Some things baffle me about restaurants. I mean, aside from the prices which keep going up. On second thought, maybe I’m really not baffled about that, since the price of fuel/electricity/natural gas just keeps on going up, which has to impact every aspect of almost any business. But I digress….
One of the things that utterly baffles me of late is a favorite restaurant’s waitstaff, some of whom seem to think that apple pie a la mode needs a marischino cherry on top of the vanilla ice cream.
How do I even know about this ? Because I have chosen to have a piece of apple pie a la mode a couple of times in the last couple of months. Why ? Because I have the right to have a dessert from time to time. Even one with ice cream and a cherry on top.
What does this have to do with anything ? I believe that 90% of any weight-loss program is attitude. I also happen to believe that, short of becoming president, or perhaps a medical doctor, I can do just about anything I set my mind to. OK, I admit first place in the Boston Marathon is a bit beyond me at this point, too. But, if they would let me sign up, I know I could finish it. Just like I did other marathons before. Because I said I could, and I would. So I did.
Some things are just a little more complicated than others. But if I say I’m going to do it, and set my mind on a goal, it will happen.
Now, am I somebody special ? Well, some people think so. Other people have their serious doubts. But YOU ? You are somebody special– you are somebody who can make things happen, too.
You just have to set your mind to it, and not let ANYBODY tell you that your goal cannot become reality. And that most especially includes YOU telling yourself it’s not going to happen.
Because you are not only your best friend, you are, at the same time, your worst enemy. You rationalize the idiotic, you do the imbecilic, and skip the most important part of any weight-loss regimen– STICKING TO YOUR PLAN !
Does that mean that you can never have a dessert ? Of course not. What it does mean is that you have to be careful about “trigger foods” if you have any, and that you can do sensible things with the dessert, like sharing, or having a small portion, or leaving the piecrust on the plate. And then you can savor the feeling of mastering a potentially difficult situation.
Planning for desserts, or other special meal elements, can include extra exercise– always being careful not to overdo it considering your current fitness level.
Today I was at a special celebration. A woman I hadn’t seen in awhile remarked that I looked very nice today. Then she tried to clean it up by saying that she hadn’t really meant that I didn’t look good before– and I told her she didn’t need to modify her remark. I had been looking rather dreadful for quite awhile. But now I don’t.
I’m not there yet, but progress towards a goal does NOT mean utter deprivation. It does mean respecting yourself enough to allow a celebration in your life from time to time.
After all, what is life if there is never a cherry on top ?
2 Comments
It’s like you’ve read my mind! I just bought a bag of Cherries!!! And apples, pears, watermelon, peaches, cantalope. ummm.
And I’ve been thinking about that Trigger Food thing — I think chocolate is forever out of my life. I just can’t handle it at any level. I’m still considering ice cream, but I think it’s almost as dangerous for me.
I’m moving away from thinking of food as a source of fun or entertainment. I can’t say I’m completely there yet — but, I’m hoping to get there eventually.
Yeah, chocolate can be really difficult. The last gift bag of chocolate I was given was passed on to a friend.
The only way I can deal with ice cream, really, is to have a lot of fruit and a LITTLE ice cream. So, it’s like a cup of strawberries and may a quarter cup ice cream sitting on top. Or sharing a dessert with 4 people where the single scoop of ice cream is split 4 ways, so you get maybe an eighth of a cup.
And not keeping any of it in the house !