BLF: Copy and Paste

Being Bright a couple of days and nights in a row means my calories are down and my hunger is up. I have cardamom tea to sip on, and just over an hour to go until dinner, and I am sitting down to write to kill time. The dog and his boy are curled up next to my desk on my bed watching Netflix on their way to a nap. We all wonder different things about Cal's last couple of years in treatment, the way he has been raised, and how it has all affected him. Screen time has been a huge source of comfort for him, but in light of the last Covid year, I think most of us are taking a ride in that boat now anyway, 

Summer plans are in the works, and he loves being outside at every opportunity, so I'm not worried about it. Just curious. Will he ever sit down to a meal without his pad? Will he be able to fall asleep to the sound of crickets instead of Octonauts?  Time will tell.

Today's Food:

• (b)  farrow, refried beans, salsa, cheese and a small banana w\ the last of the blackberries
• (l)  roasted veggies, hamburger stewed w\ tomatoes & onions, apple
• (d)  cabbage, red onion, red pepper salad w\ artichoke hearts, red kidney beans & parmesan

Meals are easy to record this week, just copy and paste, and since keeping it simple is encouraged it feels good to be working that part of the program again. Everything is so good, it's easy to eat the same thing over and over again. I'll do another batch of roasted veggies tomorrow, they are almost gone, and prep some oatmeal for the next batch of breakfast containers to switch things up a bit in the morning; love me some peanut butter and oatmeal!

I have listened to other Bright Liners talk about eating the exact same thing for breakfast or lunch for years, and I will admit I don't get that. But having a pocketful of go-to meals that I love definitely makes it easy to eat Bright every meal of every day. Which I have mostly done since October 2019; three Bright meals and done.  Until Midnight. Which is how I have maintained the weight lost so far. There is a small part of me that jumps up at the thought of losing more weight; all I have to do is not eat at night - the rest is handled. This is the manic part that after two Bright nights in a row is full of enthusiasm and plans and fills my head with thoughts of hiking and shooting my bow again. In cute shorts.

The IFS conversation that follows is about me calming her down, letting her know that things really aren't going to change that much or that quickly, and to please put on some bunny slippers while she curls up in an easy chair to just wait and see. I appreciate her passion, but we don't want to poke the bear that is my rebel, and she agrees to tone it down a bit. I take a few minutes to really envision her, the way she looks and feels, the fabric on the chair she's snuggled into, the adorable pink bunny slippers she is wearing that go so well with her soft grey yoga pants. The more details the better, and the calm moves through me, a soft ocean wave that smooths over any imperfections of the sand that is my ego.

I can also feel the calm emanating from the bed beside me, both little beasts having fallen asleep while I tapped away. Time to go chop some veggies, and put together a big beautiful salad to have ready at exactly 4pm when I will eat my dinner. Have I mentioned that? Breakfast at 8am, Lunch at 11am (I know, it should be 12 but I can never wait), and dinner at 4pm. That gives me a fasting window of 16 hours when I stay Bright all night.  Eating early is no longer reserved for Senior Citizens, even thought I am one now, and it's a good feeling to know I'm not just a fuddy duddy old lady, but part of a movement looking for better health through food and habits.

As I said, time to chop.