Sunday, October 31, 2010

My Hallolution

It was a scary Halloween Sunday morning. There I was, minding my own business, stepping on the scale for the first time in a few days, when ALL OF A SUDDEN, out of nowhere came…

I could’ve begun this blog with “Once upon a time…” but that would be too corny and trite given that it actually is a true story. So to continue my creative meanderings…

Out of nowhere came…a number I hadn’t seen in months: 208! Chills ran up and down and back up and back down and all around and inside and outside and through and through my spine as I stared back at the horribly ghastly digits. I stepped off the scale, waited three seconds, then back on again. That had worked before but not this time. The number flicked on and it now read…the same? Eeekkk! What a monstrosity! Where did my healthy lifestyle go? I had patiently decreased from about 250 to an old-age low of 195.5. More recently I had leveled between 200 and 206. Then Halloween came and the dreaded 208. The trend is catastrophic! Those superfluous pounds must’ve come from the Great Pumpkin. Charlie Brown, where are you when I need you?

Needless to say, I felt discouraged with no one to blame but myself. I had quit doing what got me here. I’d been laurel resting for some weeks now. Resting on your laurels means sitting too much with my rear imbedded in my recliner and zoning out allowing the late night cravings from nuts, dark chocolate, and Lara Bars to consume my zombie-like brain. Normally those are healthy snacks for me but not after 9 p.m.

Sitting in worship a couple hours later after a healthy breakfast of eggs, grapefruit, and banana (breakfast is seldom my challenge – that would be supper and bednight snacks), it hit me (no, Delores didn’t elbow me to keep me awake) like a mushy pumpkin on the end of a witch’s broom…the scale got it right. If I keep on doing what I’ve frequently and recently done, I’ll keep on getting numbers like 208 or 215 or 222 or 247 or 269! This nightmare can’t be happening to me. Get a grip, college professor! But I digress…again…

Then it hit me…get back to the basics, the Baby Steps, what got me here...There and then I made a Halloween resolution. Delores called it something like a Hallolution. Whatever works…

I’m going on a 6-Day Diet beginning today. I can do anything for six days. I will try to continue it through Friday (then breaking if necessary for two days at Harding’s Homecoming in AR. Take that, Scale!

So here’s my plan for the next six daze: No nuts; no spoons full of peanut butter; no Lara Bars; no grains at all (that means no creamed eggs – my favorite breakfast, because I make them with brown rice flour and almond milk); and NOTHING AT ALL TO EAT AFTER 7 P.M. except water. I will eat raw organic fruits and vegetables, healthy meats/eggs/fish and drink lots of pure spring water.

Additionally, I will do my traction and head weights with 10 minutes of light upper body weights ever day. I will add 20 minutes of burst training or some long-distance cardio or an hour of racquetball at least three of those six days (hopefully). I will revisit the scale on Friday morning (after five days since I won’t be home Saturday to weigh) and see if this plan has reaped any positive results.

So Hallolution, here I come! Boy, that burger, fries, and cole slaw for lunch today surely were delicious. The grass fed burger with organic mustard and the organic sweet potato fries and the homemade cole slaw made fresh this day, of course. I didn’t even top it off with the usual square of dark chocolate…like someone else I know and love did.

Pray for my healthy Hallolution this week. At least the Healing Foods Diet from Dr. Axe has some scrumptiously-tasting foods. If I can just stay out of all of it late at night...Perhaps I should post a scary face on the pantry and refrigerator. No, I’ve got it! I’ll post an image of that really terrifying number…208! Happy Hallolution to you all.