It all started on
Ash Wednesday, February 21, 2007…the day that Lent in the Catholic religion
starts. Here is a quote giving a brief explanation of what it is…..
Lent is a season
of soul-searching and repentance. It is a season for reflection and taking
stock. Lent originated in the very earliest days of the Church as a preparatory
time for Easter, when the faithful rededicated themselves and when converts
were instructed in the faith and prepared for baptism. By observing the forty
days of Lent, the individual Christian imitates Jesus' withdrawal into the wilderness
for forty days. All churches that have a continuous history extending before AD
1500 observe Lent.
Did I mention to
next quote???
Because Sunday is
the day of the Resurrection, we skip over Sundays when we calculate the length
of Lent.
Therefore making
it 47 days long! 7 days longer than I had originally signed up for! But seeing
as Jesus gave his life for us, sacrificing the extra 7 days didn't seem like
too much to ask. The first couple of weeks was hard as I was use to having oh
lets say for arguments sake 3-4 bowls (I'm talking REAL people size bowls!) of
popcorn a week. To have to cut this out completely was a challenge but one that
was not as hard as I had originally thought. Instead of filling my cupboards
with chips and popcorn; they were filled with rice cakes and my new favourite
crackers…Triscuit, the Cracked Pepper and Olive Oil ones!
I must admit that
I did notice a difference in not only my skin but in my all over wellness. I
had more energy, didn't eat so much salt and butter and I even think my
arteries were secretly thanking me. With my new chip and popcorn-free life I
started to want to work out more, I even enjoyed water. Hmm, all this from no
popcorn and chips; who knew?
As the days
started to wear on, I was having the normal cravings…watching bystanders
walking by eating their personal sized bags of chips. I was envious! I wondered
why I couldn't just have one little chip, I mean it wouldn't hurt anyone???
Despite the cravings I toughed it out and waited…and waited…and waited!
Easter Sunday
couldn't come quick enough! I had my whole days worth of meals all planned out;
I can tell you that a Weight Watchers drop out would've been so proud of me! I
would have a popcorn breakfast, compiled of 'Buttery' and 'Cheddar' popcorn;
Lunch would consist of Chips; many different flavours…maybe 5 or 6 personalized
bags…and then there was Supper, of course that would be Nachos! Well really
just lots of shredded cheese with nacho chips underneath. Meals fit for a King…artery
clogging and not nutritious! The countdown was on…
Prior to Easter
Sunday, we'd made all the necessary stops at all the appropriate stores,
acquiring all the necessities…chips, popcorn, cheese! The morning finally
arrived and I did indeed grab a few chips but was surprised by the insistence
from my body that I wanted toast, with honey NOT chips! After satisfying my
pallet I decided it was time to dig in…unfortunately I couldn't get into the
"mood". I forced a few chips down, even trying to mask the
dissatisfaction of the flavours with some sour cream. To my surprise they
tasted ok, not as spectacular as I had remembered. Something seemed amiss I
continually grazed on the bag of chips all day but didn't find the satisfaction
that I was yearning for! At this point I found it cumbersome and just decided
to not bother; I would go home and enjoy a bowl of popcorn later tonight…that
would definitely satisfy me.
I arrived home
with my box of popcorn in hand; eager to open the package, pop it in the
microwave and enjoy the flavours melding in my mouth. I was almost salivating
at the thought; I believe I even watched it pop. The aroma that wafted through
the house was pleasant; I welcomed it like a long lost friend. As the timer on
the microwave counted down I prepared the usual bowl, grabbed the seasoning
salt and waited…
After the
seasoning salt and the forbidden food hot in my hands; I was ready! Ready to
dive into the meticulously popped and seasoned popcorn; that I had waited 47
days for!!! The first piece went in like nothing had changed; I felt it melt in
my mouth, the flavours that I had deprived myself of for so long were
"just ok"; not phenomenal, not amazing, not even missed. Something
had changed! My rhythm was gone; I'd dropped pieces on the floor, the couch,
even a few down my shirt…a feat that I only saved for the movie theatre; so
that when I got undressed after the movie I had a little treat just before bed!
I couldn't quite place it; it felt like an out of body experience??? Why was
something that was second nature to me, so foreign? I thought maybe something
wasn't right so I attempted to give it the old college try and continue eating…maybe
I could get my rhythm back. After polishing the bowl for popcorn off; I
couldn't help but feel…well…ill! The film that the popcorn had left on my
teeth, the popcorn skin stuck between my teeth, the heaviness of my belly!
Something that my body was NOT accustomed to and definitely NOT enjoying!
I found that
consuming about 10 gallons of water, I started to feel a bit better. I couldn't
believe how much water I needed to get myself back to where I was just a short
20 minutes ago. I did not like this ill feeling, I did not seem to have the
same fondness of my "comfort" food that I once had. What was wrong?
Maybe the 47 days without it really did help; maybe I don't need it as much as
I had originally thought...who knows??? All I know is that I am allowed to eat
chips and popcorn and honestly I'm not sure that I want them??
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