Darn Cookies

About three years ago I lost a fairly significant amount of weight. I used Weight Watchers at Work and walked, alot. I achieved Lifetime status in August 2003. I continue to weigh in on a monthly basis, usually the last Monday of the month. So Monday evening after work it’s off to Weight Watchers I go.

I was hoping to have lost a couple of pounds but lo and behold I had gained again. Not any amount that most rational people would be concerned with, but then again…This upward trend has been going on since last August. Yea, I know we had the holidays in there and my trip to India in January, but in February I was back on track with my running and hoped to finally see a loss. It’s not exactly unknown to me why I’ve been on the slow road upward. I have been eating way too much chocolate and snacks. I’ve even succumbed lately to the Friday donuts at work which I religiously avoided for nearly three years. I was hoping against hope that the return to more regular training would counteract the gluttony. I guess there’s only so much exercise can overcome. I committed myself to start counting the Points (WW method for counting calories and portion control) again starting Tuesday morning.

When I got to work Tuesday morning I went to the coffee cube, which coincidentally is right next to mine, there was a nice big plate of Pecan Sandies cookies there just staring me in the face. At 2 points per cookie; 11 cookies and I could be done eating for the day. I summoned up my will power and left the cube. I came back twice more just to check how many were left but I never did eat one. Why do I torture myself?

Just as I had gotten over the Pecan Sandies, a coworker delivers 4 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies that I had ordered. Ugh! I refused to open any of the boxes. An open box of GS cookies is as good as an empty box of GS cookies. I’ll figure out the Points for them some other day. On her way home from work my wife stopped by her Mom’s house. She sent her home with a plate of brownies. I did eat a couple of those. I do get some extra Points to play with, but I was hoping to save them up for the weekend.

Wednesday morning at work, more cookies! This never happens. Someone had brought in oatmeal raisin and peanut butter cookies. The cookie gods are out to get me. I am weak and succumbed to an oatmeal raisin. I figure I got some fruit and some fiber, that can’t be all bad. There goes 3 more of my extra Points. Then, I received 3 more boxes of GS Cookies from another coworker. I know that makes 7 boxes of cookies, but hey it’s for a good cause and who doesn’t love GS Cookies. Thin Mints, anyone? How about a Samoan?

Man does not live by cookies alone, but I could sure give it a good shot this week. It just figures that this would happen once I decide to buckle down and control my intake.

On the running front, I stopped by the dam after work on Tuesday. This time I had actually remembered to put my backpack in the car. I did 5 miles with 2 half mile speed bursts in 3:31 and 3:33. I thought I was about to die on the second one. I considered a third but didn’t. Wednesday evening, I went over to Via Verde and ran the horse path for a rather easy 4 miler. The Chesebro Half Marathon is Saturday. I’m still unsure what the weather conditions will be like. Rain is probable Thursday and Friday maybe even Saturday, making for some fun conditions on the trail portion of the race!