Hanging In There

My blog has been quiet for a while. I haven’t updated for a week. That’s not a good sign. You know that old saying, “If can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all”? Well, I haven’t been doing well with my diet and exercise program, so rather than admit my slacker attitude, I went silent. I haven’t been exercising, and some of the bad eating habits are sneaking back into my life… habits that led me to the point of being more than a hundred pounds overweight.

Today was a turning point. I had a bad day at work. I was in tears, and couldn’t wait to get away from my desk. Unfortunately, there was still work to be done, and I was the only one left there to do it, so I stayed past my usual quitting time. Then I headed out the door to do some grocery shopping. The old habits were rearing their ugly head… thoughts like “You’ve had a bad day. You deserve a treat. Get yourself a bag of Peanut M&Ms or a pint of ice cream. That will make things better.”

Fortunately, it takes fifteen minutes to drive from work to the grocery store. I jacked up the air conditioning and the stereo. There’s something therapeutic about singing along with the radio at the top of your lungs, with the windows rolled up in the car.

By the time I got to the store, I had my head on straight. I stuck to my shopping list (for the most part… Bethany was happy to see that I bought her a few Edy’s single-serve milkshakes. There were on sale and I had coupons.) I didn’t get myself any of my “trigger foods”. We’re having grilled salmon for dinner – a nice, healthy dinner.

One song that kept running through my mind this afternoon was the old Amy Grant song “In a Little While.” It starts out with her talking about what a bad day she had, including a traffic ticket (LOL, I made sure I used cruise control this afternoon!) and dropping the mail all over the floor on her way in the door. The song describes how getting a letter from a good friend lifts her up and encourages her.

I hope that my blogs are an encouragement to others on the same road… whether you’re just starting to lose weight, or if you’re near your goal. Don’t give up. There are going to be days when you feel like you just can’t do it. The only way to fail is to give up. Turn the day around, and take a step in the right direction. If I can do this, so can you!