I have a group of friends who get together for a weekend each spring and fall to play music for fun. We've been doing it since the late '90's. This time, 13 people were able to make it.
There's always lots and lots and lots of food with a big potluck dinner on Saturday night (also lots of wine, but I'm just not a wine drinker). The last three gatherings since I started my new food plan, I ate moderately, estimated calories the best I could, and paid it back later. This time, I was still paying back a few celebrations that happened in mid to late October, so I decided to bring my own food. I'm so close to my goal, I didn't want to spoil it.
I arrived Friday around 8:00, after having had 1200 calories for the day, and didn't eat anything else. Saturday, I ate 1400 calories. Dinner wasn't served until a little after 8, and I don't like eating that late, so I ate my dinner beforehand but sat with the group while they were eating. I left today a little after noon and ended up eating 530 calories there and 1300 total (which means I have just 200 calories of "debt" left to pay back).
I'm so psyched that I spent a whole day and parts of two others surrounded by cookies, doughnuts, chips, leftover Halloween candy, nuts, several different types of breads, and a dinner consisting of lasagna, chili, cornbread, several salads, and cakes and pies--not only did I stay on plan, I paid off some calorie debt! Today I decided to eat two small cookies for 140 calories as part of the 1300 I ate--they looked really good, and they were. I also froze and took home two pieces of cornbread.
I didn't know if it would be weird being around everyone while they were eating, but it turned out not to be. I explained what I was doing and assured everyone that I was eating enough, and they were very supportive. Most of them have known me more than 10 years and have seen me go from
220 to 250 to 225 to 260--it's gratifying to have them see me at a healthy weight.
One mine field successfully navigated!
