ANOTHER CH"EATING" DAY!

Yes, it was a "new day" yesterday, but I didn't make the most of it. Another cheating day. Since I hadn't walked yesterday morning, we waited until 5 PM when it was ever-so-slightly cooler (92 degrees insted of 96) and hit the golf course. Bob plays and I walk the 9 holes. Well, that's the plan. The only problem is that if someone is behind us, I can't walk because it's too slow. And that's what happened. I walked most of the holes, but doubt it was the 2 miles I aim for.

We finished at 7 PM and our choice was to go home and have a spinach salad (again), or "something else". We chose the "something else". We rationalized that we could go to our local buffet and only eat meat and vegetables. Bad idea - this was like an alcoholic going to a bar for a Coke. We started out just fine. I had broccoli, salmon, and green beans. Then Bob got some macaroni and cheese, and that did it - I caved. I got mashed potatoes and gravy. Then Bob got apple strudel with ice cream and I got carrot cake and a sugar cookie. Well, what can I say? I blew it . . . again.

To make ourselves feel better afterwards (we were stuffed), we went home, got the convertible and drove downtown to walk. The photo at left is misleading because it was late and dark, and no one was there. We walked about 1/2 mile. We must have shrunk our stomachs because the little we ate (for us anyway) shouldn't have made us feel so full. So I guess that's a good thing.

My problem is that I awake every morning with good intentions. But I'm not hungry in the morning, nor am I a daytime eater, so it's not difficult for me not to eat anything until about 5 PM. The theory that you should eat little meals all day so you won't be so hungry later on is baloney. I can eat little meals all day long, then overeat at night too. Or, not eat during the day and still overeat at night. It's the "overeating at night" that's the problem.

Well, today is another day - Memorial Day - and we have no plans. I don't understand people going to picnics in hot weather. I figure it stems from the days when there was no AC. It was probably cooler to gather in a park under a shade tree than to sit in a hot house. I suppose the other reason is to accommodate large groups of people. Anyway, I've never been too excited about picnics in general - except the eating part. Since I shouldn't be eating anyway, why tempt myself with potato chips, hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad and all the other picnic things I love.

So I haven't walked today which, of course, means spending the day thinking about where to walk. I suppose I will walk the track in the park later when it cools off.

A MOVIE . . .and (oops) POPCORN!

I didn't walk this morning. I never set my alarm anymore unless I have an appointment. I awoke at 10:15 AM. We watched movies last night until late. The very nicest thing about being retired and not having to go to a job, other than the simple fact of not having to put up with people and work associated with a job, is not having to set an alarm. I hate alarm clocks.

But by 10:15 AM it was already 82 degrees and very sunny, so too hot to walk. That means I now have to think of some other way to exercise today and it probably means going out on the golf course with Bob this evening when it cools off, walking in the air-conditioned mall in Augusta (because it's bigger than ours) or walking on the track in the park tonight. I don't like walking in the evening or at night and I don't particularly like mall-walking, so it looks like it will be the golf course or the track.

So let's see, the movies we watched last night: Casanova and The Greatest Game Ever Played. Casanova wasn't quite as bad as we'd heard. It was predictable, mindless and light, sometimes even funny. Nothing to write home about, though.

We'd never heard of The Greatest Game Ever Played. It's a Disney film directed by Bill Paxton and quite good. It's a true story of a young caddy in 1913 who became the youngest amateur to win the U.S. Open. It was one of those inspirational type films that makes you feel good. I cried - it was good and well worth the rental fee. The interview with the actual man, 70 years-old in 1963, was also quite good. This man remembered every shot of every hole fifty years later.

And I fell off the no-eating wagon last night. I had gotten into this bad habit several years ago of going to a movie theatre and buying a tub of popcorn. I don't stay there to watch a movie, though, I take it home to watch movies. I guess Bob was feeling sorry for me last night, or he wanted some too, but he drove me over to the theatre to buy popcorn - the whole bucket, with "butter". I justified it because we hadn't had dinner - this WAS dinner, but it was probably a bad idea. I'm ashamed to say we had Milk Duds too. I would hate to get on a scale now and won't for another few days when I've had a chance to eat right again and drink lots of water.

I should also say that the Memorial Day Parade yesterday was very nice for a small town. We parked right next to where we put our chairs under a shady tree. We watched from Park St. right across from the Court House. The parade lasted about 45 minutes.

We were a bit surprised at all the Confederate floats and the Confederate flags. There was nothing anti-American about it, but it was very apparent. Having only lived in South Carolina for six months, we are still trying to understand these strong pro-south feelings that tend to run high around here by some. After the parade, we went to the New Moon for an iced tea. I also got 1/2 sandwich. Again, I shouldn't have, but it just was so pleasant to sit there among the other parade-goers and have a nice lunch.

So all in all, we had a fun day yesterday, but I ate too much, and certainly not South Beach stuff. Well, today is a new day . . .

WALKING, EATING and a MOVIE

I'm trying to lose 24 lbs. -

. . . weight I started gaining last year in Europe, then proceeded to gain about 2 lbs. a month since then, hence 24 lbs! So now I walk 2-3 miles every morning and am eating the South Beach way.

I hate to walk - I hate all exercise, in fact. I'm a couch-potato at heart - always have been. But in the interest of health, and to combate habitually stiff joints, I now walk.

Because walking is so boring, though, I pass the time, step after laboring step, by pondering little issues in my life. I guess this blog will document those thoughts and get them off my chest.

This morning I thought: People like me with thick ankles should never gain weight. This has bugged me for a long time. The weight doesn't accumulate just around your mid-section like normal people, it accumulates everywhere and you end up with telephone poles for legs and blocks for feet.

People with skinny ankles never gain weight in their ankles or legs. They gain it in their middles and continue walking around on little bird-legs. That's more acceptable to me. For some reason, that look doesn't offend me like the my body-type: short and dumpy. A short, dumpy person has problems looking attractive in the first place. But if you put on a few pounds, that's it, you just look shorter and dumpier.

Of course, keeping weight off is a real challenge because I love to eat. But I don't eat fish, lettuce, spinach, tofu, or bean sprouts. Oh no! Instead I love to eat bread, whipped cream, cake, pasta, pie potatoes, pizza, hamburgers, fast food and candy.

When I was a little girl I couldn't wait to grow up and be on my own so I could do what I wanted and eat what I wanted. Then I grew up and found out that I couldn't eat anything I wanted because I had these l-e-g-s!

I inherited thick ankles from my mother. Where she got them, I have no idea. My grandmother had beautiful legs and so did my aunt. But somewhere back in the old gene bank in Denmark or Switzerland was someone with thick ankles and legs. And in a society that worships long, thin legs, this is a real bummer!

I also had the misconception that when I got old, I would be happier because I could look anyway I wanted, could eat anything I wanted, and do anything I wanted. Wrong-o! Now that I'm the ripe old age of 61 1/2, I'm finding that things haven't changed a bit. Now if I overeat or gain weight, I'm jeopardizing my health, quality of life and longevity.

So this morning as I trudged up and down the hills around here, huffing and puffing, with the sun beating down on my head, and the air thick with humidity, I contemplated the situation. There is no choice - I must eat small portions of healthy food, but food I don't particularly care for, and I must exercise. By the way, the photo on the left is what I looked like last year at this time and what I'm striving to look like this year!

And yes, I've done this all before, and once my weight goes down, I kid myself into thinking that I'm happier, and I guess I am at some level, but at the heart of it is the fact that I'm not eating what I want to eat, nor in the quantities I want. If I were truly happy skinnier, I wouldn't eat and gain the weight back, would I?

So it's not so much about walking, I guess, as it is about eating. It's funny because I want to reward myself for losing weight by, well you guessed it, eating something I really like! I know. . . stay busy and quit thinking about food - easier said than done, I assure you.

And here's the real rub: My husband is 6 ft. tall. He gained the same 24 lbs. that I did. I'm 5 ft. tall. You can hardly tell where his 24 lbs. went - he says his clothes are tight, but I can't tell much. I, on the other hand, am waddling around like a mushroom and none of my clothes fit! It's not fair, is it?

Well, after the first week, I've lost 6 lbs. which is about par-for-the-course. Then it will be 2 lbs a week (if I'm lucky) for as long as I don't eat any of my favorite things!



Oh, and while walking this morning, I also was thinking about the bad movie we rented last night. I love Colin Ferrell, which is weird in itself because I usually go for the blondes like Brad Pitt, whom I adore. But yeah, Colin Ferrell. Anyway, the movie was The New World. Hadn't heard anything about it that we could remember last year (and it's no wonder).

We started watching, and what the hey, there was hardly any dialogue. This movie went on for 2 1/2 snoozing hours. It never got any better. What little dialogue there was, was indistinguishable. We couldn't understand anything anyone said with a British accent, an Irish accent or in Indian lingo. There was no chemistry between any of the characters, and Pocahontas pretty much just ran around in tall grass with her arms flailing toward the heavens.

B-O-R-I-N-G and long! I read some reviews at rottentomatoes.com and was amazed that some people loved this movie. And of course, those who loved it, accused those who hated it of not being sophisticated and lacking in discriminating tastes and the fine arts. Baloney - I know a bad movie when I see one - and this was definitely it. The sad thing was that the concept was good, the scenery was great and it had all the makings of a good story. But this director couldn't decide whether to make a travel film, a love story or a docu-drama - and in his confusion succeeded in creating none of them.

Bob keeps a log of all the movies we see. We gave this one an "F" joining the likes of Pink Panther with Steve Martin, The Royal Tannenbaums, The Muse, Mother, Starsky & Hutch, Fight Club (I know, no one will agree with me on this one), Four Feathers, The Mummy Returns and possibly The English Patient and Gosford Park.

Well, since I'm now good and hot after my 2-mile walk, we're off to watch the Memorial Day parade downtown. This will be our first small town patriotic parade since we left Cedarburg in 1979. We're looking forward to it. It'll be hot - 92 degrees.