Good bye Cake! We're dieting!

Ryan and I are dieting and beginning a new way of eating. That's why you see the cake ... birthdays are NOT going to be a reason to pig out!

In this part of the world where winter can be so long (7 degrees this morning and I still have five foot snowbanks at the end of my drive, cannot see grass yet and have a good 12-18 inches on the ground) we tend to socialize by eating. We call it fellowship, going out to dinner and it has become affordable, yet toxic, recreation.

Friends in town? Have a big meal. Holiday? What shall we have to eat? Superbowl party? Mounds of food and drink. Nothing to do on a snowy winter Friday evening? Let's go out for fish fry and see friends. The list goes on and on. Weekends arrive and it's a license to munch all day long.

After this past year with my surgery and two hospitalizations and Ryan's surgery, which were all complicated by obesity, I decided to put a stop to it and get serious. Make no mistake. It's hard!

What amazes me ... no, HUMBLES me, is that Ryan, without a grumble, has put his entire eating into my hands. Some would say, "He probably wants to be thinnner" but that's not really true. First, he can't remember what it feels like to be thin. Secondly, he doesn't compare himself to other people for body type so he doesn't really realize how heavy he was getting. Thirdly, he doesn't understand the health issues so can't lose weight "for his health" and finally, he loves to eat. (Yeah, he's definitely my kid!) When the doctor asked him if he wanted to lose weight, Ryan shrugged.

However, he DOES realize that it's important to me and since we're working on it together he seems okay with it. Actually, he's unbelievably graceful about it. For someone to put that kind of trust in me, humbles me. I've instituted weekly rewards (non-food) for sticking to the diet and in 8 weeks he's lost 32 pounds! (I'm not doing THAT well ;-) He hasn't deviated once! Neither have I but he's 21 and male ... need I say more, ladies?

At any rate, this is our good bye to cake and the shortening that makes up frosting. You know? I've never really loved cake anyway. Unless I LOVE something I'm not eating it ever again! There aren't enough calories allowed to me to eat foods that I don't relish and enjoy eating.

At any rate ... shout out to Ryan. My go-get-em guy!
Have a great week. If you're dieting, know that you're not alone!
Much love and joy,
Karen