My weight did not change.  I still weigh 231.  In the past I’d be discouraged and probably give up.  Now, I’ll just focus on proper eating and exercise and move forward.  I’m learning to focus on the “bigger picture” and not worry about a single day’s weight fluctuation.

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I really had to “dig my heals in” today.  After church, we went to a local restaurant where they were serving fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, and fried cornbread, three of my FAVORITE things.  I ordered grilled chicken, green beans, diet coke.  I’m super-proud of the fact that I made good choices, enjoyed the conversation, and basically forgot about the other foods.  I must admit, the 11-layer chocolate cake was “calling my name”, but I paid it no attention.  It helped that two people at church remarked that I looked like I was “gettin’ skinny”… I rock!  Weigh-In Monday Morning!

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Let me tell you a little bit about “Sundays in the South”.  Sunday is an important day in the South, filled with family, faith, and food.  After attending Sunday School and church, families gather around the table to eat “dinner”.  Fried chicken, mashed potatoes (with real gravy), black-eyed peas, and skillet corn bread are just a few of the foods that folks will eat.  Dinner will be followed by some time spent rocking on the back porch, gossiping about who was (or was not) at Sunday service.  The children will go out to play in the backyard, while daddy takes a nap during half-time.  Around evening, some folks will head on back to church for potluck supper, a collection of the finest leftovers you’ve ever tasted.  As the sun sets, folks will head home, with baskets of buttermilk biscuits, plates of pecan pie, and gallon jugs of sweet iced tea.

I’ve lived in the South for my whole life.  In fact, I could start out after breakfast, and drive past everyplace I’ve ever lived, and be home by lunch time.  And every Sunday for the past thirty years, I’ve enjoyed the blessings (and curses) of southern living.  Social, cultural, and religious events in the South revolve around “what’s to eat”.  I’m sure that food plays an important role in all cultures, but “southern food” is woven into the fabric of southern life.

If you are going to lose weight and live in the South, you have to be prepared to deal with the social implications of “not eating.”  I had to talk to the people who are closest to me, and be sure that they understood that I’m trying to eat in a whole new way.  Learning to focus on what I NEED to eat, and not on what I’m EXPECTED to eat is very, very important.

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I’ve decided to start weight lifting tomorrow.  Trust me, I’m going to take it nice and slow, starting out with some work on my arms, back, and chest.  I will probably just use my barbells and do some basic exercises.  In the past, I’ve either totally ignored working out (most of my life) or totally gone overboard and lifted like a lunatic.  This time, just like with my way of eating, I’ll use common sense, pace myself, and learn as I go.

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