Oops!

Perfection. Webster says perfection is a noun 1. the state or quality of being or becoming perfect. 2. the highest degree of proficiency, skill, or excellence, as in some art. 3. a perfect embodiment or example of something.

Apparently I am not perfect, though sometimes it may appear that way to my readers. Allow me to assure you I am not. Like everyone else I make mistakes, poor choices, and I live to tell about them...so far.

Today is a good example. I started my day off ‘perfectly’ with a bowl of Kashi GoLean (and I actually measured the serving size stated on the Nutritional Analysis) and added some unsweetened soymilk. I took my vitamins and downed a big glass of water on the way to work. I had a serving size of bing cherries planned for my mid-morning snack. I planned to eat lunch at home and there were plenty of choices so I didn’t plan anything specific.

Well ... my day didn’t go quite as I had planned. The bing cherries tasted off to me (though usually they're wonderful) and some were rather slimy. I rinsed them off and they still didn’t appeal to me. I pitched them. Knowing better, but dealing with a growling stomach, I grabbed a peppermint and skipped my snack. By ten o’clock I was so groggy from lack of food, I poured myself a cup of coffee adding some non-dairy creamer. OK, so there are good ideas and bad ideas, but for now I was feeling better and would be home shortly for a good lunch. I found myself at the office too long and when I finally arrived at home I was starving! 

My dear husband, my resident carnivore, had beef ribs slow-cooking in the oven. The house was filled with juicy, beefy aromas that toyed with my senses. I knew I had fresh spinach in the refrigerator. I had about any kind of salad-fixings you could imagine. I had plenty of fruit. I even had a vegetarian casserole from the night before that would be wonderful. Somehow, my sense of right and wrong slipped by the wayside and I found myself diving into one little beef rib ... then two ... then ... well, I quit ... what WAS I thinking?! I haven’t eaten beef in years and now I can no longer say that ... life goes on. And, as I chomped each morsel I could feel the squishy fat I used to love and now it actually repelled me ... BUT ... I didn’t quit!!! Two ribs and two glasses of water later I was beating myself up. Then, to add insult to injury I found some old Girl Scout cookies in the garage freezer ... heck, I already screwed up my plan, so why not? I ate two, then two more and then shamed myself into quitting while I was still standing! So I ask you ... am I not allowed to make a poor choice? Can I eat perfectly all the time? No ... well, maybe on paper, but not in the real world.

But fear not, my friends, even though choices can bring you failure, all is not lost. Had I taken the time to count the calories, carbs, cholesterol, salt, sugar, and fats I ate today I would have embarrass even myself! I know I did a bad thing. And, there’s nothing I can do about it, right? Wrong. I took a deep breath, fixed myself a drink (OK it was ice water) and flipped on my WiiFit and had a workout that winded me, but I could have done better. I looked in the mirror and realized one day of poor choices wasn’t going to kill me. So here I sit and though I didn’t have a perfect day but I’m still smiling.

When you make a poor choice move on ... give yourself a hug for recognizing your poor choice and know tomorrow is another day.

Signed ... One who is not perfect.

PS Do you have an “Oh-oh, I screwed up story”? Leave me a comment ... you’re not alone!