I really forgot what it was like!
Yesterday I had the privilege of being a poll clerk at my local voting station. The day was exceptionally long, the final result is 15 hours clocked in but the pay (and the story) is totally worth it. A day before I was scheduled to work the poll I was called by a fellow worker to describe to me what I needed to bring and apparently one of the other women was a caterer willing to provide food for the day for $10 dollars a person. I knew exactly what the food would consist of so I covered my tracks and said that I have a whole bucket worth of dietary requirements so I will have to bring my own lunch. I arrived and noticed immediately that I was the thinnest one there, I was shocked, this has never happened before, it was’t a matter of scrutinizing and comparing myself to everyone else but an instant realization, everyone weighed at least what I used to at my heaviest or more. Everyone had several fifteen minute breaks that I tried to take advantage of but could never seem to use up the full time. I would fill up my water bottle, make some tea, eat my egg, go to the bathroom, get back to my table and be told that I only used up seven minutes. I was shocked at my partner, for breakfast she ate goat cheese and blueberries. For lunch she had the little sandwiches, some veggies doused in sauce, and the sugar nibbles provided, several times. She then proceeded to snack on trail mix, raisins, granola bars, and eventually some ‘yogurt balls’. She turned to me and said, “these are balls of yogurt but my granddaughter thinks they are white chocolate! So I let her have at them.” and instinctually I replied, “well, there’s probably the same amount of sugar in them as white chocolate.” She looked at me for a second and admitted that they were quit sweet, then proceeded to look at the package, then hurried into the kitchen to look at a package of sugary treats, then for at least 20 minutes maintained a perturbed look on her face. Of course dinner time finally arrived and everyone had their turn going at it. Each of the people I worked with piled their plates high with pasta and ‘salad’. They all hid in a corner to eat their food, then went for seconds and there was still food left over! Everyone had piles of carbs on top of dessert which was some kind of butter tart with chocolate. Even though the food was supposed to be eaten by the people who payed for it there were several instances where different people suggested that I have some. Even though I continued to say no, I brought a lunch, I have dietary restrictions, I’m allergic to chocolate, the guilt tripping and pushing just kept coming. I stayed firm but I had no idea how much time I used to take out of my day to eat! It was like the people coming in to vote were interrupting the main event, snacking. Overall, what I am trying to say is, if you don’t understand why you are not losing weight or are gaining weight, tack a look at your environment. This was all normal to these people, the carbs, the constant eating, and it used to be normal for me too. Now I know.
1 Comment
5/22/2020 07:23:46 pm
Thanks for the new idea that you have given me. It's true that we need to surround ourselves with people who want us to be better; who are all achiever on their own endeavors. If you want to be influenced in a good way, you need to be surrounded by people who will motivate you to become a better person. The norms you used to do before are the ones you need to get rid of especially if you want a big change in your life. This sounds a bit challenging, but everyone can actually do it!
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Emerald HillOn the quest to lose 50 pounds in a year. Can she do it? Only time will tell....with the help of this blog. Archives
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