slow-mo saturday

Wanna know why people in the south speak with a slow drawl? It's adapted during the long steamy summer months... when the heat makes you move at a snail's pace. That's how I feel today... like I'm moving in slow motion. Sleepy, lazy, draggy... and I'm glad I have a Saturday where I can spend a day this way without guilt.

Weigh in today, as you can tell from the counter above and the post below... was another great success for me! My weekly average on Weight Watchers is 1.9 pounds! I had hoped for one pound a week... so having this kind of start makes me really happy. To be honest, I feel like I've earned it. I work soooo hard at it... I have counted every bite that's gone into my mouth for the past 8 weeks. No cheats. No breaks. I've been 100% on plan. It's like... I've approached this like an adult instead of like a rebellious teenager. I finally get that if I cheat, I'm only cheating myself.

I had one lovely piece of kahlua pound cake prepared by Christian women (which negated the calories, right?) a few weeks ago. Today I had the most amazing piece of peach pie EVER that I bought at the farm store. My friend/client/farm worker Philip encouraged Austin to have me buy him a pie... and since *for once* I wasn't having to shop alone, I splurged on a pie. It was a splurge both from an economic standpoint AND a caloric standpoint. Actually... six points for a piece... and worth every single one! But those two treats have been my only indulgences in all of this time... which I think is a huge accomplishment for a sugar-holic like myself!

Honestly... on WW you can eat anything you want but I've just worked diligently to eat with purpose. I try to not eat anything that is void of nutritional value. I just love food so much... and I want to be healthy so badly... and I have to watch my budget so carefully... that I just try to make sure everything I eat gives me the best possible value - both in feeling good, being satisfying and being affordable.

When I got to WW this morning I was surprised to see our leader, Renee, at the meeting. She was supposed to be on vacation this week and we were going to have a fill in leader. Then I noticed Renee was tearful. It turns out... that our receptionist, the lady who weighs us, Miss Gladys, passed away last week. She was there last week... and I teased her about always forgetting my weekly booklets... and she died on Monday. We just never know what life holds in store. Renee didn't want our group to find out this news from a substitute leader so she came in... and instead of having a regular meeting, we had sort of a memorial for Gladys. It was really sweet. Gladys had been Renee's leader when she came back to WW after losing and then gaining her weight back... and it was Gladys who encouraged Renee to become a leader. It was also Gladys who encouraged Vicki, a lady in our group who just recently met her goal of losing 170 pounds. Vicki will take Gladys' place.

I said all of that to say that at first glance, I felt like this WW meeting was a bit geriatric for me... most of the ladies are at least twenty years older than me... and I really didn't see how I could gain much from the support of a group so different from my own demographic... but it was a huge encouragement for me today to see how precious they are to each other and how dedicated they all are to this process. My 15 pound achievement was announced today and there were a few ladies who went out of their way to congratulate me after the meeting. I need that kind of support.

Later, Austin and I ran into Renee at Ingles and I introduced them and told her the story of the flowers coming anonymously and how Austin so sweetly said, "they're from Weight Watchers... they're proud of how good you're doing"... and Renee teared up again... she told Austin that I needed that kind of support. It was sweet. All part and parcel of living in a small town.... having those relationships and having the people you know from work and community organizations run into you and your kid in the grocery store. I love that whole Mayberry aspect of living here.

Sidenote... our agency won a contest in July for the most new auto customers... the prize? A pizza party. Great.

I picked up some goodies at the farm besides just the peach pie... I bought purple okra (because I can't ever just enjoy produce in the most common color available, now, can I?)... and the most amazing figs (which Austin had never had before and loved)... and four different colors and types of tomatoes... and the ever present basil... and a freshly picked garlic bulb that I can't wait to use... and one of those crazy long asian cucumbers. I'll make some more of that black and white bean salad this week... some broccoli slaw... and I'm seeing broiled figs with goat cheese in my future... doesn't that sound yummy?

My goals for the next week are to amp up the activity. I say that every week... but it's huge... and although I'm still heavier than I ever was when I was exercising regularly before... I can do it and it feels incredibly empowering to have some control over my body instead of my fat, lazy, exhausted body dictating what I can and can't do. I have a few milestones lurking ahead of me... and the largest looming is that 10% goal. i'm only six pounds away... I hope to get there in the next month. I'm still very ok with a one pound a week rate of weight loss and that's really what I expect. Every week that I do better than that, I'm just one very happy girl.

Time to think about dinner... oven fried okra and tilapia! Hope you're having a great day. Love and *thinner* hugs!