Week 23 Recap: Eating Alone with My Thoughts

This Week:          -0.4 pounds

Total Loss:           22.2 pounds

You know what’s weird?  Of all the plans I’ve tried, this one has scared me the most.  I actually experienced some anxiety – what would I do if I couldn’t read or watch TV while eating?  I never eat alone with my thoughts. 

Here are some examples of how the week played out.

Monday lunch.  When I don’t have a lunch date on workdays, I always read while eating – email, an article, something on my BlackBerry – anything to make maximum use of the time (or so I deceive myself).  Instead, I invited a coworker to lunch.  She is an amazing mom to a disabled adult daughter and we had a great conversation about that.  (Shannon thinks being a little less connected to my BlackBerry and a little more social is a good thing.)

Monday dinner.  Now this was creative.  I’m in crunch time at work (yet again) and had a deal in place with Shannon to work Monday night.  Every other time this happens, I’d go to a restaurant and read.  This time, though, I drove to our friend’s son’s Little League all-star game and ate dinner in the stands.

Tuesday breakfast.  I had Trader Joe’s High Fiber O’s cereal.  The TV would normally be on, but we left it off.  With nothing to distract me and the house pianissimo quiet, I couldn’t believe how loud the crunching of the cereal was.  This is my favorite cereal and I had never noticed that.  (And get this...As I was eating, I grabbed my BlackBerry from its charger to put it with my work stuff and instinctively began reading an email that had arrived overnight – literally unaware that I was doing it.  Shannon busted me.  It was like sleepwalking.  Weird.) 

Tuesday night.  Gosh, this post is getting long already, but these experiences have been fascinating to me!  I went to the Mariners game Tuesday night and didn’t eat at the ballpark, so I had a snack when I got home.  Shannon was in bed already.  Again, I was alone with my thoughts.  I stood awkwardly in kitchen, and couldn’t wait to finish what I was eating so I could go on-line.  I guarantee you without the “No TV/Reading” rule I’d have had three more items as I read on the web or watched TV.

I have examples from the rest of the week, but you get the idea.  I thought my weight loss would have been greater, but when I did eat, I ate out several times, and Father’s Day was a party, and I had dessert, etc.  No question in my mind though, “No TV/Reading” while eating is a powerful tool, and I’m looking forward to seeing the two week total.

By the way, my bike got its first flat tire yesterday!  Must be doing something right! ;-)