Cravin’ the bakin’
May 11, 2009 (Monday)
I am learning to cook various foods I never thought I would be able to prepare. One of the things I am gradually learning to prepare is blackeyed peas (or “blackeye peas” if you prefer). In preparation for my next batch I bought a package of bacon pieces last week. I used some of it to fix a pot of peas recently, and put the remainder of the bacon back into the refrigerator, where it has been minding its own business. I told it, “Don’t call me; I’ll call you.” Well, on Sunday it called anyway. I pulled three pieces out of the package and put them in a pan. I fried them. I have not fried anything for 117 days. I never saw so much smoke in my life. It literally filled the house. You might think I would obey this clear sign to forsake the bacon, but, no, hiding it behind the smoke only enhanced the craving. I ate it, ate it, ate it, and enjoyed, enjoyed, enjoyed it.
Then I looked up “cravings” on the internet, and found an article that said such cravings show that the body needs what it craves. Boy, that’s my kind of article. It went on to say the cravings can only be satisfied with the real thing. In other words, if you crave ice cream, don’t eat raw carrots. So, I spent the evening thinking about the situation. Do I repent or do I continue to sin? I think I’ll take the advice of the nutritionist who said what I’ve done is O.K., just don’t worry about it.
I have lost 22.6 pounds as of today, and I would like to lose another 15 pounds or so, and later another 10 pounds, maybe. Just depends on how I feel from day to day. Sunday’s experience was the first time I intentionally “fell off the wagon.” So far, the taste is lingering in my memory and is stronger than the guilt, which faded fast. And, after all, it’s really not that many calories, according to the charts I like the best. I guess I’m like old King Ahab, who wouldn’t listen to prophets who told him stuff he didn’t like to hear. If a nutrition chart growls at me, I keep looking until I find one that purrs.
I don’t think I have turned around; I’m still on course. To paraphrase a great admiral, “Phooey on the torpedoes — full speed ahead (with the diet).”