Jumping off the wagon

This is tough

The challenges of adhering to a diet to lower my cholesterol has been chronicled. It’s not getting easier. This time, I jumped after stumbling, avoiding total collision

We spent the past weekend up in Flagstaff, enjoying the cool air with ED and her two boys plus another teenage friend. C-boy and his wife and new baby, having come from Chicago to celebrate a wedding, joined us.

I can control this – NOT

Booking lodging in a spacious VRBO overlooking a wooded lot not far from town lulled me into thinking I could control my diet. However, we rarely ate at the house. Although the university town of Flagstaff offers many vegan and vegetarian restaurants, we tended toward the breweries which serve pub food. The side salads were excellent, but not enough for a meal. The diet was rich in animal products, processed flour, dairy, and sugar.

I supplemented calorie requirements with beer and wine. On one occasion, recalling MBP’s excellent recipe, I ordered an Old-Fashion cocktail. The drink was so unsatisfactory that I replaced it with a vodka tonic, vodka being this particular distiller’s specialty. Foolishly, I thought a second one would satisfy me. Wrong.

Oops

The reader should be aware that I had inadvertently forgotten to pack my prescriptions. Without the levothyroxine, I can become fatigued. Without the escitalopram, my happy pills, I become anxious and depressed. By the second vodka tonic, I was beginning to sink.

The effects of a weekend of unhealthy food, too much alcohol, and too few drugs resulted in a melt-down when we returned home Monday afternoon. We were hosting a few friends to introduce LLJ. My anxiety level was high. I tried soothing with wine. I ate mindfully, but the menu included red meat, chips, and processed flour in various forms.

Climbing back

The medication is taking effect as I write. An afternoon nap replenished my energy. No alcohol today, of course. Food wise, I am not back to where I was but the path is cleared.  

The wagon is coming around again. I will be back on it tomorrow.