Day 390 The Dentist, Another Great Show, and The Quickest 400 Calories Ever

Day 390

The Dentist, Another Great Show, and The Quickest 400 Calories Ever

I spent the entire morning stressing over my dentist visit. I had Lauren Donahue in studio (she plays Doris, Hank's wife in the play I'm doing) for an interview/co-host spot. She did wonderful, but I was horribly off because of my preoccupation with dentist needles and drills. I will say this, Dr. Tyndall is the best dentist I've ever had, he makes it very easy, even for a big baby like me!

I seriously neglected my metabolism today. There's really not a good excuse for not eating something, anything at all, every few hours. I just wasn't prepared. With my breakfast burrito (200 calories) and the two small thin crust slices of veggie pizza from Pizza Hut, I was at 600 calories by 3pm. That's pretty typical for me by 3pm, but the bad part? Uh, I didn't consume any other food until 10:30pm, after the show. I certainly wasn't practicing what I preach with this eating performance today, but again, it's not typical and I know what's right and what's not. These temporary circumstances will soon pass and I'm really anxious to return to my normal routine. It was a busy schedule before all of this!

The play tonight was another wonderful performance. Two cast members and our stage manager were sick, but in the spirit of show business, “the show must go on!” We did avoid our pre-show huddle, and we have plenty of hand sanitizer back stage to prevent the spread of germs. Hopefully everyone will be improved for Saturday night's performance.

After the show, several cast and crew decided to hang out at Chili's, a casual dining restaurant with a menu that bursts at the seams with calories! They do have a few “good choices,” but you really have to look for them! I settled on a cup of chili and some chips and salsa. Irene had a salad and chili with a few chips and salsa.

Afterward, Lauren and her husband Skyler invited us to a place where they do karaoke. It was a little bar on the other side of town. We had never been there before, we really don't go out to bars, never have. But we were game for a little celebratory atmosphere, so we did tonight. With only 400 calories left in my “account” for the day, I certainly wasn't prepared for what happened next. I seriously had planned to only have water and listen to music, and of course—people watch! And then a friend of Lauren and Skyler who attended the play tonight came over to our table with a bunch of drinks. One Vegas Bomb for each of us. Oh boy, I didn't know about this. I'm not a drinker, but I'm not completely opposed to an occasional drink in a social setting. So of course I had to analyze the ingredients in this “Vegas Bomb.” I'd like to report that I calculated the calories before “bottoms up!” I didn't. There wasn't time. What was I suppose to say? “Hold on everyone, just hold up a minute while I calculate the calories in this mixed drink that I was so generously handed.” No, I couldn't do that. We all toasted to a wonderful show and evening and oh my, wow...that's good, a little too good...OK, I hope that drink didn't just kill my last 400 calories! Upon further analysis, I was comfortable placing a 200 calorie value on this drink. Probably the quickest 200 calories I've consumed in the last 390 days. Horrible calorie value, I know! But hey, an occasional mixed drink with friends is something we rarely do, and proof of that came quickly to my 289 pound body—I honestly felt the effects after just one drink. I'm soooo not a drinker! Good thing.

I had decided to stick with water the rest of our visit to this place. I thought about having some popcorn and maybe a Dream Bar later to round out my 1500 calories for the day, but then it happened again! A friend who just happened to be there, along with her husband, both readers of this blog, well---much like the Neals, whom I met last weekend---She reads and occasionally reads it to him and shows him the pictures. What is it with some guys and weight loss blogs? Is it not manly to read a weight loss blog? It's certainly the most manly thing I've ever done! But anyway, these two wonderful people approached our table and insisted on buying Irene and me a shot called “chocolate cake.” Well, there goes my popcorn and Dream Bar! I could have said “no thank you, my calorie account is depleted...But if you'll bring these drinks by our house in the morning I'll have a fresh allotment of calories to use!” So I made the decision to gracefully accept the generous offer. The Chocolate Cake shot is much smaller than the Vegas Bomb from earlier in the evening. No dairy or cake is actually in the thing. It's just a shot, and when you combine the taste of the sugar on the rim, the alcohol, and then bite the lemon---it taste just like a chocolate cake! It was probably less than 200 calories, but I went ahead and gave it that number just to be safe. Can you believe me? 400 calories worth of spirits? But really, it was a responsible display of control while enjoying the company of good friends. It wouldn't be hard to completely wreck a calorie budget at a place like that, ya know?

After our friends left and the place was about to close, I extended my hand and led my beautiful wife onto the dance floor. I've never danced really. But I do in this play, and I did with Irene tonight. She was shocked! We did a country two step. I wasn't wearing boots, but Irene didn't care what I was wearing. We started dancing on the floor, just the two of us, and before you knew it the dance floor was full. We had started something. It was the start of something far greater than just a dance to a random country song, (Bellamy Brothers-Do You Love As Good As You Look?) It was the start of many dances to come our way along this journey. It may not have been the perfect conditions or atmosphere for this moment, but that stuff didn't matter to us. We were moving as one on that hard wood. We were dancing and it was a beautiful thing.

Saturday night will bring a big audience to the theatre for our performance. My cousin Rick Hadley, his wife Kristen (we attended junior high and high school together) their two kids, my uncle Bob, plus cousins Lynn, Larry, Larry's wife, and a few others are coming. Rachel and Neil Bell, good friends and regular readers of this blog will also be in tomorrow tonight. Oh, and get this: The original cast of “Call Me Henry” from it's world premiere at the Jewel Box Theatre in Oklahoma City will attend Saturday evenings performance! How nuts will that be? I'll get to meet another “Hank,” that's so cool.

Originally we were having a cast party at the Directors place immediately afterward, but since a few are sick, that's been postponed. We are having a cast and crew get together at a little pizza place close to the theatre. They'll actually stay open just for us! We'll see how we handle that! I guarantee it will be handled just like every other situation in the last 390 days, with a solid commitment to my calorie budget and an eye for good calorie value. Just don't offer me another 200 calorie mixed drink, please---I don't want to be rude, but I'll say no if I have to! Good times, good times.

Thank you kindly for reading and offering your support on this most wonderful journey out of morbid obesity. From 505 to 230, or whatever looks and feels good---we're getting there one crazy day at a time! Have you read the archives from Day 1? They're listed on the left hand side of this blog in a convenient drop-down menu. It'll really give you the complete perspective of this journey. Goodnight and...

Good Choices,
Sean