NTSCBlog 23:5

I was absolutely thrilled to be tagged for the 23rd post meme by Alanna and Chronicler. For those who aren't into blogging, a meme a form of friendly chain letter, where people are "tagged" for a post about whatever subject is in the meme. The rules for this meme are:

1. Delve into your blog archive.
2. Find your 23rd post (or closest to)
3. Find the fifth sentence (or closest to)
4. Post the text of the sentence in your blog along with these instructions. Ponder it for meaning, subtext or hidden agendas...
5. Tag five people to do the same.

My 23rd post, coincidently enough, is the post containing my weight loss journal. The fifth line reads

"I'm not perfect, but publishing my results will help keep me accountable for my performance."

I was a little shocked to find this, because I have been meditating for weeks concerning just this line. This passage has come to be a real thorn in my side over the last few months as I question the wisdom of making such a bold statement!

Let me be frank. For someone who spends an incredible amount of time blogging about losing weight, I sure am short on results. Now let me make it clear that I never intend to turn this into a "I want to lose weight but can't" blog. My goal has always been to explore the world of food from the context of someone who's lost a ton (actually 1/20th of a ton, give or take) of weight.

I publish my weight tracker for two reasons:

1. To add credibility to my blog by showing my successes.
2. To add credibility to my blog by showing when I slip up and eat a quart of Bryers SugarSmart Peanut Butter Tracks ice cream (2 pts. per 1/2 cup, or 16 pts. per quart).

As much as it's been a bit embarrassing to be blogging in the midst of a serious plateau, I believe in the value of communicating the importance of soldiering forward even when when you feel like you're failing.

There have been some long periods of weight plateaus for me over the years, and I've often had to face the fact that sometimes you just have to keep doing your best to follow the program and wait for your motivation to catch up.

Personally, I do feel that I've been more than a little "off" with this blog lately. I'm aiming to steer my posts back on track, featuring more light and low-fat explorations. I find that when I work on posts that focus on sensible eating and weight management, success usually follows. Writing about trips and beer is fun, but the really rewarding stuff comes from helping myself and others.

To pass on the meme, I've tagged some of my favorite food blogs...

• Iheartbacon.com - MegWoo's bacon-centric blog is a hoot!
• Words to Eat By - Debbie's a woman after my own heart. I've enjoyed her food blog, and I appreciate the soul she pours into her writing.
• Lex Culinaria - Lex's posts and photography are top-notch!
• Life Begins @ 30 - This a great blog featuring tons of local eats...

and one from outside the food blog world...

• Nampaz.com - My friend Jason's blog on travel, religion and all things Jason.