Week One, Day Five

I woke up this morning dragging like a snail and did the one thing you aren't supposed to do: weigh yourself. I steeled myself for being the same weight or even a few pounds heavier (just in case) but got a big surprise. I was ten pounds lighter! I can't tell you how great that makes me feel.

Most people who do the South Beach Diet don't see results that quick or that dramatic. That's because they only need to lose 30 pounds. For those of us enormously overweight, we lose a lot more in the beginning. I experienced the same thing on Atkins, ten years ago. It's like a consolation prize since we have so much farther to go than you light weights (smile).

I had a bit of a bad day yesterday, eating only a meal and a snack before going off for what I thought was a nap which turned into sleeping til the next day. So today's start was a little rocky. Oddly enough, I was really not hungry when I woke and the idea of cooking was just revolting. I ended up puttering around the house and getting some chores done (including chopping up some veggies and putting them in the crock pot to cook while I was gone). I finally left the house at 1:30, off to the grocery store to grab a few items, and decided I deserved a treat. I'd reward myself with steak.

I was a little nervous, not knowing exactly where I'd have the best luck with my dietary restrictions (my small town is pretty limited in restaurants) but settled on Ruby Tuesday. They're usually really expensive, but it turned out to be a good choice. The waitress was really great and understanding, making sure my side of broccoli, for example, wasn't cooked with any butter, that no added oils were used with the steak, etc. She even came out and handed me a photocopy of their "healthy choices" menu with all the nutritional info about each of the featured dishes. Very sweet.

For my salad, I had peas, edame (green soybeans), a little parmesan, and a generous sprinkling of ham over my romaine lettuce, topping it all off with a little balsamic vinagrette. My entree was top round steak with a side of broccoli and mashed cauliflower (a little overwhelmingly garlicky). I happily sucked down 3 Diet Cokes (probably too much) and for dessert, I had a stick of sugarless gum. It was a lot of food but I was really, really hungry by that point. And being waited on, not having to eat my own cooking, was such a wonderful luxury. It was worth the $22.

In a blissful mood after my meal, I went to Walmart and was informed by a helpful stranger about the sudden run on gas that's going on, apparently, in this area. Sure enough, there were huge lines for each pump, stretching out 7 and 8 cars long. And the price had jumped from yesterday's $3.51 to a whopping $3.95. It reminded me of the 70's, when I was a kid, and gas rationing was in effect. Not a good sight. I got in line and by the time I got to the pump, the station was totally out of midgrade and premium. This is Walmart, mind, not a tiny station. It was scary. So I filled my tank with regular, got my groceries, and headed home. I saw four other stations on my way with signs that they were completely out of gas. They were all over $4 a gallon, too. People are crazy. Although, it's gas companies that will use any excuse to cause a sudden price inflation, the crooks!

Still, ten pounds down for the week, more food cooking as we speak (chili) and plenty of stuff in the fridge to make a work dinner a quick and easy assembly. It's raining again (we can certainly use it) and Dad's bunny Ivan is demanding attention (or else: destruction). A great day to all my fellow dieters: you can do it!