The Rescue!

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

I was incredibly proud of myself for losing ten pounds without even trying. Moreover, this loss occurred in the heart of winter when there’s minimal physical activity–no hours on my feet working with horses. Those lost pounds had me wondering, marveling, and feeling happy. The loss did more, too, for I boxed and removed my “fat clothes”, and retrieved the “skinny clothes” stashed deeply in a closet.

Shortly afterward, this trend reversed, and suddenly, I felt starved. I craved foods that usually don’t interest me–pizza, popcorn, candy, and other junky items on a list that continued ad nauseam. My cupboards were bare of such eats, but I work at Costco and carted them home to satisfy starving insides. All too soon, I began to feel my slender clothes tightening. Sadly, I stared at my wardrobe, finally out-of-hiding but yet again in a waiting mode.

As a disciplined person, I kept questioning, why these swings? What’s out of control? Why keep goggling down the wrong foods even after they’ve stopped tasting good? What drives my periodic dips into mechanical modes of opposing behavior–robotlike but without a regulatory AI?

Fast-forward to yesterday, and finally, rescue! I worked as a breaker, one who assumes responsibility for tables while assigned demo persons take breaks and lunches. I arrived at Elizabeth’s table where she sauteed stir fry veggies and my salivary glands overflowed! She used frozen vegetables from a big heavy bag that demands lots of freezer space. To me, those sauteed veggies were irresistible!

We demo folks can recognize customers, approaching even from a distance, who clearly intend to take a sample from our tables. There’s something about their expressions, how they walk, their air of permission and confidence to take what they wish, even as much as they want. Despite the lush attractiveness and compelling odor of my freshly sauteed veggies, most men (and some women) moving toward my table and sighting vegetables sharply veered away–a Central Oregon “guy behavior”.

At last, I carried home a bag of stir-fry vegetables and sauteed a big bunch. Heavenly eating! Besides, I consumed all I wanted without worrying about maybe having to switch my newfound skinny clothes for the old fat ones. A part of me had found something healthy and likeable. There’s something else good–no need to find special space for a huge veggie bag, simply park it anywhere in a freezing garage. That’s something to love about winter!

Dear Readers, Have a swell day, and for sure, eat your veggies! Diana