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Sunday, September 4, 2011

First time dining out on new diet

Since I began this journey, I have eaten every meal either carefully bought at the store with an eye towards the label or prepared at home by me.  Due to the holiday we are visiting family and not only ate lunch on the road, we went to my favorite restaurant for supper. (And yes, for all you Northerners, it's "supper"; dinner is ate at noon!)

So I don't think I'm ready for this this, I have not been able to prove my self control yet, this will be a new temptation for me.  We pull up at Sonic and I hungrily eye the double meat, double cheese with bacon burger and chili fries.  Oh, and how about a milkshake to wash it down?  Yum!  I push the little red button with glee and to my surprise, this is one of the new Sonic's, where the button lights up to indicate it's been pressed and all I can see is a big red stop light, telling myself to STOP!

The disembodied voice comes across, the voice that expanded a thousand waists, "May I help you?"  And rolling off my tongue is "Grilled Chicken Sandwich, please".  I am stunned!  I did it!  While I know you purists out there are going to give me grief about eating anything prepared by the devil, I honestly think I made due with the best choice available (I mean, I could have had a salad, but have you ever tried eating a salad and driving?  Not gonna happen.)  I'm claiming this as a victory, because I am watching what I eat, I am recording my meals, paying attention to my intake.  Bite a hard one, I won.

Now we spend the day with friends and it's time to go out with family for supper.  I'm thinking they will pick a place I'm not crazy about, somewhere it will be easy to eat light and build on the success from lunch.  Maybe a Chinese place where I can get a lot of veggies, or even a sammich shop for a few slices of turkey.  Do they do that?  NO!  We end up at TEXAS ROADHOUSE!  Have you ever been to this place?  They herd you in like cattle, peanut shells litter the floor, a glass case is presented with 10 cuts of steaks you can choose from and at your table, before you even sit down there is a can of peanuts and a basket of rolls with cinnamon butter.  I'M GONNA DIE!

Slowly I turn from the dinner party and hit the bathroom, suddenly sick to my stomach, thinking of how much damage I'm about to do to myself when I realize, I mean, really say out loud:  "It's not over."  I wash my face, head to the table and engage in the conversation.  I do eat one roll, maybe out of nerves, maybe habit, probably lack of will power and look at the menu.  Longingly I gaze at the 16 ounce rib-eyes, the loaded baked potatoes, barbecue baby back ribs.  The waitress appears and I ask to go last, I'd rather not go at all, SKIP ME, SKIP ME!  I order a crispy chicken salad, a paltry 670 calories compared to the 2200 from what I would normally consume at such a place.

The best part?  I didn't even eat the whole salad, I have half left for breakfast!  And the moral of the story?  Don't go out to eat!  No seriously, that was the most stressful thing I've done all week and that includes making decisions about other people's employment future.  Today's total:  2,800 calories, the fourth highest of the week (but also the fourth lowest!)  I know I haven't been doing this long, not nearly as long as some of my new friends at www.sparkpeople.com but I think I can do this.  It's going to take a long time.  It took me 32 years to get this way, and I'm going to fix it, even if it takes another 32!!!

4 comments:

  1. YAH-HAH!!!!!!---YOU GO, TOMMY!!!:-)
    SOOOO PROUD OF YOU! Decision by decision is the way we make it. Doesn't it feel GREAT!?
    EXCITED FOR YOU---AND---INSPIRED BY YOU!:-)
    Sherry

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  2. No purists here. You did well.
    -BJ

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  3. Happy to see you signed up with sparkpeople.com, I've been slacking on it, but i'm gonna have to get my butt in gear and get back to it.. Oh by the way, I Looove reading your blogs and and I'm so happy for your success... your inspiring me to get back on it.

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