Lent reflections.

Happy Easter. Happy Belated Passover.  Happy Sunday. 

Today is the end of my experiment to see if I could give up bread for Lent and I was, shockingly, successful. What did I learn about myself in the process?

That I have far more self control than I give myself credit for.
That food is not the answer to any of my problems. 
That some people really don't take well to making major diet changes 'made around a religious holiday.
That I really can do anything I want if I put my mind to it.

I turned down rolls and bread sticks and biscuits and stuffing and croutons and pizza and sandwiches.  I agonized over watching my best friends devour a loaf of home made garlic cheese bread. I gritted my teeth and turned away free bread with my meals almost every time we went out to eat. 

It was harder than I expected it to be... at first... about halfway through I stopped craving those go to foods.  The warm, tasty allure of bread just wasn't gnawing at me the way it once did.

Until my car accident.  When I finally got home the night of the accident I wanted nothing more than to devour a pizza and cry myself to sleep.  I wanted to be lost in the tasty warm bread smothered in sauce and cheese and dipped in garlic sauce.  I wanted to smell the fresh Italian seasonings and the warm delicious dough. 

It was remarkable just how much I craved those things in those moments of fear and doubt.  It was even more amazing that I was able to stay inside my mind enough and not give in.  I cried, a screamed, I panicked, I clung to Marshall and Chip and Matt and totally ate Girl Scout Cookies for dinner but I didn't give in and ruin my lenten promise so close to Easter.

Today I woke up to delicious waffles and fruit for breakfast.  We were going to do biscuits and eggs but we got lazy and forgot to go to the store. 

For lunch I had a delicious plate of ham, broccoli, lima beans, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes and 3 bean salad and I went back for seconds on all the veggies. I ate 3 delicious rolls too.  With butter.  They were heavenly. 

Shortly I will be indulging in pizza and I cannot tell you how much I'm looking forward to it.  Tomorrow I'll go back to eating bread normally, sparingly, and infrequently. 

I honestly felt better without all the processed white stuff in my diet.  I still got some of it from potatoes but taking the other major source away I definitely feel my nutrition was better over all so I think the bread stays away for the most part.