I even splurged on fresh flowers for the living room, and my house has never looked better. I love that feeling of looking around the living room and going, "Oh, wow. So THIS is what my house could look like ALL the time if I could actually keep up on the cleaning!". Mad props to my husband for doing the housework, since this working mama spent the afternoon at her oh-so-glamorous retail job.
The focus of the dinner party was for Angie and I to introduce some menu items we've been working on for our newest endeavor: a personal chef business catered specifically to people on the Take Shape For Life program. We wanted to try out some new recipes on a test crowd and see what the response was like. We had a dozen people come (friends and family of mine) and the response was overwhelmingly positive. Our entreés were as follows: Beef Tenderloin with Balsamic Tomatoes and Thyme, Fiesta Lime Shrimp and Veggie Kabobs, and a Chicken Caesar Salad served with Tomato Basil Bread. (The bread, by the way, is made with Medifast products- a packet of their tomato soup, a packet of their eggs, and our "secret ingredients", and voila! Flatbread!). So for all you foodies out there, it's easy to see that we were eating good in the neighborhood. This is not a broiled chicken and iccberg salad program, that's for sure. I don't think I could be on a program where the food tasted like cardboard, even if it meant rapid weight loss. I love food as an art, a form of expression, a source of adventure and joy... there's no way I'd last if all I was eating were celery sticks.
The most amazing part of last night for me, though, was the fact that so many friends and family members came and showed their support. Not only that, but it was kind of my way of "going public" with my weight loss goals, kind of like I'm doing with this blog. I have NEVER been so open about my goals in the past, because once they are out there, I am accountable to them. Before, I would have been way too scared to do that. I also don't like drawing attention to the fact that I have a weight problem, as surprising as that must seem. (Detecting the sarcasm there?) Nobody likes to be the person saying, "Hey, I'm Jessica and if you haven't noticed, I am extremely overweight." It's just not an issue we like to bring to the light, which is ironic considering it's one of the most visible health issues that exists. Anyway, point being that I sat in a room full of people who I love and trust, and felt accepted enough to say "I'm on a journey to take my health back and lose this excess weight, and I need your support." That is huuuuuge for me!
I feel so blessed to be in a place emotionally that allows me to be open about my goals. I think the main reason for this is that I already feel like I've won the battle. So much of it is psychological. Every one of my diet attempts before has been more of a shot in the dark, hoping to lose a few pounds and feel better about myself, but never really believing that I had the ability to drastically change. But this time, with the tools I'm using (I can't say enough good about how easy and awesome the Medifast stuff is- no lie) and the support of a health coach, I really feel like I'm in this thing for the long haul, and it feels so do-able. I can do this. I really know that I can. And part of that is going to include doing it publicly. I don't want to drink my shakes and eat my bars in shame, trying to hide the fact that i'm trying to lose weight. I feel like I'm training for a marathon or something- it's not something to hide, it's something to be proud of! If I didn't realize that before, I really do now, after last night's show of support from my awesome friends and fam. Going it alone is not the way to go, and if I have to throw a party every weekend to keep myself accountable and remind myself of the support I have from those who love me, then by golly I will do it. Based on my friend's responses to last night's meal, I don't think they'd mind too much either. ;)
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