As I moved into week three of my Weight Loss Revolution, the battleground became a simple matter of making a choice. Do I elect to continue destroying my physical health, which links to my state of mind? Or do I opt for a safe sensible approach to fueling my body so that I can live longer and happier? Well, it was a landslide victory, and naturally the latter prevailed. So now…

Oh where, oh where, has my appetite gone? Oh where, oh where, can it be? Well, nobody said it any better than Rhett Butler, “Quite frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.” I just know that it has definitely LEFT the building!

Meet my former alter ego, Hungry Gal. She was, among other things, a junk food junkie. She thought nothing of consuming a McDonald’s lunch just like it was a bowl of grapes. She ate sweets. She loved anything loaded with melted cheese. She slathered mayonnaise on sandwiches. And she ate them, along side a fluffy pile of potato chips. She adored bacon, cornbread, and her homemade bisquettes. She had her cake and ate it ,too. She didn’t drink Co colas, rarely even a Diet Coke, but she could flat kill a bottle of white wine in a single evening – solo!

With great pride I introduce you today to the New Meg – Healthy Girl. Healthy Girl has learned to enjoy the simple, flavors of real food. And why shouldn’t I, along with the entire population of America? Our grocery stores and local markets offer countless arrays of wonderful food from the farms of the world. Healthy Girl now spends more time in the produce department. Even the meat department holds little attraction for the new menu planning thin person that is screaming to be released from within.

Let’s take a look at what a typical day of food consumption includes for the Weight Loss Revolution.

            6 a.m. Breakfast: sauté of spinach, mushrooms, squash, and asparagus scrambled with ½ cup Eggbeaters. One whole wheat English muffin, toasted. Can of Vemma Bode Burn. Total calories: 310

            9 a.m. Snack: ½ cup low fat cottage with chopped veggies. Total calories: 100

            12 p.m. Lunch: Chicken Caesar salad with lettuce, chicken breast, veggies, Parmesan cheese and 1 Tablespoon oil and vinegar dressing. Total calories: 320

            3 p.m. Snack: sliced tomato topped with thin slices of Mozzarella, can of Vemma Bode Burn. Total calories: 181

            6 p.m. Dinner (or as I prefer, Supper): baked salmon filet, broccoli, and ½ cup brown rice. Total calories: 260. Two vodka and water cocktails. Total calories: 200.

            Okay that’s about it.  The grand total of a typical day of calorie consumption by Healthy Girl: 1371. Now that ain’t bad is it??? Probably would be better if I stuck to 1200 daily, but those two vodkas play into my evening coping skills. I consider them right up in importance to “essential for sanity.”

So NOW, let me digress. Going back to a typical day in the life of Hungry Gal, I find it hard to believe how foolish I was. But the cold hard truth remains evident in the size of my upper arms and tummy. I may have eyes from the skies, but I also have arms just like thighs. And this is how I got them – the arms not the eyes.

            6 a.m. Breakfast: Eggbeaters, whole wheat English muffin, and ¼ avocado, sliced.

Total calories: 230. Not bad for a Hungry Gal.

            12 p.m. Lunch: This is where things get really ugly. McDonald’s Blitz of Blubber – ¼ pounder, French-fries. Total calories: 650!!!

            3 p.m. Snack: Probably 2 Publix Calypso Cookies. Total calories: 300

            5 p.m. Cocktails: 3-4 vodkas with water. Total calories: 400.

            7 p.m. Dinner: Sliced pork loin, ½ baked potato or rice, green vegetable. Total calories, about 350 depending on menu.

            8 p.m. Evening Nerve Reliever: White wine au nauseum. More than necessary for sure …total calories at least another 400.

            So there you have it. Hungry Gal’s typical day’s consumption of food and drink: 2330. Pair that with sitting most of day watching Fox News (groan) with the Hubby. What’d ya got? Formula for Fat Megpie. And that’s omitting my fun bubbly lunches with girl friends… which truly adds another 300 calories more of Prosecco.

I talkin’ – disaster for a grown woman who didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. According to Calorie King website, that McDonald’s lunch alone would take over THREE HOURS of walking to burn off. Now c’mon – get my drift?

Dear Diary: (Highlights from my musings, second week):

            Scales don’t lie

            Scales can be really painfully truthful and mean

            I hate scales

            I love my new diet plan

            I can juggle taking care of two needy humans: Hubby and my 5-year-old grandson daily for 6 days.

            I cannot totally abstain from alcohol. Rehab is not on the list of things to do, but I have to have some reward and nerve numbing at the end of the day.

            I am totally blessed with loving, caring people who let it be known they are pulling for me.

            I count those blessings when the scales hit below the belt. WHAM!

RESULTS (REWARDS) WEEK 3: Gain of 3.1 pounds. Bottom line: More determined than ever.

Thankfully, Healthy Girl loves discovering that she actually has ankles again. And with my cheerleading squad growing by leaps and back jumps each day. Well, I’m just pumped. Even though the scales proved to be seriously cruel.

Next week: I’m going to take you to my gym, Fitness@Five, and let you get a gander at just what Tony “Swoon” Gasparro and I do in our twice weekly workouts. Yes, I’m actually going to share some video of us in action…destined to be a blockbuster! Or at least a side-buster for sure.

As I mentioned, the cheerleading squad keeps on growing. I hold each and every person in my heart as I continue my rebellion against obesity. This week I proudly boast the following new members: Stephanie Leathers, Paula Galland, GiGi Lastinger, Sally Everding, Paula McDonald, Jerry Crawley, Sweet Melinda, Joe Turnell, Mimi Christian, Deborah Wooten, Margie McClung, Leigh Hewett, Karen Moncrief, Kay Gordon Howard, Roy Moseman, Melissa Burke, Nancy Wojteczko, Camille Templeton, Betsy Canfield, Brent Gunn, Leila Case, Susan Steffey, Debby Doran Bernstein, Julie Grimes, Talley Toto, Robert Gunn, Mimi DuBose Gudenrath, Carole Yoho, Jeff Pierson, Robert Brawner, Donny Whitehead, Sallibet Wildman, Blake Giles, Ruthie Hoge, Sherry Carson, Richard Hunter, Carol Morton, Mitchell and Robyn Beene, Sypriya Chessser, Rusty Gunn, Nita Arnold Woodruff, Mark Ralston.

Gimme an L. An L. An L-O-S. And an E. An E. An E-I-T. Lose it! Lose it! Yes, I can.