sorts of bison stuff.  And we loooove bison.  It tastes like the best cow you can find, but without fat.  So, we try to go to Ted's any time we are near one.

Friday night, we hit Ted's.  I had a Kansas City Strip, broccoli, sliced tomatoes, and pickles.  (Their pickles are astounding - and I don't even like pickles.)  I wrestled with whether or not to get the chili to start.  I had been avoiding beans, since they are a starch.  But I went ahead and got it.  It was so good - and everything that I could eat.  On Saturday night, we went back.  This time, I had green beans, sliced tomatoes, pickles, chili, and a bison ribeye.  Again, awesome and completely on my diet.  (Don't pick on me for going twice in a row.  Charles went four times last week.)

I was nervous about eating chili twice - actually three times, thanks to Sunday night at HUDDLE HOUSE!!!  I was afraid that I was going to put on weight thanks to the bean introduction.  However, I lost two pounds.  So, that helped me to make a decision.  I've been on this diet for a month - very strict.  I had planned to kind of re-visit my efforts to see if I needed to tighten things up or not.  But, to my pleasant surprise, I actually have been able to lighten up a wee bit.  I'm still not eating starches.  But I am going to allow myself to have beans from time to time.  I also am not going to feel bad about having peanut butter with my banana or apple a few times a week.  Add I will allow me to have a glass of milk once in a while.  I had cut all those things out, to be safe.  But this is my lesson to not be legalistic about this whole thing.  (I'm making chili tonight and can't wait to scarf it down!)  I'm still going to be very strict on the addictive foods, as well as the starches that dominated my menu.

You don't know how great it feels to know that I have made so much progress that I can actually let food BACK in.  That is very encouraging.  Also, I am at the point where I am going to have to get a new belt.  My 46" belt has been on the last hole.  But today, my pants kept falling down.  If I don't have my shirt tucked it, my pants don't stay up.  (You know, thanks to my no-butt.)  Pretty soon, I will be able to actually have my pants where they belong - over my gut.  I have been trying to avoid buying clothes, since they are going to be so transitory.  But I think a belt is kind of an important thing.  Well, I am going to go check on my chili.  Don't be too jealous as you eat whatever you're having.  :)