I Had a Minor Setback

As I mentioned in my first post, many of my family's traditions are food-related. It started with my grandparents, but the next two generations added their mark. My mother's lasagna, my father's antipasto, my youngest sister's carrot casserole (I never said that all of our traditions were delicious, or even edible) and my oldest sister's back up apple pie that is tucked out of sight on Thanksgiving (a brilliant contribution that grew out of the need to keep certain family members from becoming completely unhinged at the thought of no leftover pie for the post-holiday breakfast).

This past week, my sisters and their families descended upon Charlotte to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday. As you can imagine, there was lots of food and drink. And enough birthday cake to feed 80 eighty year olds. A part of me was sad that I couldn't hang out with everybody during the day as they lounged at the pool, drinking Margaritas and snacking on guacamole and chips. But another part of me was grateful that I had somewhere to be as it kept me from overindulging during the day. But every evening, I joined my family for cocktails, dinner, and a birthday cake that seemed to get larger, rather than smaller with each passing day.

I would be lying if I told you that I stuck to my healthy eating objective. I absolutely made my fair share of less than stellar choices. But even while I was eating birthday cake like it was my job, I could hear Jacy's voice in my head reminding me to be mindful of every bite. And every sip. And while I wasn't counting calories, I tried to make every calorie count. Maybe not my hardest, but I tried. I'm not going to beat myself up; my mother only turns 80 once. So, for a few days, food wasn't all about nutrients and refueling my body. But, next week I will recommit to making good choices. I'll slip on my sneakers (metaphorically and in reality) and I will begin where I left off.

Because of my crazy week at work and at home, I was unable to meet on-one-on with Jacy. But I am on her calendar for Monday. I'm excited about the new recipes she is going to share and I am looking forward to that much needed shot of adrenaline that only Jacy can provide. I know that habit formation hinges on my ability to bounce back. Watch me bounce.