Sweet Indulgences

Have you ever been sick with a head cold, and you feel like you'll never smell or taste anything again? You know you need to eat, but everything tastes bland, and your nose is so stuffy that you have to breath through your mouth. Then your head clears, and you take in that first deep breath through your nose and you feel like it's the first time you've ever smelled. The scents in the air are so vibrant and intense and it's a little heady.

Or have you ever had surgery and for the first few days you don't eat at all? When you start feeling better and are actually hungry, you can't wait to eat but all they will give you is clear broth and jello. You look at the tray of chicken broth, weak tea and green jello and wonder how you are going to choke it down. Then you take the first sip of broth and find yourself gulping it down and thinking that it's the best thing you've ever tasted. Before you know it, the green jello that you previously swore would never pass your lips is but a memory and you're wishing you had more.

Well, neither of those experiences even came close to what happened this morning. I have been faithfully following my diet for the last 3 weeks. I've exercised 3 times a week and consumed vast quantities of water, and I have reaped the reward of my labor. I've lost 8 lbs and a total of 13 inches. My clothes are fitting better and I am incredibly motivated to continue on with my new lifestyle.

But this morning I bought a bag of Dove dark chocolate Promises. Dark chocolate is my favorite, and I especially enjoy Dove, so I indulged. Each candy is 1 point, and is a wonderful way to satisfy my craving for chocolate. When I got back to the car, I ripped the bag open and popped a piece in my mouth.

I can't even begin to adequately describe the euphoria my taste buds experienced.

After 3 weeks of no chocolate, the creamy deliciousness would have brought me to my knees had I been standing. For those of you who think of chocolate as simply another kind of candy (silly people), this will seem a bit ridiculous. But for those of you who are fellow chocolate lovers, you understand the bliss that is chocolate after a long period of denial. It came in on the incredible experience scale somewhere just behind my wedding day and the births of my children.

It was that good.

So now I have the chocolates safely stored in a biscuit barrel on the counter, just waiting to be eaten at my leisure. I can't help but grin every time I pass by and see the pink foil winking at me from behind the cut crystal. They are beckoning, but my resolve is strong. I want to look back in three weeks and say that I've lost another 8 lbs and trimmed off another 13 inches. The chocolate is just a sweet indulgence that keeps me happy and on track.