Slow Bouncing To New Lows

Another annual low, although just a half pound less than my last low a week or so back, another frustrating bounce back up 3-4 lbs. and working it back down. (I've been obsessively checking my weight hoping to crash through the resistance level; it looks like the whoosh won't continue tomorrow.)

It's very frustrating on Thanksgiving to stick to the diet. My thoughts go back to family Thanksgivings through my UH graduate studies: the usual roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, giblet gravy, Dad's turkey stuffing, rutabagas, various side dishes, and pies (particularly pumpkin). I tend to prefer the dark meat, a lot of drumsticks over the years. My Mom is a very good, self-taught cook, but Dad took an active interest in grilling and cooking (he owned a lot of cookbooks). He particularly was involved with the stuffing and rutabagas (which I absolutely loved). And turkey is probably my favorite thing to eat; despite being a bachelor, I've probably roasted a good dozen turkeys on my own (and would be eating turkey every meal for a good week or two each bird--which will temper even the turkey lover in me). I have never really been a dessert eater; when I went home for Christmas, I may have had a thin slice of pumpkin pie and a few cookies but if you examined my grocery receipts over the last few years, you would find no cookies, pies, doughnuts, cakes or other sweets. It's been years since I've bought a carton of ice cream. I haven't totally abstained; I might buy an occasional ice cream if I'm waiting between flights or a vending machine candy bar if I'm driving or waiting during auto service waits, but it's not a habit. To give an example, when I went on a business trip to Orlando several weeks back, there was a Ruby Tuesday's within a half mile of my hotel and I went there a few times. They had a promotion where they bundled the salad bar and a selection from 2 or 3 desserts with certain entrees. I did eat dessert with these deals (but the salad bar was the motivating factor). But my meals were all within per diem limits and I could have easily ordered more food or desserts and didn't.

I remember stopping to gas up and eat at an exit maybe an hour east of El Paso during my relocation from SC, and I ordered a 6-inch sub at Subway. I overheard the line worker mumbling I was an idiot for not getting the foot-long sub for just a buck or two more. But my appetite was satiated with the six-inch, and I don't care what other people think of my choices. Granted, I could have saved the other half to eat later. I take some pride in self-discipline, like when my co-workers recently shared a couple of large pizzas, and I stuck to my protein bars. Believe me, I love pizza (well, I have some exceptions, like I like my pizza spicy and/or with a good tomato sauce and don't particularly care for chicken or pineapple).

Still, I brewed some pumpkin spice coffee ordered through Amazon and thoroughly enjoyed my indulgence.  I put 3 small turkey drumsticks into my crockpot yesterday and ate one of them for lunch. I put some chicken breasts into the crockpot today and tried a Sriracha BBQ sauce on one today (just 10 carbs and 40 calories a serving)