Remember when you were a kid and you would just be dying to try something? Maybe be allowed to go somewhere, or do something new, or do something by yourself for the first time? Did you react the way I sometimes did? "Since I've been trusted with this responsibility, I better not screw it up. I might need to bank some good behavior for similar activities in the future." So maybe I would get home early with Dad's car, or bring home the change from the 20 bucks for groceries instead of putting it in my piggy bank. OK, not EVERY time...
This year I managed to not completely overindulge, but I didn't totally abstain, either. Admittedly there was too much alcohol, calorie-speaking, though an argument can be made that ANY alcoholic beverage fits that category. But between lunch, late afternoon at the bar, and dinner on Thursday I managed to have four drafts and a punch concoction made up of several shots of harder stuff. I was never drunk nor out of control, but like I said, the calories were all liquid and not beneficial.
Friday there were a few more drinks and more food - a dinner sponsored by a travel company that I have worked with in the past. So, too many calories. BUT... the difference I spoke of above? I knew it was coming and vowed to at least try to make good choices and I gave myself "permission" to do it. In other words, I had no plans to abstain or "deprive" myself from food and drink, but I also decided that I wouldn't grouse about my lack of willpower or inability to turn down food.
And it went well:
- Thursday's lunch was 2 crab cakes and a small bowl of soup (and two beers..) Not bad! No deep fried, and small portions, though the crab cakes are probably high in calories.
- I had a late afternoon snack at the hotel restaurant - 6 wings (and two more beers...) Again, decent portions, but deep fried...
- Dinner was awesome. Went to Stella's Bar and Grill in downtown GR (you really should go) on the recommendation of a friend. Had a Buffalo Burger - so much for portion control!! It was a beautiful thing, though, and I enjoyed it. With fries. And these wonderful things called "Stuffed Tots" or something - tater tots stuffed with cheese and jalapenos, breaded and - you guessed it - deep fried. Only had three. But they're pretty big. Anyway...
Friday and Saturday went reasonably well also, with the biggest meal being the aforementioned sponsored buffet. Limited myself to one trip, though. And two beers. And there was wine sometime before dinner.
*Disclaimer: I don't remember having this much alcohol in two days ever, so don't worry; I'm OK! Again, never out of control, and no driving.
Bottom line: ate too much, drank too much, but didn't allow myself to go to that place of "I suck at this, so I might as well just give up and eat whatever I want." Figured I would have Saturday afternoon and Sunday to do some exercise, anyway, so I would work it off. (Maybe in my next post I will talk about the cold/sinus infection-type disease I had the last three days that prevented my exercise... Ah, well, you know what they say: want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans.)
Anyway, I did better than I have at similar events, and I didn't do the pity party thing. Which is a big thing for me. I'll be back at the bike tomorrow, then when I have a dinner meeting on Wednesday at Logan's I will have a low-cal, high-protein meal. No deep fried. No carbs? Probably not, but it's a good thought.
Give yourself some permission once in a while. Because what I got to thinking was that since I had permission, maybe I would try to bring back a little change. Or get home early.
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