My name is Kim, and I'm an Avoider..

Yesterday, I bought groceries. If you were to look in my cabinets (pantry) and my refrigerator, you'd probably ask why. Truth is we had a lot of food in the house, but since the kids are out for spring break, I needed snacks and lunch food for that extra person at home. (You may recall, Jonathan isn't home much as he is working long hours this week at the Master's Golf Tournament.) So I stocked up on whole wheat breads and lots of fruit and veggies. I stood for quite a while rinsing grapes, and chopping celery, cucumbers, bell peppers, squash, zucchini, and broccoli. It was a lot of work, but if I do these things ahead of time, I am more apt to use them. Tonight we used a lot of celery, along with salsa and tomato sauce and paste, along with lean steak for a Crock Pot Swiss Steak. We enjoyed that with green beans and potatoes.

Today marks week three, and I am still at 8 lbs. lost. I have to admit, that is a little discouraging. Between two and three weeks is when I typically begin to have trouble. I have not walked/exercised at all this week. Definitely need to change that.  I am just being real here people! This weekend I beat myself up so much because I ate two slices of Red Barron pizza, what Ed and the boys were having for dinner one night. I convinced myself I had to have it, and then I beat myself up for having it. But I did not throw up my hands and quit. That's a good sign. I am what Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen (authors of You on a Diet) call an Avoider. I read this little tidbit in their book recently, and it really struck a chord with me.

" Here's how avoiders think. Once you deviate--even slightly--from a diet or healthy eating plan, you figure you might as well drop the whole thing. And this starts a cycle that avoiders can't find a way out of: We're fat, we try to lose weight, we deviate just a little, we fear rejection for the perceived failure, we isolate ourselves from people, we stop talking about it, we stop the diet, we mow through a pound of cheesecake, we get fat, and then we try to lose weight...and the cycle continues."
"Instead of avoiding bad foods, avoiders tend to want to avoid other things--like the people who want to help them and the discipline of trying to eat healthfully. Above all, avoiders try to separate themselves from these two strong emotions associated with dieting."

Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen, you have hit the nail on the head. I have gone through this roller coaster eating lifestyle for as long as I can remember. I sooo want to succeed this time! Back on track today, and pressing on!