This little story came to my mind some time ago, in fact the last time I joined weight watchers. We all know the simple rule, eat less, move more is supposed to equal weight loss. Weight Watchers has you track every thing from a morsel that you have so gently placed upon your lips and savored for a milisecond to tracking your activity and by activity, every thing you do for the most part is considered activity.
Some time ago I had weighed in on a Thursday morning at Weight Watchers. I prefer to weigh in the morning as I feel I am at my lightest. Before I consume any liquids I want to weigh in. Now, I also prefer to weigh in butt naked, but unfortunately Weight Watchers does not allow that. So off I went to my morning weigh in. Again, Kool and the Gang sang, "Celebration" as I was down 2.4 pounds. Not two pounds, not round it up to three pounds, two point four. The point four was probably directly related to my visit to the restroom prior to weigh in.
Each week you are handed a phamphlet that explores the endless trial and tribulations of this game called weight loss. This particular week they were spot lighting activity. Tracking your activity. Really? I rarely find time to track the food I eat, let alone my every movement?
By the afternoon, I was sitting in the doctor's office with a severe case of poison ivy. They were working me in and of all days, I did not have a car, so a fellow employee was kind enough to drive me to the doctor's office. I sat in the waiting room and decided to forgo browsing all the "current" magazines so neatly racked and protected in heavy plastic magazine folders. I suspected the magazine holder cost more than the magazine that was printed the previous Spring, but this is part of the cost of health care.
I decided to read my pamphlet. Tracking activity. Hmm. Activity allows you to be rewarded with more points to eat. Did you know that you can win one point for picking weeds? That is how I ended up here in the doctor's office! Great, I get one point for picking weeds and a $20 co-payment as well as two prescriptions.
As I left the doctor's office, I was supposed to call for my ride, but it was a beautiful day outside and I walked across the street to browse at Allisonville Nursery. I would call my ride after I smelled the roses, that had to be worth an activity point! But as I strolled toward the nursery, I spotted this "thing." It reminded me of my youth and I really had not seen one in a long time.
It resembled Allisonville Road, paved, only elevated and not four lanes but just one lane. Back in the old days, we called this a sidewalk. We rode our bikes on it, played hopscotch on it and walked to school ever so carefully measuring our stride so that we could not step on a crack and break our mother's back. I was mesmerized for a moment as I thought this might be a sidewalk, but the sign painted on the pavement clearly stated, "Pedestrians Only."
I was at 116th Street and my office is located behind Castleton Mall. I calculated like only a finely tuned GPS system can, calculating, calculating, calculating, three miles. I could do this. I started my journey on this Pedestrian highway with great gusto. Fresh air, nice breeze and as I walked on my path, it reminded me of life. The paths we choose and the results of our path.
I came upon a small mouse. Dead. He did not make a good choice. He must have thought someone had left him little mice munchies in a colorful yellow box and mistaken the big brown D on the box as Delightful verses De-con. Little did he know as he nibbled that his decision would lead to his death on the pathway for pedestrians.
I continued my journey. I walked pass Taco Bells, Cancun Mexican Restaurants, Ritters Frozen Custard, this path was becoming a reminder of all the bad choices I've made by eating out of the "yellow box." Soon, the path came to an end. There was no warning, but as I looked up, I saw the path continued on the other side of the road and so I crossed.
There before my eyes and my tired legs was the most beautiful site. Lush green lawns, flowering trees, bouquets of flowers sprinkled here and there and this beautiful wrought iron fence. Oh, how I wanted to enter into this magical land and rest upon the inviting benches calling my name, but as I came out of my sweat induced stupor, I realized before me was a place where if you stopped to rest, you did not come out. I began to see it clearly, my little friend, the mouse was probably on his way here when his life ended, the cemetery, not only for humans but for your pets as well.
No, I was going to continue on this path of wellness, this paradise pathway to new choices and a new lifestyle. I reached 96th Street. I was almost there. Seven lanes of traffic before me. I hit the button that would allow "pedestrians" to cross. I did not realize I only had 3.5 seconds to sprint across seven lanes of traffic. Dodging cars and trucks, I kept my eye on the target, a bagel announcing my arrival at Einstein Brothers. Hmm. A bagel, no, you must keep walking, you are earning activity points.
Subway sandwich shop, didn't that used to be a Hungry Howie's? I wasn't sure, but Howie, I was hungry. Another Mexican restaurant, grocery store, liquor store, CVS, Walgreens, food was every where. I had to focus on the goal. Activity.
As I continued my journey, I kept my eyes on the pathway. I didn't want to be tempted by all the franchises of devil food, but what did I see? Others must have traveled this path. Apparently they were not as strong as I am. Empty bags of McDonald's, candy wrappers, drink containers, the list went on and on!..OK, look up! Don't be tempted by the free advertising of food vendors whose bags and wrappers were cast aside after the prize was devoured.
Focus on the activity. Enjoy the scenery. Savor the moment of burning calories and tracking activity. But what did I encounter? Breyer's Ice Cream trucks, McDonald's semis, Yoder's, food advertised every where on this pedestrian pathway.
Finally, I could see the target, my office. I had to step off the pedestrian pathway and walk in the gutter. There were no empty food containers, bill boards on trucks, aromas of fresh bread and fried hamburgers, walk, focus, walk, activity points.
I walked into the office, proud that I had conquered the challenges presented to me that day. My staff was surprised to see me, why hadn't I called for a ride? A vendor had stopped and dropped cookies off for us. I headed straight to the freezer. "Hello Skinny Cow, heard you've been waiting for me" I could envision the commercial I would star in. Three miles, some activity points and a 2 point skinny cow melting in my mouth, could my day get any better than this?
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