Whatever happened to flossing?

I'll begin by saying I almost cried tonight at work. There were no trying hotel guests.  I hadn't been disciplined by management. And there weren't even any gaycist slurs thrown my way.  Nope. I found myself fighting back the tears not when I missed Madonna's halftime show, but when I found out she had sung Like A Prayer. The moral of that pointless story:  I'm a ridiculous person.  And a privileged one at that.

How does one transition from such an irrelevant story?! Not smoothly, that's for sure... lets talk about flossing, shall we?  It was but one of my many New Years resolutions.  Well, February has only just begun and I've already stopped flossing.  I've even stopped trying, for that matter. Where have all the good intentions gone?!

Speaking of good intentions, I am recommitting myself to The Pledge of Glory this week!!!  Wednesday, February 8th marks 6 months of GAGAcising and health-consciousness!!  Some of these months were healthier than others, and it's safe to say the month of January was likely the least healthy of them all!  For whatever reason, I was most reminiscent of fat-Jackie throughout the month... neither eating nor drinking in moderation.  Despite my success, I was just so damn sick of trying to lose weight.  It starts to get to one after awhile, so apparently I deemed the month of January a "maintaining month."  Weighing in between 192 and 195 lbs, I'm fairly confident I was able to do so without taking any steps back.  I now have until April 28th to drop the last 10-13lbs, so there's no time like the present to recommit to my pledge!!!  But of course I couldn't do so without having a fat-kid holiday of a weekend...

Whoever came up with the "I'm going to eat myself silly the day before dieting" ritual  was a complete idiot.  But who's the bigger yutz, the person who came up with the stupid ritual or the one who realizes how ridiculous it is and does it anyway?!  Don't answer that... Anyway, yesterday just so happened to be that "last day of food-freedom" for me.  Well, lets be honest, I treated the entire weekend like that.  Without boring you with another lengthy excerpt from my food-diary, I'll try to briefly convey just how absurd my weekend eating habits were.  It all began Friday night, when I started drinking at about 4:30 and didn't stop until midnight when I was wolfing down an insanely delicious Parthenon Gyro Chicken Caesar Pita sandwich.  Mmmmm.  Saturday, a day in which I was prepared to help family friends move, turned out to be a "stand around and watch the movers work while we eat bagels, pizza and Scotcharoo-bars" fest. And the true gluttony began Sunday when I had my first SHAMROCK SHAKE of the season, which I would never regret, but also an 11 pm piece of cheesecake.  I don't even like cheesecake, but knowing my hours of food-freedom were disappearing I ate that slice just for the sport of it!  The only merit I can find in the pre-diet glutton fest is the awful feeling you experience after such excessive indulgence... I, personally, felt so disgusting, wasteful and even weak-willed after a weekend of dizzying consumption.  Here's hoping I remember that feeling the next time I try to eat my weight in whatever may be tempting me.

I've decided these last 10-13 lbs may be a real challenge  to take off.  I've also realized that virtually all of the "bad foods" I eat involve red meat of some form, particularly the many variations of mystery-meats served in the work cafeteria.  To avoid consuming unhealthy foods like corn dogs or what they tell us is prime-rib, my co-worker and new bestie Michelle has given up red meat altogether.  She has inspired me to do the same, or at least try to do so until the end of The Pledge.  Thinking I'd already started this "no red meat" thing last week, I found myself eating both pepperoni pizza and bacon this weekend! Woof. I guess today starts day one of this quest, too!   

A quick little update regarding my twice-weekly GAGAerobics gig (again, we GAGAcise every Tuesday and Thursday at Sotto at 6:30pm) -- I absolutely live for this!  We're four sessions in, and I consistently have 6-8 GAGAcisers showing up to each class.  Not a huge group, obviously, but it's actually a great size for the space and my non-mik'd voice. Nevertheless, there is always room for more GAGAcisers!!! Come one come all!  I don't care how old you are nor do I expect you to wear pink-zebra spandex pants!  If you're looking to have fun and get a great workout in, GAGAerobics is for you!  And don't tell me people are going to laugh at or make fun of you... not happening in my GAGA-themed exercise class!!! And if you'd rather just watch, by all means we'd love to have you!  The bartender on staff will gladly serve you a ring-side drink!   

Here's hoping y'all will get yourselves your first Shamrock Shake of the season!!! Having been abroad last spring, the shake I drank yesterday was the first I'd had in two years! Life's simple pleasures should be enjoyed more regularly!!!  But what a challenge this seasonal drink will pose to The Pledge...

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're probably right." -- Ellen Hauser, educator, church-choir director, mother-extraordinaire

Love. Peace. GAGAerobics.

Jackie