Papa slings some grits and eggs onto the plate. He butters six slices of toast and picks up some bacon from the dish lined with paper towels damp from grease. This is my breakfast, and has been my breakfast for the past three days (since I didn't tell Papa that I haven't eaten pork for nearly a year, I sneak my bacon onto Matt and Harrison's plates when he's not looking). I'm not complaining. Food is how I "treat" myself, how I reward myself, and how I punish myself. I tell myself that I am on vacation. I tell myself that this is my "Mardi Gras." One week of caloric debauchery before my ten week weight-loss competition begins.
After my vacation with 11 family members in Garden City, a week of lazing on the beach, swimming in the pool, and eating culinary wonders with simple names (i.e. grits, pimento cheese and tomato sandwiches, shrimp po boys, oyster stew, cheese toast), I am venturing into a world where such foods are muttered like swears under the breath instead of revered as delights for the palette.
After my breakfast on Thursday morning, I decided to check my voice-mail messages. It had been days since I had even thought about the Northern World I'd left a few days ago, and suddenly a chipper voice broke into my reverie. "Hi, Katy! This is Geri! Your Trainer! I'm looking forward to meeting you this coming Monday! Be sure to log your meals this week! Come in early to be weighed and measured if possible! See you soon!"
I'm sure my newly tanned face paled back to it's original Irish hue. Journal about my meals? Does Geri know where I am? Has she met the man who prepares my meal every day? Would she know that any vegetables listed in my journal would have been boiled in fat, butter, and a little water, or should I include that as a sidebar? This was going to be a damning list.
Food Journal Beginning Thursday (the day I got the message) June 18th, 2009
Breakfast: a cup of grits, 2 scrambled eggs, 2 slices of buttered toast, orange juice, and two cups of black coffee.
Lunch: Pimento Cheese sandwich with lettuce and tomato, sweet tea, and one salmon croquette with ketchup.
Snack: Chocolate pound cake and sweet tea
Dinner: Oyster Stew (cup) and a house salad with honey mustard dressing on the side from Sara J's restaurant and sweet tea.
Dessert: 1 scoop of The Yum Yum Shop's Homemade Pistachio and Almond Ice Cream
Exercise: Jumping waves while holding my 22 pound daughter, swimming in the pool, and walking 1 mile around the beach and Garden City Pier.
Most of my entries look like this from Thursday to Saturday. Even Sunday was a bust, due to the fact that it was "my last day of freedom." But, I'm proud to say that this morning, without much complaining, I woke up at 5:15 am and went to the YMCA to workout. My starting weight before I jumped in the pool this morning: 273 pounds. My goal weight is 150 pounds by Christmas, and my goal activity is to run the Broad Street Run next summer with my friend Jamie.
So it begins. Game on.
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