The Good, The Bad and the Food

Shortly after I posted yesterday I got the phone calls I needed to get, so we made the call we were anxious to make. The money situation is taken care of, so we made an offer on the house and the owner was receptive.

So it looks like we're moving! I can't quite believe it. I hate moving, but somehow I've managed to move nine times in the last 13 years! It's such an upheaval of your life. Everything's thrown into chaos while huge chunks of your life get packed into boxes, and your head is full of debate over paint, wallpaper, furniture placement and kitchen organization. Not to mention doing all the address changes and calling utilities. I fume every time I have to get the phone turned on in a new place; why in the world do I have to pay so much money for them to flip a switch?!? It's a racket and no one can convince me otherwise.

But here's my biggest concern: with the upcoming chaos coming at the holidays, how in the world will I be able to keep up with this Onederful Project? Will I be able to handle the stress of moving without turning to food? Will I be able to keep up my planned meals and regular exercise as the craziness takes over? I have to admit I'm a little scared. The last time I had this much chaos in my life (moving into my current home and getting married), I gained back 50 pounds!

But I have one thing on my side -- experience. Each time I go through these episodes I may make mistakes, but I learn from them, too. With each moving adventure I've become a little more organized, a little more efficient. And with each bout of this losing weight journey, I learn which tricks work, which foods keep me feeling fuller longer, what habits I need to encourage.

Honestly, maybe a little fear is a good thing. It'll keep me honest, at least. I know I'll be heavily challenged, and awareness is half the battle. It's sticking my head in the sand and saying "I'll eat now and deal with the consequences when the insanity's over" that is the death knell for my progress.

So one promise I have to make to myself is to continue this blog. Throughout this saga I have written in my journals and this habit kept me mindful. Every single time I'd shrug off the journal and let it sit unopened for a week, or two, or three months, I'd gain weight. But this blog is different. Having this public display makes me feel more responsible to maintain it, because I do have several people who read it regularly and seem to get a lot out of it. For once my need to take care of others before myself could come in handy; while giving others my posts, I'll be helping myself to stay in the moment and not escape into food.

And it's so great to get the feedback I receive from my readers. I don't always reply to everyone, but I do read them all and really appreciate all the comments. It makes me feel like I've got a whole community of like-minded people cheering for me.

Let's end with a cheer! Two-four-six-eight, keep those 'taters off my plate. Yea, ME!!!