Day 358

At the beginning of the year I started a very calorie restricted diet. I lost about 15 pounds. Then I visited my doctor and he told me that he recommends people try and lose about 1 pound per month. I feel like he gave permission to cheat. So I had my little fling in Chicago (which included deep dish pizza, genuine Russian dumplings, some wonderful small dishes at a place called the Purple Pig and the best Brazillian Barbeque I've had in my life). I've been lingering at the same weight ever since. Now, I am psyching myself up to go for another restricted calorie binge. I think I need to get through Easter before I taske a serious stab at it. I can see why one pound a month makes much more sense than 8 pounds a month. One is sustainable and the other is not. The only problem is that it takes a lot of motivation to deny yourself one of life's most satisifying activities..cooking and eating. Food is what we use to celebrate and to sustain our lives. I'm going to make my family a great Easter dinner. I am enjoying planning it. I plan on buying cream and butter. I don't know what I am going to make with it yet...but I am going to use those two things in something I make. I may make my own chocolate truffles. I may make a great cream based sauce for my home made pasta. I feel like rebelling before I gear up for at least three weeks of extreme calorie restriction. I know that this is not the advise you may be looking for. This is not the stuff of the next best selling diet book. But this is my life. I'm really healthy. I feel really good about myself. I only wished I looked better and I was stronger. I have to balance that out with enjoying my life and ensuring I live my life well.