Day 4 of the 17 Day Diet - A "Pop Quiz"

It's been an interesting 3 days so far as I venture into Day 4. I have lost 8 pounds so far but I'm told that the first 10 pounds are the easiest.

The biggest changes so far have been the amount of water I drink a day and the fact that I don't get to put whatever i want in my mouth when I want to. I've actually discovered that when I'm at work, I tend to stack on granola bars if they're lying around. I didn't realize that I was unconsciously eating often.

Barstow, a dream come true?

The first day I was extremely grouchy by the end of the day and was craving all kinds of things to eat. Tuesday night was rough as I was in a meetings until 10 PM and had only eaten a small bowl of cottage cheese. I had another bowl of cottage cheese and went to bed. That night I had a bizarre dream in which I was at a huge McDonald's like the one in Barstow. I was starving and they had this huge salad bar. I got a plate and put as much salad on it as I could. There were also cooked vegetables, so I got another plate as well. I woke up starving, but ate a little cottage cheese in the morning.

The first real test will come in the next couple of days. I'm leaving for a presbytery meeting in Parker, CO today and will away from home. I'm staying at a Hampton Inn so I know what to expect for breakfast and it will work. The hardest part will be traveling there and back. Fortunately I'll be flying non-stop from Fresno to Denver. Tonight I'll have dinner with some friends and the rest of my meals will be taken care of at the church. I return early Saturday night so I'll also have to deal with dinner. I'm sure I'll be able to make good choices.

In reflecting on all of this I see that I have choices to make. When I consider the options I have for eating, I can either remain true to my plan or be unfaithful. I use word 'unfaithful' deliberately because that is what I think of when I might possibly choose something I probably  shouldn't have right now. I don't think I'll have to live the rest of my life denying myself everything, but self-denial and self-control can lead to good things. I know that I will be healthier in the end. I also believe that when I do partake of things (in moderation, of course) that I am currently denying myself, I will enjoy them even more.