Back safe and sound...and 2 pounds down!!!!

That’s right; I stepped on the scale this morning and was 228! I was really surprised to see that I was able follow the rules of the low carb plan and come back lighter than when I left. I think the key for me was not eating any starches…no buns on the burgers, no fries, crackers, beans, pasta, corn, etc. I ate salads with protein on top as often as I could and some days lived on beef jerky and protein bars for lunch as we were in the canyons of Utah and no place for take-out! I allowed myself 2 glasses of red wine each evening and I think I had one beer with dinner but only because they didn’t serve wine.

My riding partner and I had some problems along the way that may have added to my stress. That in itself would have been a trigger to begin eating like a mad man but instead it empowered me to try and overcome those old behaviors. Unfortunately I don’t think we’ll be riding together anymore and doubt we’ll remain as close of friends as we have been over the last 10 years but our traveling habits are just too different and unfortunately irreconcilable. As for pictures; I shot most of them with his camera and the video I shot was saved to his computer. If I can get him to send me a disc I’ll post some for all to see.

Prior to leaving on May 22nd, I used the DTG website and called the 800 number to cancel my shipments for a couple of weeks. Somehow, I still received a shipment on the 21st so I had my wife freeze everything until I got back so I had food ready when I returned on Monday. The shipments are to resume this week so I anticipate getting my ice chest of goodness on Thursday. I’ve noticed something different about the packaging though. The good news is DTG has gone to a heat shrinking process to close the meal containers instead of the vacuum packed variety of old. The clear plastic is just over the top of the open compartment and doesn’t encapsulate the entire package. I find it easy to just poke a few holes in the top and microwave as usual rather than having to cut open the package. In some cases, once the food thawed it was easier to spill over the lip of the container only to be caught inside the plastic wrapper…causes quite a mess. This way is cleaner and keeps the food separated if in different compartments of the tray. One problem though. I would prefer they put the label on TOP of the container rather than on the bottom. Again, once thawed, you have to either turn the meal over to figure out what it is or raise it over your head to read the label. Looking through the clear plastic doesn’t do much good because they tend to fog up once the condensation settles on it in the freezer. I have also had several meals come with NO label whatsoever. It’s a mystery until all others have been identified using the meal plan sheets.

I would like to offer one more suggestion. It would be great if the meals were color coded in some way. When I go to unpack my weekly shipment they have been in an ice chest for 4 days. The dry ice is gone and most of the meals are still very frozen but I try to get them in the refrigerator or freezer as fast as I can. I have a spare “fridge” outside under the patio so it’s anywhere from 80-95 degrees out there so I don’t like leaving the doors open for too long as I sort out the food. I use the top shelf of the fridge for breakfast, middle shelf for lunch and bottom for dinner…same in the freezer. (there isn’t usually much more than an extra gallon of milk and some cold waters so I have the room.) By using a colored dot system or label it would be easy for me to separate the meals quickly without having to hold each one over my head to determine what it is and where it goes. It’s a little think but would be greatly appreciated. I also have to bring my breakfasts and lunches to work with me once a week so it would speed that process as well as I’m standing outside packing a plastic bag to go.

I’m thankful for the Diet to Go program and what it has allowed me to do. I’m hoping to reach my goal within the next 6 months and keep it off or good this time. As my fellow DTG’er Steve shared Oprah’s words of wisdom in his own blog; “losing weight is easy, keeping it off is hard.” One need only look to the cover of this week’s People magazine to see Kirsty Ally has gained 85 pounds again after being the spokesperson for Jenny Craig. We’ve all done it…me, twice on NS alone. Jenny twice, too. Work the program and it will work for you but don’t forget to learn something along the way. One of the biggest problems is we rely on these programs to shepherd us to skinny-land but once separated from the flock we run amok and go back to our old familiar ways. Know what you’re putting in your body and what it does to fuel it each day so when you no longer need the helping hand of guidance you can fend for yourself once on your own. I’m still loving the food and now better understand why DTG sends the food that they do after being aloud to “go it alone” for several days. Good luck and keep doing what you’re doing…it DOES payoff!!!