"Get It Together": A One-Month Commitment to Wellness

I am not an easy person to be around these days. Ten years into my high school teaching career, three years into marriage, and two years into motherhood, I seem to have hit a slump. I am 20 pounds heavier than I was the day I was married and for the first time in my life I actually need to wear make up to conceal the nascent stages of sagging skin. Physical appearances aside, I am a tremendous bummer. Spend five minutes with me and you'll walk away reeking of a negativity and cynicism it usually takes a 30-minute episode of South Park to instill.

So, three days ago--I wrapped up the school year with the customary uphill climb toward the finish line. Reading 8-10 page critical research essays minutes before submitting my grades and waving goodbye had many of my colleague blinking in befuddlement: "Why does she do this to herself every year?" their pity-laden eyes suggested. Once I had my last "check out" item initialed and I breathed a quiet sigh of diminished return, I developed a rare desire for rigorous physical activity. I left school and drove to Rancho San Antonio Park in Los Altos (I think) with an intention to tackle the formidable "PG&E" trail--an 8-mile hike the mere thought of causes wincing.

The trail consists of two parts--"the climb" and "the slide." The Climb includes three "hells." Some would call them hills, but they're really more aptly termed hells. The hike begins with a steep incline--the first hell. Since it is the very beginning of the expedition, when energy is high and memory poor, the first hell is a mere warm up for the remaining two. There is a nice plateau before the second hell, the latter of which can only be described as pure agony. While climbing the second hell, one will frequently see others stopped, bent over in a near vomiting, or gulping down water with the mere hope for the will to continue. Beyond the second hell lies a shaded, rolling recovery trail that would be perfect, were it not for the hiker's "sitting duck" position for mountain lions and creepers--due to the remote location, the thinned out number of hikers at this altitude, and the distraction of utter exhaustion. I call this area the "danger zone,"and it is due to this region of the trail that I always carry pepper spray with me. Between the second and third hells is a series of hills that calls to mind poor Sisyphus rolling his rock uphill only to have to chase it back down and roll it up again. And the last stretch to the summit is bearable because you can actually SEE the top.

The "Slide" begins with a rocky, unstable decline that is almost as slow-going as the steep inclines of the hells. But beyond that is the gradual, heavenly, 4-mile "slide" toward the parking lot. By the end of the hike, my hip joints are pleading for a rest and my arches are threatening to collapse--but it's all in the spirit of health . . .

DAY ONE (5/30/12)

Weight: 155

Physical Exertion: PG&E trail (8 miles (see above)) in 2 hours and 15 min

Playlist: You can hear a lot of songs in two hours, so I will just summarize the songs that kept me going
--Changes by David Bowie (a perfect song to kick off a self-directed wellness program, I think)
--Ramble On by Led Zeppelin
--Don't Fence Me In by Buck Howdy
--Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough by Michael Jackson
--Beyond the Sea by Bobby Darin
--Me and God by Josh Turner (in the depths of the second hell!)
--Let Your Love Flow by The Bellamy Brothers
--Our Lips Are Sealed by The Go Gos (a karaoke favorite to be sure!)
--Dance, Dance, Dance by Steve Miller Band
--Online by Brad Paisley
--Get Down On It by Kool and the Gang
--Good Lovin' by The Rascals
--Rich Girl by Hall and Oates
--Get It Together by The Beastie Boys (inspiring the title of the blog!)
--Dynamite by Taio Cruz (the song that kept me jogging the last leg of the trail into the parking lot. I'm not sure any other song could have done such a thing).

Reflection:
It was an interesting transition from my head completely submerged in end-of-the-school-year muck to a clarity about the importance of taking time for myself and committing at least a fraction of that time to healthy activity. My decision to post my experience online was partly due to the belief that no one except me reads this blog, and partly to keep myself accountable to the public (however potential it might be!).

DAY TWO (5/31/12)

Weight: 154

Physical Exertion: Sawyer Camp Trail (SCT)--5 miles in 1 hour and 30 min

Playlist: None--I had my daughter, Emily, with me in the stroller and actually forgot my phone, so it was nature sounds and the ceaseless babblings of toddler.

Reflection:
I started the walk with my friend Monica, who makes a regularly broken committment to wellness and decided to adopt my plan. She most likely thought this will be a short-lived exercise (probably even shorter than the "month-long" projection), so what's the harm. Monica had to turn back after twenty minutes to be present for a conference call at 1:00pm, so Emily and I trekked on alone. This most likely shortened the walk because Emily was restless. I considered my options: press on and risk a miserable walk with a tired, but not sleeping two-year old who just wants to get out of the stroller, or cut losses and turn back earlier than desired. I chose the latter, turning back at the 2.5 mile mark, which, in retrospect, was for the best considering the uphill climb with a stroller was much more exhausting than I thought it would be, and considerable soreness from my 8-mile hike the previous day was certainly setting in.

I bought new running shoes, as a reward, I supppose, for keeping my wellness plan alive for two whole days. A talk with my husband this evening caused some "issues" to resurface, and I began checking WebMD for symptoms--resulting in a clear diagnosis of "depression." Humph.

DAY THREE (6/1/12)

Weight: 153

Physical Exertion: 3 miles on the elliptical machine in 30 min; 6 miles on the recumbant bicycle in 30 min (500 cal total)

Playlist: None--continued reading from the second installment of The Hunger Games on my Kindle (the MAIN perk of working out at a gym)

Reflection:
My husband has charged me with restoring data to an Apple laptop HE accidentally wiped, but first I had to take it into the Apple Store to reset the password he had long since forgotten. What a clusterfreak that place is! I arrived 15 minutes after opening and was told that the next available appointment would be at noon. Realizing I did not have enough time to tackle either of the trails, I decided to head to my overpriced and underutilized gym--where, at least, I can indulge in the literary junk food that is the Hunger Games trilogy.

I reconnected with my acupuncturist, Eunice, today for the first time since my third trimester of pregnancy.  When I go--I go hard.  During the "intake" I broke down sobbing about my life after her simple question, "So, how's it going?"  I snotted my way through some questions from her--executed with a tone of I'll try not to seem alarmed by your emotional disintegration, but I am rather taken aback, I must say.  I asked Eunice if she could hit me up with a needle for appetite suppression and maybe one for mental stability.  She said she'd see what she could do.

DAY FOUR (6/2/12)

Weight: 152.5

Physical Exertion: SCT--5 miles in 1 hour and 15 min.

Playlist: conversation (which I much prefer, to be honest)

Reflection:
This was Emily's birthday, so it was slow going in the morning. I made us scramled eggs and bacon and we played with puzzles and read books most of the morning until my mother-in-law came to pick her up. My husband and I had a 40th birthday party to attend that evening in Rocklin, CA, so I figured I could squeeze in a five-mile walk. My friend Elizabeth joined me, and despite her labor with the trail (not having done it in a long time), we still made pretty good time. It was 15 minutes faster sans stroller!

I was very good with food this day--eating virtually no carbs. I even avoided the birthday cake, which I can usually justify eating without incident. Something like, "It's bad luck to not have a piece of birthday cake!" No--I was a rock when it came to the food. I did however have at least six glasses of wine, so the carbs were getting in one way or another. My body decided around the sixth glass that I'd had enough--THANK GOD--because I actually felt fairly normal the next morning.

DAY FIVE (6/3/12)

Weight: didn't take

Physical Exertion: none besides the running of errands in order to pull off Emily's birthday dinner

Playlist: none

Reflection:
It was a BUSY day after arriving back in the bay area from Rocklin--but any calories I burned running around, I put back on and then some with the scrumptious Mexican cuisine from La Tapatia, two glasses of champagne, and one and a half pieces of birthday cake from The Cakery in Burlingame. Why "one and a half pieces of birthday cake," you ask? I couldn't throw out the piece Emily scraped the icing off and left for dead, could I? I paid for this when I stepped on the scale the next morning :-(

DAY SIX (6/4/12)

Weight: 154.5!!!!!

Are you kidding me? Five days of rigorous daily physical activity, MOSTLY good eating, and I'm nearly back to where I started?!?!?! It's enough to make one want to quit her one-month committment to wellness. But I press on.

It rained today, so I let that be an excuse to not exercise--humph. So, I exercise my honesty instead.

**The most difficult (and resisted) part of the wellness program is updating the blog--to be sure!

DAY SEVEN (6/5/12)

Weight: 154

Physical Exertion: 2.7 miles on elliptical machine in 30 min; 9.3 miles on bike in 1 hour min (600 cal total).

Playlist: none--finished the second book of The Hunger Games on my Kindle :-)

Reflection:
In addition to getting back to physical exercise after a two-day hiatus, I saw a new dentist today. It's always an unsettling experience going to the dentist--as well as assuring. I have been told I "inherited [my] mother's gums," which seems to mean that they are in a precarious state. If I do not make an effort to rigorously floss every day, I will be in trouble. Apparently, my bottom gums are in a more serious condition than my upper gums, but at this point "things are fine." I am in need of bulking up my "oral care" (who isn't??). My sister says she just flosses about five times the day she goes to the dentist and he tells her everything is great. So, there is something to be said for cram sessions after all.

DAY EIGHT (6/6/12)

Weight: 153

Physical Exertion: SCT--6 miles in 1 hour and 20 min (wogging: a combination of speed walking and jogging)

Playlist: forgot my headphones :-( nothing to drown out the anxiety-ridden thoughts.

Reflection: I spent most of the time thinking about the importance of fitness--not merely for the individual, but its crucial place in the marital relationship. When my husband proposed to me in March of 2008, there was, I think, a tacit agreement between us that once things were settled and comfortable, that I would NOT sink myself into the depths of sloth and obesity. We were only married for four months before I became pregnant and began gaining weight (I was five pounds "heavy" at my first prenatal appointment--much to my husband's chagrin). Since having Emily, I have maintained 15-20 pounds of surplus flesh from my pre-pregnancy days. I am sure there are times when my husband, Joe, looks at me and thinks, "Oh boy--it can only get worse, right?" It's very important for a husband and wife to stay physically fit for one another--one, so that they can remain sexually intimate, I think, but also because you OWE it to the other person to take care of yourself. It's the height of selfishness to let yourself slide into high cholesterol, diabetes, sorosis, emphysema, and other vice-driven illnesses, and place a heavy burden on the ones you love to care for you. I've come to realize that it is my duty to continually convince myself that sugar is POISON. To my body and to my marriage.

I was jolted from this reverie when a creepy man asked me to take his picture with his bike (next to the restroom!). My husband would kill me if he knew this, but since I am rather certain he will never read this, I will tell on myself. I agreed to stop jogging, get close enough to the creeper to take his cell phone, take two shots of him, and get close enough to hand the phone back to him. There was no one else in sight at the moment, and in my gut, I knew it was a dumb thing to do. I was raised, however, with an intrinsic trust of people and overwhelming sense of "everything is okay." I believe the clinical term for this is "denial." Oh well, no harm, no foul, right??

When I returned to my car, I checked my school email (as I am required to do intermittently during the summer months), and received two emails from administration asking to keep the Juarez family in our prayers and that a letter would be released to the school community later in the afternoon. The emails were vague, but indicated that a rising junior student had been "tragically" killed with his grandmother while he visited family in Oregon. I racked my brain to think of any reason why a 16-year-old boy and his grandmother would be killed at the same time and could only conceive of this: car accident. Upon searching the internet (smart phones are very convenient in times like this!), I read a small article published in the Mercury News that morning that stated that the boy and his grandmother had been gunned down in her driveway by the boy's uncle who lived in the house. I was in complete shock. One of the reasons I don't watch the local news is because it is filled with unpleasant stories about kidnappings and murders--sick individuals who senselessly waste lives--and a media to exploit the drama of it all. I can recall many similar stories in local news like the one about Nick Juarez. But when you know the person--when the person is connected with your immediate community--it feels like someone punched you in the stomach and you can't figure out how to breathe. I cannot imagine the pain his family must be experiencing and my prayers and thoughts are with them every day.

Still reeling from the news about Nick, I went to my scheduled hair appointment. I get my hair cut about once a year, so my hair stylist barely remembers me from one appointment to the next. But I emerged from the salon with some fresh looking layers and my hair several shades darker. Probably took about five years off--every little bit helps.

DAY NINE (6/7/12)

Weight: 151.1

Physical Exertion: PG&E trail--8 miles in two hours and 20 min (no jogging, just fast walking)

Playlist: (a summary)
--Rock and Roll All Nite by Kiss
--Hazard to Myself by Pink (ain't it the truth!)
--You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet by Bachman-Turner Overdrive
--Deeper Than the Holler by Randy Travis
--On the Road to Find Out by Cat Stevens (a fantastic song to address the physical and spiritual journey of a one-month wellness plan :-))
--She Thinks I Still Care by George Jones (I never get sick of this song)
--Your Song by Elton John (always makes me remember a sophomore dance and the tremendous crush I had on the guy I danced with to this song)
--Ain't Nothin But a G Thang by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog (this song ushered in the second hell)
--The Gambler by Kenny Rogers (karaoke in a bar in Nice, anyone?)
--I Can See Clearly Now by Johnny Nash
--Beds are Burning by Midnight Oil (this song closed out the second hell)
--Gin and Juice by The Gourds (if you haven't heard this hilarious bluegrass rendition of Snoop's song, download it this minute!)
--Last Train to Clarksville by The Monkees (very nostalgic memories of Nick and Nite reruns)
--Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon (I know, I know. . . but I love it, nonetheless)
--I'm Gonna Be Somebody by Travis Tritt
--Heartland by George Strait (good song from the soundtrack of a TERRIBLE movie)
--Sweet Home Alabama by Lynyrd Skynyrd
--Who's Lovin' You by the Jackson 5 (hands down, my favorite of their anthology)
--Real Good Man by Tim McGraw
--Hello, Mr. Heartache by the Dixie Chicks (last song of the hike)

Reflection: I was actually very into the music today--and not in a particularly pensive mood.  I was dreading the hike a bit, and find it amusing that when I conceived of the wellness plan, my initial plan was to do the PG&E trail every single day for a month!  Ah, the best laid plans of mice and men . . .

I had a follow up appointment with Eunice, my acupuncturist, today.  This time, I did not collapse like a flan in a cupboard, but felt remarkably well and told her so.  I noticed she did not stick needles in any "depression" points today, like she did the other day--she has faith in the Chinese methods and that's something you like to see in your acupuncturist, I must say :-)

DAY TEN (6/8/12)

Weight: 151.3

Physical Exertion: Personal training session (30 min duration of torturous exercise)

Reflection: I scheduled the first of three free personal training sessions for this morning at 11am with Juan (and there's no anonymity here. That was actually his name).  Juan is a good-looking early-twenty-something recent transplant from southern California who moved to the bay area to be with his girlfriend.  The intake was amiable and quick.  He skipped through the health survey, taking my word for it that aside from being "out of shape," I am "perfectly healthy."  He seemed eager to prove himself as a trainer, specifically one who "hates machines" and prefers to do things "old school."  The first 30 minutes of the appointment were devoted to evaluation and selling himself (oh, and weighing me--on his scale I weighed in at 156!  A manipulative ploy to hammer the commitment to more personal training sessions??) and the last 30 minutes were devoted to me fumbling through a "circuit" that included squats, curls, presses, crunches and push ups.  I am able to do ANYTHING for a short duration of time--and thus I survived the mini boot camp that Juan designed for my first session.  My body would enact its revenge in the ensuing days.

I would have liked to continue with a cardio workout after the session was over, but I needed to pick up my daughter from my mother-in-law's house, and so that was the end to my work out.  I ate poorly for the rest of the day--justifying it with the strenuous training session in the morning.

DAY ELEVEN (6/9/12)

Weight: 153.7 (I can only attribute the gain to poor eating the day before!)

Physical Exertion: SCT--6 miles in one hour and 30 min

Playlist: Conversation with my mother-in-law

Reflection: I decided to drag my mother-in-law on a six-mile walk after she has been requesting to accompany me on a trail.  She had a different trail in mind--one that is three miles long and almost entirely flat.  I felt kind of bad, but also needed to make the point that if we're going to work out, we might as well WORK out.  I have neither the time for nor the inclination toward a leisurely stroll during this one-month wellness plan.  I mean business!

Another day of poor eating.  There's and increasingly gnawing idea that it doesn't matter how much I walk or jog or bench press if I maintain an unhealthy diet.

DAY TWELVE (6/10/12)

Weight: forgot to weigh myself when I woke up and refuse to do so at any other point in the day.

Physical Exertion: I didn't really work out today, but did pull Emily in her bad ass radio flyer wagon (complete with adjustable seat backs and drink holders) for three miles.

Reflection: I was so sore from the personal training session yesterday that it felt like someone had punched me in the ribs for several hours.  I think his name was Juan.

I was supposed to find a recipe for seared ahi tuna (I realized this when my husband was inviting a friend to dinner in the morning and telling him that's what we would be having).  When Emily and I departed for our 1.5-mile walk to the park, I had not yet done this.  I confessed to my husband when he called and he said, "Oh, it's fine--call The Cheesecake Factory and see if they'll take a reservation for 6:30."   Done. :-)

Nick, our waiter at TCF was a weird yet timely intrusion into the wellness plan.  My husband, having been recently told by his doctor that he has high cholesterol and is pre-diabetic, is suddenly very interested in "eating healthy"--a project that will be all-consuming for, I guess, a few more weeks--until he realizes he's not particularly interested in a lifestyle change and slips back into eating whatever he wants and never doing one second of physical exercise. (I hope he proves me wrong, btw).  When consulting the waiter about what to order for an appetizer (I suggested the fire-roasted artichoke; Joe wanted the deep fried avocado egg rolls.  Joe won.), Nick told us all about his own wellness plan that allowed him to drop 50 pounds in four months!  You can imagine how our ears perked up.  For those interested, this was Nick's recipe for success:

Green tea to start the day
Breakfast: oatmeal and eggwhites for breakfast
Brunch: peanut butter and sliced strawberry sandwich on wheat bread
Lunch: chicken breast, vegetables, and brown rice
Dinner: white fish (he prefers tilapia), vegetables, and brown rice
2-hour workout with cardio and resistance training (that's the use of weights to you and me)
Protein shake ("Gillian's")

The guy followed this EXACT menu for four months.  Note the conspicuous omission of any red meat or "chop" of any kind.  There's no steak, no pork chops, no rack of lamb, no meat of any kind unless it's chicken breast or white fish.  And take away egg yolks and add in a daily assault of oatmeal--you're probably looking at a well-dimished cholesterol count in addition to the weight loss.  Was this easy for Nick?  No and yes.  He admitted he would get tired of eating the same things over and over (and so he would "reward" himself every once in a while--in moderation), but that there was a security in eliminating the guesswork from a wellness program.  He KNEW that if he just exercised some self-discipline and followed the plan, it would work.  And it has.  He showed us his driver's license picture wherein he is easily 60 or 70 pounds heavier.

I'm one of those people who believes that things happen for a reason.  I don't think it was an accident that we had Nick as our waiter.  I think we both needed to hear that what we eat is as (if not more) important as regular exercise if we really want to get in shape.  I'd heard and felt as much--but the living example of Nick was just too much to ignore.  I ordered an ahi "tatiki" salad and had a glass of red wine.

DAY THIRTEEN (6/11/12)

Weight: 154

Physical Exertion: house cleaning

Reflection:  I didn't work out today because I had several things scheduled and did not feel I had time to squeeze it in (eh?).  I volunteered to help with the opening day of Summer School--an event that can only be compared to the chaos of a Pamplona Bull Run.  Because my daughter and I are leaving for a 5-week trip to Europe, I secured the help of my friend Laura and her fantastic co-worker Concha to give my house a cleaning before we depart.  I "clean" my house fairly regularly, but they clean the house.  The straightening up required before someone can actually get in to clean is a bit like a light work out--or so we'll say.

I contracted a pretty miserable bladder infection today, so had to call for anti-biotics and was popping AZO pills like tic tacs.

My mother-in-law took us out to Chili's for dinner where I ignored everything I had learned from Nick about eating properly the night before, and ordered a quesadilla chicken salad.  It would have been fine if I resisted the cheese quesadilla triangles that lined the salad.  I didn't.  I exchanged my regular "house cab" for a glass of ice water (which I hate) because my husband gave me half a pain killer to ease the discomfort of the bladder infection.  It was a good trade.

DAY FOURTEEN (6/12/12)

Weight: forgot to weigh, or didn't want to after the quesadilla salad the night before.  I also thought that my trainer would put me on a scale later in the day.  He didn't.

Physical Exertion: 3 miles on the elliptical machine in 30 min and 6 miles on the bike in 30 min (600 cal total).

Playlist:  I listened to music while on the elliptical machine, then switched to the third book of The Hunger Games for the bike.

--Magic by The Cars
--Good Day by Luce
--I'm Beginning to See the Light by Ella Fitzgerald (one of our wedding CD favor songs)
--The Girl I Knew Somewhere by The Monkees
--Movin Out by Billy Joel (give you a heart attack ack ack ack ack ack!)
--In Your Room by the Bangles
--Good Vibrations by The Beach Boys
--Survivor by Destiny's Child (always a good work out tune)
--The First Cut is the Deepest by Cheryl Crow (not sure why I like this one, but I never skip it)

Reflection: I met with a new personal trainer today--a veteran from Peru named Joseph.  Joseph's intake was much more complete.  He wanted to know all the details of my health history--which, thank God, is very brief.  Considering our interview took an entire hour, I cannot imagine how long it takes when he evaluates someone with significant health issues.  Joseph was great.  He sold himself by being knowledgeable and personable.  Maybe I prefer him to Juan because I haven't actually worked out with him yet.  During my evaluation,  I indicated that the only significant health issue I have is a high cholesterol that runs in my family.  I had my levels checked around my 30th birthday and my cholesterol level was 200, which most people agree is "on the border."  Joseph said his cholesterol was 235 and by cutting down his meat intake (again, "meat" in this sense refers to steak, pork chops, lamb, etc.) to once a week and eating oatmeal every morning for breakfast, his cholesterol level is now 175.  Oatmeal.  The miracle worker.  I had actually made a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast that morning, so there was a kinship established, I think.

So, throughout the evaluation, Joseph certainly reinforced the importance of healthy eating, attributing 50% of physical wellbeing/fitness to diet.   I think it's probably a higher percentage than half, but he needs to sell the priority of exercise if he is to insinuate his importance as a personal trainer.  Instead of the five to six small meal plan that Nick the waiter advocates, Joseph's meal plan is more simple: "Breakfast like a queen, Lunch like a Princess, Dinner like a Pauper."  At least initially, Joseph believes in three meals a day with breakfast being the most significant of the three.  Again, I've heard as much, but I clearly need the reminder since most days my breakfast consists of a grande hazelnut latte from Starbucks.  Joseph says in his adorable Peruvian accent, "Go big with breakfast--I don't care what you eat.  You have all day to burn that fuel.  You want to eat pizza?  Eat pizza!  But eat it for BREAKFAST."

Joseph told me he wants no less than three days a week with a minimum of 30-minute cardio workout and no less than two days a week of weight training.  I can do that.  He then stole me from Juan, insisting that I see him again Friday at noon.  Earlier in the week I scheduled another appointment with Juan on Friday at 11am.  Joseph erased it and claimed me as his own.  It was a little awkward because Juan was standing at the front desk when he did it.  It's times like this when a southern upbringing helps--when you smile and kick up the accent and pretend like everything is just fine and as it should be, y'all.

For dinner I made a garlic tilapia with brown rice and asparagus :-)

DAY FIFTEEN (6/13/12)

Weight: 153.4 *sigh*
So, here's the thing.  The number is really standing stick straight still, but I am a little narrower in the midsection and tad more taut in the buttocks.  If I were willing to take pictures of myself in my underwear and post them on an unchecked public blog, you could see that.

Physical Exertion: 3 miles on elliptical for 30 min (320 cal) and 1 mile on treadmile--incline workout--for 20 min (230 cal)

Playlist:
--Training Montage from Rocky IV (SUCH a good song to start a workout)
--Bop by Dan Seals
--I Gotta Feeling by Black Eyed Peas
--Mr. Big Stuff by Jean Knight
--If This is It by Huey Lewis and the News (I'm a sucker for Huey Lewis and the News, what can I say?)
--Pretending by Eric Clapton
--New Strings by Miranda Lambert
--Suds in the Bucket by Sara Evans
--Cruel Summer by MBugout City (the remake for the Blue Crush soundtrack--GREAT workout song; HORRIBLE movie!)
--If by Janet Jackson
--What I Like About You by The Romantics (one of our wedding CD favor songs)

Reflection:
I had green tea in the morning (it was torture departing from coffee, but I ended up at Peet's later to meet a friend, so . . . ) and oatmeal with a little brown sugar and cinnamon, and two pieces of turkey bacon. And I shared my bacon with Joe who generally wants nothing to do with it unless it's thick cut, but he even managed a smile as he crunched into an overdone piece of already "fully cooked" pretend bacon.

I took Emily to see the "doggies and kitty cats" at our local SPCA after I picked her up from "school" (our sophisticated term from day care).  I'd enjoy it more if there was any dog other than a Chihuahua or Pit Bull--but there isn't.  Any they lie too.  There was a dog whose card said Labrador Retriever that was clearly part Pit Bull.  You can by the ears and the eyes.  And I'm not kidding, I even saw a Chihuahua/Pit Bull mix.  It was an ugly dog.  My favorite section is the kitten nursery.  Emily didn't care much about the "babies," but loves to see the old, 50-pound cats and rabbits that barely move and eat you out of house and home.

For dinner, I made grilled cheese sandwiches and minestrone soup.  The whole time I wondered, "Is this more than what a pauper eats for dinner?" having known so few paupers in my life.  Yes, it must be the case, but it's less than what I usually eat, so it's a springboard toward nighttime asceticism.

I did, however, have a couple of glasses of red wine.  Baby steps.

DAY SIXTEEN 6/14/12

Weight: 151.5
Maybe there is something to this oatmeal thing, after all . . .