johnguinness's Diaryland Diary
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settling in with the healthy foods
I'm a bit proud of myself today.
I'm not sure how much I ate yesterday to celebrate my first day of Food Stamp shopping. I did manage to go through two different kinds of cookie dough - oatmeal raisin and something with macadamia nuts. I know there was a Snickers bar eaten out of a six-pack. I imagine there was some healthy stuff, too, but I honestly wasn't paying attention, I was just getting through the day in kind of a healing process.
I canceled my pre-dawn walk before even going to bed, after I saw the Severe Weather Advisory for this morning. I ended up in bed later than expected, due to mattress issues I won't go on about. When I woke up, knowing I might have time to get to the store before snow hit, I did a quick food inventory from memory. Actually, I remembered there were two frozen pizzas in case I wanted on for a hot breakfast, and that there were Snickers in case I needed something quick before a dash to the store.
Normally there's no way I don't toss the pizza in the oven. But today, I calmly walked to the window to see that there was no snow yet, got online to check the forecast, and hopped on the scale to see just how much damage I did yesterday, the way some might check their sent texts after a night of drinking. It was only a pound bump up from yesterday, which doesn't mean the bullet was well and truly dodged, but did suggest that the proper course would be to dig into the small, healthy meals again, and save the pizza for a time when my body demands it.
I ended up at the dollar store to use a $5 off $25 coupon, easily avoiding the usual suspects like cake or brownie mixes, mac and cheese and the like. I stopped at the other store on the way home for ten pounds of potatoes. The only things left on the shopping list for now are grapefruit juice (hate it, but will drink it for my blood sugar), olive oil and Dove Dark Chocolate (there seems to be a shortage just now).
I've presently got my favorite peanut butter, favorite preserves, pancake mix, the pizzas, the Snickers, and tons more of fun stuff, and I haven't any interest in it. It's a totally different mindset. When I walked out of the store, I realized that I only had enough of one thing to last four or so days, and then I remembered I have more than twenty bucks left devoted strictly to groceries. I won't be begging at the Food Pantry again, or have to eat anything that wasn't my own idea. I'm done with ramen, and Vienna sausages, and cheap brands of things I've never heard of. Try to imagine the difference between pulling up to the church building and having anyone who happens by knowing that those two bags of hopefully edible food you're eating are the result of charity drives, and walking through the posh supermarket stocking up on the best sale items, if they're worth the drive.
Another step I took today was to re-follow three cycling fans on Twitter. They all follow me, but I haven't interacted with them since I got ticked off by Contador during the Tour de France last year and deleted everyone. They haven't realized it yet, but I expect some lively chats in the future. One of them used to throw fuel on the fire whenever I was spreading incriminating photos of Lance, or whatever. I really am trying to make this year better than the way I finished 2010, and allowing friends back in is as big a step as having healthy, tasty food.
I'll try to keep the Contador talk to a minimum, but the Tour de France starts on my birthday, and everyone concerned is going to try to get his case totally settled forever by then. On my birthday I'll either watch the race, knowing that he's totally been cleared, or walk away from the sport forever, as I promised.
I seem to have missed Doctor Who and also Boat Race Day. Actually, I went to a Doctor Who feed at JTV arund 11 my time last night, and saw the Doctor actor playing guitar at a gig. There were like seven viewers. I asked a question about if the show was coming, or to be repeated. The broadcaster, in an otherwise empty chat room, told me to "check the banner". I looked, it made no sense, and I decided that since the guy could have answered my question in as many words as it took to be rude, I unfollowed the channel and bailed.
I've got tennis on ESPN 3, and probably three tiny meals left for the day, so let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
My last Mini Meal was two microwaved "baked" potatoes with a tad of healthy(ish) soft margarine and a bit of salt. SO tasty.
1:54 p.m. - Saturday, Mar. 26, 2011
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