Tis the Night Before Fat Tuesday...

and  here in my house,

the fridge is stocked with food that would be loved by a mouse.

Bowls and baggies of veggies galore!

Olives and apples and cheese and much more!

Yesterday, I flew to the store in a flash!

Grabbed squash, mushrooms, tomatoes, and spent lots of cash!

And the eggs!

Dozens of them are all snug in the fridge,

While visions of pounds melting off me dance in my head just a smidge…

Now Veggies! Now Bacon! Now Sausage and Broccoli!

On Brussels Sprouts! On Beets! On Snap Peas and Celery!

To the top of the cheese, to the top of the eggs,

Now dash away, dash away, dash away…

FAT.

(Yeah, I know that doesn’t rhyme)

 

I write such excellent poetry, don’t I?

My jolly plump self has joined in a weight loss challenge at work, hence the above crazy writing.

My coworkers and I are each pitching in $5, weighing ourselves on Wednesday, (EEEEEK!) in front of each other (EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). Then, for the 40 days of Lent, we will be encouraging each other to eat healthy, exercise while we keep each other motivated to lose weight and get in shape.

When my coworker Sarah proposed this ridiculous idea last week, I laughed and said, “Oh, HELL no!” But, the more I thought about it, the more it sounded like a good idea.

I need to lose weight, and I need to get in shape, so why not join the people I spend the majority of my time with, who can hold me accountable?

So, yesterday, before I did my normal weekly grocery shopping, I spent a lot of time planning healthy meals for myself, breakfast and lunches mostly. The thing is, I really do like eating vegetables and other healthy food, but I am usually too lazy to prepare it. Typically, I buy fresh produce and stick it in the fridge in those flimsy little bags and then throw it all way a week or so later, still in the bags.

Let me tell you what I did yesterday. I bought lots of produce (LOTS!) I came home from the store and rather than stuffing it all in the fridge, I unloaded it all onto the counter, then spent the next 2 hours washing and cutting and slicing and dicing and roasting some of my favorite veggies. The shelves of my refrigerator are now stuffed with stacks of little Rubbermaid tubs and Ziploc bags that hold those veggies and others with grilled chicken…all easy to grab in the morning when I am on my way out the door. I told Tony last night that my goal is for all of those containers to be empty by the end of the week, and not because I threw wilted and rotten vegetables away.

I typically eat pretty healthy anyway, but I am trying to eat very low carb, except for some fruit now and then because I can’t give fruit up completely, and I have high hopes this will help me get rid of my belly that is like a bowl full of jelly.

But eating better is only half of my plan. I am going to work out, too. I actually joined a local gym right after Christmas, and then 5 days later, I tripped over a dog toy and injured my foot and ankle. I spent almost 6 weeks in a giant, clumsy boot. Not really conducive to exercising!

I have been completely out of the boot for a week. I am still not in much of a condition to exercise, though. But as Sarah told me today when I was complaining about how much my foot hurts, “No pain, no gain, Rose!” So, I stopped on the way home from work and reactivated my gym membership that I put on hold just days after I joined. I won’t be able to do the yoga classes I initially signed up for just yet, but I think I will be able to walk on the treadmill and ride an exercise bike.

No matter what I end being able to do, it’s gotta be better than sitting on the couch watching HGTV, right? I actually walked around my block today, twice!

A couple of my coworkers are determined to win the pot of money, but my eye is on the real prize…that my belly will no longer shake like a bowl full of jelly.