Karma Corn

by Kris Pitcher

It was a random week night. Nothing special was going on. There was no celebration, no movie...just a week night. Quietly, I removed the cellophane wrapper and put the package in the microwave.

Knowing it would only be moments until I was "found out", I waited. Then the reaction came as the kernels began to pop. "I smell karma corn!" he said.

Caramel corn? I wish! We didn't have any caramel corn. What was he talking about? Then I walked into the living room with my bag of steamy hot corn. "It's karma corn because I ate that during your ENTIRE prep." he said laughing at me.

Yes, karma is, well you know. Now it's my husband who is dieting while I am not. The tide has turned. And I guess it's pay back time for those trips to McDonald's, for the grocery lists containing dark chocolate, for the raisins and dried cranberries...for the almond milk, and for the peanut butter slathered english muffins toasted to perfection.

But to tell you the truth, none of that phased me during my prep. I never felt deprived, or as if I was dealt an unfair hand. I had chosen my lot. My goals were mine.

This little bender of mine isn't going to last either. Don't get me wrong here, I haven't gone off the rails. The week after the USA's I packed my 4 meals and headed off to work each day. I simply added some extra goodies. Once I was home I finished my last 2 meals eating what I was supposed to eat.

I took a rest from cardio, but got my lifts in, ate my protein and enjoyed the mental break of restriction. Now I am back on plan. A new plan. My off season plan. It is structured, just as structured as a prep diet. The goals are just different.

There will still be a cheat meal each week where I can have something I've been looking forward to (or seen an ad for on TV). I'll still keep gluten and dairy out of my diet, it's working for me. But for my week of relaxed eating...I did enjoy my karma corn. Sorry honey, pay back is...well, you know!