Retreat and Advance

RETREAT
This past weekend, I was leading the high school retreat for International Community School - the school I worked at before we moved from Orlando.  It was an honor to be asked to serve in the role of camp speaker.  We've done tons of Defender events over the years.  But this was the first time I had been a camp pastor.  There was a lot of stress involved in preparing for it - mostly putting too much pressure on myself to make things perfect.  It turned out to be an amazing weekend.  I got to see my old students and spend time catching up with them.  And I also had plenty of time to interact with my friends there - both fellow teachers and parents.  Plus, as an added benefit, I actually got some quiet time (as documented on my other blog).

Honestly, the thing I stressed about the most once into the event was the food.  When I travel, I have learned how to make things work.  I bring nuts and water for in the car.  I time my trips so that I can eat meals at places that will work.  And I have a list of "go to" entrees when we do stop.  This time, though, I was at the mercy of other people.  I couldn't run to the store or drive down to the local bbq place to get what I needed.  We were at a retreat center - and at the mercy of the camp cafeteria.  That is a scary prospect even when you have NO dietary restrictions.  I've been at retreat centers all over the place and experienced some truly awful food.  So, I braced for the worst.

Before we even left the school, the first obstacle was encountered - lunch there was pizza.  Gooooo.  I ended up stopping with my carful of students at Chick Fil A on my way out of town to grab two grilled chicken fillets and a yogurt.  [Side Note: While I appreciate the fact that CFA offers this option, it is ridiculous that it costs NINE BUCKS for that meal.  That's right.  NINE!  For two grilled chicken patties and a yogurt with a strawberry in it.  This is why America is fat.  It is cheaper to be.]  The next three meals, though, would all be on the retreat grounds.

First came dinner.  I had been worrying for hours about this.  I asked what was for dinner and got, "Spaghetti and meatballs.  Or you can have alfredo sauce."  Dang.  I had figured I would be living on the salad bar all weekend.  When we got to the buffet, though, I was pleased to see that all the menu items were in separate chafing dishes.  So I was able to get a plate of just meatballs with sauce and broccoli.  Then I fixed a salad.  They even had raisins, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds on the salad bar!

I didn't have my usual frozen yogurt dessert, so I just had to eat some nuts instead.  The kids all made s'mores at the campfire.  I, naturally, had to decline.  For breakfast, I again was stressing.  This is my most regimented meal.  I just have a container of Greek yogurt and that's it.  The buffet was loaded with sausage and biscuits.  But, over on the salad bar, there was a huge container of vanilla yogurt.  There also was granola, strawberries, and pineapple.  So I was able to make a good breakfast.  Lunch was the last hurdle.  They went with an old standby: tacos.  DOH!  But, again, they had everything split up.  I was able to bypass the tortillas and lay down a bed of romaine lettuce.  Then I scooped taco meat, refried beans, and salsa on top.  Instant taco salad.

I was really pleased with the whole food experience.  The food was really good, too.  And it seemed like the camp was very sensitive to the needs of its attenders.  I must throw out some props to Warren Willis Camp outside of Leesburg.  It is a really beautiful facility and it is very well run.  And they actually make an effort to provide good meal options - something that most camps neglect in favor of saving money.

ADVANCE
While at the camp, I had a lot of comments about my weight.  Some of these people haven't seen me since we moved.  They would ask what I had done, and then seem quite surprised that I had lost so much just by changing my diet.  To date, that really is all I've done.  There was maybe a month where I used the Wii Fit each night.  But for most of the last eight months, this has all been diet related.  I guess I had not realized how strange that was.

I have actually been pretty stubborn about keeping it all diet related.  I don't know why, but I wanted to get to 100 pounds lost without exercise.  There isn't a good reason.  But I was aiming for that.  Really, I figured I would ride the diet option as far as I could, until it bottomed out and I plateaued.  It looked like that would be around 255 - which would be the 100 pound mark.  However, this past month it is pretty apparent that I am not making much progress.  So far, I have only lost three pounds in the last three weeks.  I bounce around a lot at 267 or 268.  I'm not going to get much further without some sort of exercise - and I am NOT done yet.

I'm one of those people that goes as far as I can on one track before switching.  When I am running low on gas on a trip, I stupidly keep driving.  "I can make it to the next exit."  I'll pas gas stations if they are on the left side of the road or if they don't have a nice enough appearance or if I think I can save a few pennies later.  It really is a stupid habit.  That is the same way I have been approaching the diet.  I keep on driving down the diet change road and don't want to switch to the exercise one.

I hate exercising.  I hate getting hot and sweaty.  I hate having to come up with time to do it.  The thought of having a nicer body is nice.  But I sure don't want to do anything to get there.  I really don't even know where to begin.  I have absolutely no understanding of weight machines or the right process to muscle building.  And, frankly, I don't want to learn.  But, for me to see this through to the end, I am going to have to start exercising and working out.

I also need to do that for my body's sake.  My back problems are not going to be fixed without strengthening the muscles.  My rheumatoid arthritis is going to rob me of mobility and strength if I don't fight.  So, the time has come to move forward.  I must start exercising and working out.  I will start small.  Walking.  Using the Wii Fit again.  I hope that will kick start the weight loss again.  It's time to switch roads.