Downwards and Downwards

Well, half a pound off this week.  I certainly didn't deserve that, especially after the enormous lunch I ate at friend Linda's on Sunday and then a weigh-in on Monday morning.  It must have been all that rushing around at work last week.

A workshop I attended recently inspired me to engage with my Thoth cards again, so here is today's message using a randomly drawn Thoth card.

6 of Wands - Victory, and it certainly was.  Half a pound off this week and I didn't try at all.  However, the warning of this card, my fellow dieters, can be about pride coming before a fall - and I should not fool myself that if I continue not trying then I'm going to keep losing little bits of weight.  I need to get a grip, I've had two careless days already this week - and get back on track.  Imagine if I'd tried - I would have done even better.

So let's draw another card to try and inspire me to do better the rest of the week.  My eyes were drawn to my Tarot of the New Vision deck which I haven't used yet at all.  Giving them a good shuffle and three cards fell out - so these are my message for today.

10 of Cups, happy families and emotional fulfilment.  Indeed - and so why worry about dieting?  That's part of my problem, although one I'm very fortunate to have.  I'm generally contented and happy.

Well - happy as I am - my clothes just don't fit and my arms are fat, and that's why I need to get down to some serious dieting, especially with Christmas approaching.  I don't want to be a Pudding this Christmas!

The Ace of Coins - new beginnings in a money and material sense.  Hmmm....would be nice if that meant new (smaller) clothes although if I carry on as I am being such a careless dieter, then it'll be new but bigger ones.  This is perhaps a little warning to me from the cards.

But I like the last card - the Wheel - a change of fortune;  being in the right place, the right time.  Looking towards a change for the better - the message couldn't be louder - I need to go forwards in a different way.  I hope The Wheel offers some good luck to help me to stay on track.  Left to my willpower alone, I will struggle.

Ok, one small step at a time though.  My resolution for today is to make a low-point pasta salad or similar to take to work tomorrow for lunch so that I'm not tempted by all the food outlets around me in the centre of town.

May be the picture of the Wheel of Fortune actually represents my plate - and a warning about all the temptations surrounding it!  That feels more apt!  Ok, message received - home-made lunch for work tomorrow it is!

Defeated

This was actually yesterday's card, the 5 of Swords from the Modern Medieval tarot deck.  Traditionally this is the card of 'Defeat'.  And even before I pulled it I knew yesterday was not going to be a good diet day.  I went out with my best friends for drinks and a Thai meal.  And I had no intention whatsoever of even trying to be 'good' diet-wise.

So fellow dieters - what did I have?  Well, my friend G and I started off at my house with a whole sharing-size pack of vegetable chips between us and a couple of glasses of wine.  That wasn't our fault though - the cab was late and we were hungry and just killing time (and diets!).

We got to the pub and met up with J and had more wine and a good old girlie natter before going to the Thai restaurant.  Thai is probably one of the least diet-friendly meals out you can have - coconut milk / cream, peanut sauce etc.  But - fellow dieters - I do feel that if you are going to blow the diet, then at least do it in style.  Let's not be half-hearted about busting the calories bank.

So some fish cakes, spring rolls, a green curry and more wine later later we're on our way to the cab rank to get home.  And that reminds me to look again at the card I drew.  Look at the characters in the picture, they don't exactly look like victorious warriors do they?  To me - they actually look a bit uncomfortable.  And that reminds of another meaning of the 5 of Swords - pyrrhic victory.

So yes - I did bust the diet completely and had a great time.  I knew I was going to.  And I don't regret it.  But I haven't actually beaten the diet at all.  In the end the diet will win, because I've probably now done some damage weight-wise that I'm going to have to undo.

I can't face pulling today's card yet - that's for later.  Still, at least the major arcana doesn't have a card that says 'Fat'!