THE NEW ME

Here we are on Monday morning at 9:18 am, and still on track. Although yesterday I did no exercise at all (it was a scheduled walk day) because on Saturday we went to the Bud Billiken Parade. Whew! Were we ever unprepared for it's length! We arrived at a good viewing point at 9am, parade started to hit our spot at 10:15, and at 1:20 we bailed, with probably another hour to go at least. We had no chairs or real food, just some pretzels (not me, I had baked potato chips, one serving carefully measured) and I had brought a whole bunch of red and yellow pepper sticks. We had been standing since 9, and between the heat, no food, the incredible noise, mostly from the blasting loudspeakers of several parade entrants, the standing, we had had enough. But it was totally worth it, and we all decided we would go back next year. It was just plain fun.

Unfortunately, the best laid plans etc., etc. My car, which I had thought to drive to Hyde Park for some lunch for my two friends (I had brought a sandwich and a tomato in a cooler) simply would not start. I could not believe it. This thing is my favorite possession in all the world. So we had to sit in it, and the heat, for another hour and a half, waiting to be rescued by a significant other, and to my surprise, my husband, who had not been home when I called. But the significant other brought a rather large dog, and now there were five of us and the dog to go in a Chevy Yukon. With no air, no less! It was 93 degrees and steamy. So my husband and I opted for the Green line and the Metra station home. Blessed air conditioning. And then when we got back to our suburb, I had to walk a mile home.

You can probably guess why yesterday I did not move much at all. I had lost two pounds between Saturday morning and Sunday morning. Today I gained one pound back and weighed in at 188.
But I'm back to normal now, still got up early and did my exercises, and will dance around the basement here in a short while. I like to wait at least an hour after I eat breakfast before I do that.

Have kept to the diet pretty much, only altering it to my tastes. I do like onion and lettuce on my sandwiches, something the plan does not call for. I figure that can't hurt. And milk in my coffee. I usually just take it from my daily allowance, but today no milk is called for, so I added about 1/4 cup (skim) to my coffee this morning, and will add a splash at lunch.

Also I am still eating in the yellow porch, although I cut some flowers for the table, got out a place mat to match the dark blue plates and bowls I now use. And I simply find it almost impossible not to read at breakfast and lunch, and watch TV at dinner. These are really ingrained habits, even in childhood. My parents basically hated each other, and at dinner we turned the TV around to face the breakfast room where we ate, so conversation could be avoided.

If I only put on my plate the allotted portion of food, what difference can it make? Although all, simply all, the experts say to never do this, but only eat, concentrate on your food. I think they are right, because I do find I am not as conscious of what I am taking in as if I just sat there and ate. Sometimes I do this, but not often. Maybe I should try harder. I think I eat slower too.

Nine days down.