An Offering of Love

It's Valentines Day. A day of love. First I want to say that I am making progress, down 33 pounds. It still blows my mind how this is all working and how fast I am losing weight. It especially blows my mind how little I need to eat to feel satisfied. I was supposed to have my second follow up with my surgeon's office, and my first support group but thanks to the snow, both were cancelled.

 

It's been an interesting week starting solid foods. I got back into cooking in a big way and it's fun. I found some really great high protein recipes. It did feel strange at first eating my first solid food and vegetables since Christmas. I got used to it quickly though and now I am on my way to many more choices. I still haven't had any sugar other than the little bit of fruit I have. I am so proud that I am resisting chocolate. It makes me so happy.

 

Speaking of love and chocolate; what better than to discuss food and the food is love connection and how we all have a love affair with food. Who wouldn't love food? It's pretty, smells good, satisfies, comforts, is social and tastes soooo good. It is so inter-woven into of our lives. It can be a friend who is always there and never lets you down. It is sometimes given as a love offering. I remember my maternal Grandmother excitedly saying, "Eat, eat, have more." anytime me or my brothers would visit her. She loved us and that's how she showed us. She was a great cook and it was fun and warm to go visit her.

 

I don't know many people who don't love food. It is enticing at every turn with all of its varieties and range of tastes, textures and colors. Hell, I am a great baker myself. Every Christmas I bake all different type of cookies from scratch with full fat ingredients. Why? because I love my family and friends and it makes them happy. It's tradition. It can be seductive and call your name over and over.

 

On days like today chocolate is king. On every holiday is for that matter. It's fun and yummy, and brings people together and most importantly it sustains life. What other substance does so many things? It's no wonder why obesity is such a problem - we do food well. Unlike a drug or alcohol addiction, you need to eat, everyday. There is no going cold turkey from food, no sir. We need to have it  to live but control our intake and for people like me that's the difficult part.

 

I've heard people say that overweight people don't want to take care of themselves, not true. We, just like everyone else, have a love affair with food. The difference is we either go overboard or don't exercise enough to control it, or have some medical reason why it stays with us. It begins to take over and loses its original meaning and purpose. Oh how I wish it were different, but it's not. Everyone struggles with the allure of food and sweets. Overweight people lose that struggle every day. I did every day.

 

So I wish everyone a very Happy Valentine's Day, filled with love that comes in many forms, from many different sources.