If I haven't shared this earlier I'm a chef at a continuing education center and I do receptions, lunches for art classes, etc. and working around food constantly is so challenging. I have a reputation for cooking vegetarian so people expect that of me so I can be creative with making things healthy and low-fat and that's great but I've found that people aren't willing to negotiate with their desserts so I also have to make some pretty decadent sugary stuff! I truly love my job and can't imagine doing anything else, and you've gotta admit, a chef with food issues is pretty comical!!!
Crone, when I said the trouble with wanting healthy food was I have to make it, I certainly didn't mean that I didn't like to cook but I don't want to make it when I want it NOW so I settle for the junky version. I try to cook alot of basic things at the top of the week that I can vary thruout the week, that works pretty well.
LLB, when I talked about the people that go their merry way and never give food a thought, I meant anybody, fat or thin. The people that simply don't have food or exercise as a concern. This journey has become such a part of my life that I can't imagine what it's like to just wake up in the morning and not be mentally plotting out my menu and scheduling my workout! Actually, truth be known, I'd miss this aspect of my life! Could it be that I'm enjoying the "thrill of the hunt" so much that it's why I've never reached my goal weight?
By the way, at work some days are better than others. On those days when I make mountains of cookies ,for example, I can enjoy the 'assembly line', meditative aspect of it and other days I want to sit down with a few and enjoy!
My husband said something to me on Valentine's day that has haunted me. It's quite profound. When he brought me flowers and no candy, he said he wanted to, that he loves to bring me treats but that he's noticed that sometimes when I say I'm allowing myself to have some particular treat, I immediately regret it and he doesn't want to be a part of that, that the line between treating myself and punishing myself is blurred. He's very insightful and I'm still processing his statement. Anybody have any thoughts on it?
My, my--I do go on. Wow, see what happens when you get started?! No wonder I just 'lurked' here so long! The floodgates are opened now!