Fourth of July Recap

I had every intention of posting yesterday, but the hours got away from me and I got home very late.  Sorry...but I missed you all terribly!!!

I was really nervous about yesterday...I don't know any veterans personally, I'm not the most patriotic person in America...so my recollection of the holiday has always been a barbeque with a full spread of vittles and fixings combined with lots of alcohol.  My first thought was to just cook dinner at home so that I wasn't tempted by all of the available food that's normally at cookouts, but my partner wanted to visit a coworker.  I didn't want to be a party pooper so I agreed.

I started the morning off on a good foot with some freshly made juice and an omelet for breakfast. 

 

Orange, mango, carrot, kale, ginger, pineapple and blueberry.  Looked a little weird, but it was very tasty and SUPER nutritious.

 For the omelet I used one egg and two egg whites, kale, green onion, avacado and a mini  babybel light with some almond/coconut milk on the side.  Very hearty and filling.  I figured if I had a good healthy breakfast before going out that it would help me stay away making poor food choices.  I also packed 64 ounces of water and a Clif bar as a snack and brought a platter of fruit for everyone to share.

The dogs came with us...Onyx kept himself busy during the hour-long ride.

Once I got there, I realized how absolutely foolish I was to be so concerned with food.  I pictured a smörgåsbord with ribs and thighs, cakes and pies...they were serving hamburgers and bratwurst with potato salad.  The funny thing about food addiction is that even when I think I'm planning ahead to avoid diet pitfalls, sometimes it's really just a clever disguise for my psyche to obsess about food.  Sometimes I miss out on great opportunities to socialize and spend time with loved ones because I'm preoccupied with pondering about food.  I ate about a quarter of a burger and half a plateful of fruit and abstained from drinking.  Had I just set that as my plan in my mind...no matter WHAT is being served, I will stay on target by eating in moderation and making the most healthy choice...I would have saved some needless stress.  Instead, I conjured up visions of never-ending foodage and panicked like a recovering addict locked in a crack house.

We had a wonderful visit...the puppies ran around like crazy frolicking with the other dogs who were there...they played in the creek (which surprised me...didn't know they liked water!) and chased cats (which they have never seen up close)...we went for an easy hike and talked and laughed.  Food was more the after-thought than the focus...perhaps I've had it all wrong about the 4th of July!  Perhaps holidays can exist where bonding and buddies take precedence over binging and belly aches.