UPDATE - Day 15

Good morning!

With little less than a week to go before our first 21 day cycle is over, it has been quite a ride. Yesterday represented one of the first really trying moments of self-control. The kiddos came over for the weekend, and we bought food for them separately from our menu items.

It was a learning moment for us. Having pizza in the house is not a good idea. Neither is pudding. Vanessa's resolve was seriously tested, but she held on. The emotions that came on were rage, tears, anger, frustration, and deep sadness. Partly due to the feeling of restriction, but on a deeper level the way she had come to rely on food over the years. And that it finally ended up requiring such a drastic action as this protocol. Scott had a moment where the cravings almost won out. And it wasn't a slow, insidious feeling but an intense shock. When cooking the pizza for the boys, and seeing a cold beer in the back of the fridge - autopilot almost went on. It was as though a cold wave of water hit him when he realized the depth to which the food and habit had grabbed him. -sigh-

It is very illuminating, and humbling, to experience such a keen pang regarding food. It had nothing to do with hunger, as we had both just eaten and felt full. How in the world do we let ourselves place food on such a high emotional pedestal? While we won the battle, the war continues on. We have had numerous talks and mini-moments where we take time to support each other and vent. Flash-points can hit either of us in the most unexpected ways and it is SO difficult to work through sometimes. This is truly a journey made up of moment to moment decisions with a longterm view in mind. Both of us are looking forward to next weekend - they're the loading days for the 2nd phase. It represents a mini-goal for us. Keeping on keepin on.

So, today's number are:

Vanessa 215.0 (-15.2 lbs)

Scott 282.4 (-15.4 lbs)

Love you all. :0)

S & V