FOOD!

by DMC

Aaaaah. Salad. Strawberries. Tuna Tarragon. Chocolate Chocolate Chip muffins. Hummus. Turkey Chili. Bread.

Yes, Jackie and I went to Fresh Choice for lunch. I finished less than half of what I piled on my plate. Except for the lettuce, I kept my portions of each "sample" small because I knew my stomach was used to only tiny amounts of food. BUT, this being the first day off the food strike, I was eager to try a little bit of all my favorites. I even took a corn muffin, hoping my 30 days of corn hadn't spoiled me on all corn-derived products. Thankfully, the corn muffin still agreed with my taste buds, though I only ate the top of the muffin.

Within about 1/3 of the way through our meal, our stomachs were starting to feel full. We picked at our salads for a few more minutes as we chatted, and we both left with full stomachs--a feeling we've not had since starting this food strike. The perpetual state of hunger we've become accustomed to finally vanished.

The salad (with sesame seeds and strawberries) had very little dressing, and it still was quite flavorful. The sweetness of the first strawberry instantly thrust my tastebuds into suprised delight. I only managed my way through about half the salad, though. As for the Tuna Tarragon, I took maybe 3/4 of a cup's worth, and I probably only ate half. The turkey chili tempted me, and I only put about 1/2 cup's worth in my bowl. I used that to top a small slice of sourdough bread.

Aaaah, bread.

Jackie and I ended our meal with a tiny vanilla yogurt/ice cream cone and walked around the mall for a little bit. Though we didn't start out this food strike to lose weight, we marvelled at just how much weight we actually dropped during these past 30 days. To the left are my before and after photos. I wouldn't say I present a dramatic difference, but I've gone down at least a full size--back to where I started before accepting a job where not-so-healthy food seems to magically appear around the office on a daily basis. And when it isn't magically appearing, it's being carried by helpers for birthdays, retirements, staff meetings, etc.

Well, gone are the days of office donuts, retirement cakes, and "surprise" Friday cookies.

We've decided to continue this blog because we intend, after a few days of modest indulgence, to work on losing the rest of our excess weight. Once a day, for the next five days, we'll each have one thing we've been craving. Tomorrow, for me, it's pepperoni pizza. For Jackie, it's Omelets with her mother. After our brief culinary "sabbatical," we'll resume a strict diet reminiscent of the old Weight Watchers quick start program, which, frankly, will seem like gluttony compared to how we've been living.

So, stay tuned! And, remember, there are people around the world who don't have the luxury of opting to eat a calorie-restricted diet.