Day Twenty-four, Gift Twenty-four

I woke up feeling pretty exhausted, the muscle relaxers do that to me - now I remember, that's why I don't like taking them! My body felt like lead. I sat on the love seat in our room just staring at my dresser wondering how the heck I was going to get myself dressed. Tim saw me and asked, "Do you need me to bring your clothes?" "No" I grumbled...I could tell today was going to be the pity party of the week and I was the guest of honor.

It took me a half hour or so, but I got myself dressed and I stumbled down the stairs to get something to eat. "How much have you lost?" Tim asked me..."8 lbs" I groaned..."That's fantastic!" "I'm miserable, I miss food, I hate this, I can't do this." He reassured me that I could do this, I didn't have a choice. I had been really struggling since my family ate pizza the night before in front of me and I laid there on the couch, starving...literally...sigh. However, I must say that the diet is working, the weight is coming off as well as the inches...I've lost 15 inches over my body in one week.

I told Tim I was going to go get some make-up on as we were planning to go to the movies for our date to see "Extraordinary Measures"...we both had been looking forward to this coming out, but I was in a mood to be reckoned with. I went upstairs and started to walk past my exercise room...maybe if I brought myself to stretch I'd feel better I thought. So I started my yoga program and before I knew it I had done 41 minutes of exercise and it was time to leave for our date. Unfortunately, my mood did not improve. I was proud of myself for doing it while I was so weak, but I was still not happy. I ate a half of a cucumber before we left to go to the movies, all I could think about was all the food everyone would be eating. Not that I usually eat food at the movies, but I do get myself a Root beer as my treat.

On the way to the movies Tim said to me, "Well, I guess we'll be starving together because I didn't eat lunch before we left." I knew he'd never in a million years consider eating in front of me at the movies in my current mood. I didn't say a word the whole drive as I was so unhappy, however, once we got there I started to get a bit excited to see the movie and my hunger was subsiding. I found that it is really bad for a half hour or so and then it goes away. We headed past the concession stand and I told Tim, "You should get something to eat...no point in us both starving." He was absolutely against it, but I insisted and his hunger convinced him. While he got candy, soda, and a water for me I went to the bathroom. I felt very good about him getting food, that was my gift for today I thought.

As the movie started I could smell Tim's chocolate...it smelled so good. I haven't cheated once, I have eaten less than 500 calories a day for five days in a row now. I know if I cheat once, that it will be all over, I know myself too well. So I haven't. Now, onto more important things, the movie "Extraordinary Measures". It is fantastic and I really hope everyone reading this gets a chance to go see it. It was so familiar to our lives...it's about a very loving couple with two children who are dying and have severe special needs. Everything in the movie looked so familiar to us, the wheelchairs, lack of privacy, the constant Dr's appointments, the hope. Oh my, this family had hope to cure a disease in time to save their children's lives! It was very inspiring and will definitely be in our home collection.

When we left the theater it was cold and Tim didn't have his jacket on. As we headed to the car, I told him, "I'll open my own door, it's cold, get in the car." He was very thankful and I figured that would be another little gift, I adore him and honestly, who opens the car door for their wife each and every time after five years? Well, Tim does :-).