Tomorrow

I start the last 'diet' of my life tomorrow. I will be glad to finally have started, as I am still eating a lot of things that are not very helpful in losing weight.

I know that the optifast will be difficult for me. I love food. It is my best friend and a faithful companion. Sad. I have a lot of cravings, and they don't go away easily. I can have cravings for days, that just haunt me no matter how I try to distract myself.

But I will succeed. I will commit to this. I don't want to screw up this first stage.

When tempted:

• Acknowledge the feeling of wanting to eat
• See if there is any obvious trigger but don't 'overthink' about it
• Remember your goals-reread them, look at a goal picture

Then do one or more of the following:

1. Clean a room in the house, totally, from top to bottom.
2. Clean out a closet.
3. Go for a walk, minimum 30 minutes, with the dog and no money in my pockets.
4. Go for a swim.
5. Garden. There are lots of weeds to pull.
6. Pray, especially at the Adoration chapel.
7. Blog
8. Write letters to people I love--real, old-fahioned ones with envelopes and stamps
9. Call a friend. Someone who needs support or encouragement or Loreta, who is also banded
10. Do some calligraphy
11. Do 10 push ups and/or situps and/or squats and/or anything else.
12. Bathe the dog.
13. Read.
14. Do my nails.
15. Take a bath or shower.
16. Chew a huge wad of sugar-free gum.
17. Go to an opp-shop.
18. Sew the white curtains that have been in the linen closet for the last 4 years. Or the Japanese wall hanging thing. Or bags for the kids for the national retreat.
19. Take up quilting.
20. Learn to crochet or knit.
21. Have my hair cut or colored or washed or styled.
22. Apply some sort of facial masque.
23. Get out the bikes.
24. Go to the nursery and look at plants for the garden.
25. Make candles.
26. Mark papers and do planning for school (I'm a teacher).
27. Dust the cobwebs off the bicycle.
28. Go ice skating.
29. Dance in the living room.
30. Wash the car.
31. Shave my legs (Lots of surface area so that could take a while).
32. Brush my teeth. Put on those whitening strips I never used.
33. Make a rosary bracelet as a gift for someone.
34. Get the stuff to make resin pendants and make some.
35. Make my facebook site a bit more interesting.
36. Go to the beach.
37. Take some photographs and get some of the digital ones developed and framed.
38. Make a mosaic.
39. Start learning to speak Italian.
40. Make love (yikes, my poor husband--I only thought of this now!)
41. Wash the windows from the outside.
42. Sort through stuff in the garage.
43. Go through my closet and give or throw away some of the fat clothes that I hate and do not want to wear ever again.
44. Write a poem or a story.
45. Draw or paint a picture of my dog.
46. Watch a movie.
47. Plant another section of the veggie garden.
48. Drink a lot of water.
49. Play a game or puzzle.
50. Sleep.

I think I will have a much cleaner house and a better looking garden...