Ed Levine's Serious Diet, Week 70: The Diet Blues, or 'Can One Bad Day Screw Up 70 Weeks of Progress?'
I should have seen it coming. There I was, standing around kibitzing and hanging out in the San Francisco Chronicle food section's amazing kitchen Wednesday at lunch time, surrounded by some of the foods we are going to be serving serious eaters at the Great American Food & Music Fest: Pink's Chili Dogs, Southside Market barbecue, Anchor Bar Buffalo wings, Junior's Cheesecake, Tony Luke's sandwiches, Katz's pastrami, Graeter's ice cream, and Barney Greengrass's bagels with smoked salmon and cream cheese. How could I possibly resist eating a lot of the food arrayed before me standing up, thereby violating every diet rule known to man and woman-kind.
Well, I didn't. I had more than a few bites of many of the items mentioned above. I thought I deserved it, having schlepped the food from Barney Greengrass, Katz's, and Tony Luke's myself in a cooler that must have weighed a hundred pounds. That cooler was so heavy I thought I was going to kill one of my fellow passengers getting it down from the overhead bin.
Everyone on the plane managed to escape unharmed, which is more than I can say about me after my afternoon at the Chronicle. Thinner had accompanied me to San Francisco, and she read me the riot act when I jumped on her yesterday (Thursday) morning.
According to Thinner, my little standing room-only performance at the Chronicle food section offices had cost me four pounds of hard-earned progress. When I saw the numbers 218 my heart sank. I was literally sick to my stomach (see above).
In the old, pre-Serious Diet days, I would have just said the hell with it, and gone on another 5,000 calorie jag yesterday. The ingredients for a diet debacle were all there: my hotel was a block from the Ferry Plaza building, which houses some of the world's greatest food shops; I was headed to a radio station armed with more Katz's pastrami, a Junior's Cheesecake, and some amazing salted caramel almond sticks Charles Chocolates owner Chuck Siegel had dropped off at my hotel; and I had a long list of places in San Francisco I wanted to try on my way to the airport.
But yesterday I didn't say the hell with it. I let the radio station employees eat all the food I brought to them, I didn't go too crazy at the Ferry Plaza building, and I left most of the Charles chocolates for the gracious front desk staff of the Harbor Court Hotel. Finally, I gave my taxi driver the cocoa-dusted almonds and the salted caramel sticks I was planning to eat on the long plane ride home. He was most appreciative.
The Weigh-In
Needless to say, I am not looking forward to this morning's weigh-in. I would have liked to take a week off, but that would have been a cop-out. Here goes: 216. It's not great, but it's a lot better than 218. In the old days it probably would have been 220, so I suppose I have made some progress in the last 70 weeks.
Add a comment:
Previewing your comment:
HTML Hints
Some HTML is OK: <a href="URL">link</a>, <strong>strong</strong>, <em>em</em>
Comment Guidelines
Post whatever you want, just keep it seriously about eats, seriously. We reserve the right to delete off-topic or inflammatory comments. Learn more at our Comment Policy page.
If you see something not so nice, please, report an inappropriate comment.
7 Comments:
You've made great progress Ed! I don't know why you're so hard on yourself. You're on a diet AND you've been losing weight. What more can you ask for? Be happy and proud of yourself. I know I am!
arm1970 at 8:45AM on 06/05/09
Ed you are amazing, you have changed your whole outlook on food and the way you eat. As you said, not just you, but most people would have said the heck with it and spluged and continued to splurge. You should be VERY proud of yourself!!! I know I am! Keep up the good work! and think about collecting all these posts into a book, I think alot of people would find you an inspiration.
huneybumper at 9:00AM on 06/05/09
Ed, good for you. I think it's harder than anything to get my body cells to work with me on dieting. Dieting is not for sissies. And the only thing a person can do, as you did so well, is just say thanks for the eats and get right back on your diet.
The rest of us can thank our lucky stars that we do not have to face such glorious temptations! My choices last night were between dried plums and dark chocolate. Guess which one I ate?
mary00 at 9:31AM on 06/05/09
Ed, it happens..life is not a downhill weight loss road....one thing I do is when I am down on myself I put on a pair of old pants I used to wear and it boggles my mind that I actually was that big and it puts my new weight into perspective....and the other thing, everyone needs a breather every now and then, one breather does not make you the old Ed...
For me I am flying business class to Amsterdam and then to parties all weekend for an old friend, it is going to be wine, food, more wine and more food....and no exercise, no yoga... But I realize it doesn't have to be ALOT and I know how I feel when I over do it....but we all need a breather every now and then....and I don't want to feel completely horrible when I go to yoga Tuesday......
And did I say..u have a great job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jbout at 9:38AM on 06/05/09
Hello Ed! I've been reading your articles for some time now and I must say I am very impressed at your dedication. Good for you! That said, the human body's weight fluctuates from day to day. All that is based upon sodium intake, vitamin intake, water retention level and so on. Don't be too down on yourself if you seem to fluctuate a bit. It will balance out.
Haha, I recently took a trip to Miami (a food oriented city if there ever was one! Bring on the cubano sandwiches!) to visit my boyfriend. I knew that we were going to eat out for nearly every meal as he lives with his parents and didn't want me to have to cook (I told him I'd love to cook, but he insisted). When I left California I weighed 113-114 (I should probably mention I'm 22 and only 5'4"). When I came back I was 117-118. Just one week and I'd gained 4-5 pounds. I expected something like this, but of course it's frustrating. So my solution? Don't focus too much on how much you weigh in one day. The week after I came home my weight was all over the charts: anywhere from 115-119 which is a big fluctuation for someone my size.
Bottom line; you've done great so far. One day did not ruin it! Just go back to your routine and you'll get back in the groove. Don't stress about it. At this point in the diet you've come so very very far. Like Jbout said, one breather doesn't make you the old Ed. You're still doing great. Keep it up! :)
CrumbyPages at 2:14PM on 06/05/09
Ed, one tiny binge does not a blown 'diet' make--everyone, even people without weight problems have a day or two like that, and weight should be looked at holistically, rather than a day-by-day thing. The fact you didn't slip into the 'fuck it' mentality shows you how much you've become a sane, good eater, and reeducated your stomach and your palate without sacrificing your love of good food.
HeartofGlass at 5:24PM on 06/05/09
Ditto on the kudos. I am on the same journey, though my road takes me to the gym five nights a week as well as learning to eat like my body needs me to.
Twice this week I have gone back for seconds, which I have stopped doing. The first time was smoked brisket with potato salad and baked beans, then last night I had to have another peice of grilled teriyaki king salmon. My husband just cooks too damn good! I'm just gonna add a sixth night at the gym this week and forget this every happened!
JBout has the right idea, keep a pair of those big jeans around to remind yourself how far you've come and give yourself a pat on the back! I am enjoying your updates.
RhondaB at 7:02PM on 06/05/09