Every Thursday we are required (there are a lot of requirements in this program, if you haven't noticed) to call into Ginah and report our progress.... the dreaded "midweek call." We are suppose to call between 10:30-11:30 am every Thursday. Well, I never do it at that time. I accidently forgot once when I was presenting at a conference and she fussed at the class so much the next week that I decided I would never do that again. Her line of reasoning for fussing too was ridiculous. "If you were all calling in when you are suppose to then I'd have more time to call you to check on you." What does that mean? So, she will call us after we call her just to see how it's going? I really don't understand. Also, we pay for this. So, isn't it her JOB to call?? I dunno.
Anyway, I have it on my schedule now so I will never miss. I generally call in at 6ish, right after my morning gym and when I am certain she wont answer. We are to report total number of "meal replacement" we've had so far. Meal replacement is what they call their food. It's a weird description. So, I call... "Hi, this is Christy. It's Thursday at 6 am. I'm calling to report my stats. I've had 9 shakes, 6 entrees, 1 bar, no fruits and veggies, 1200 PAs (Physical Activity calories burned)....." blah blah blah. Then we report on our homework -- yes, we get two assignments a week. By mid week call I generally have no memory of what they were and just say I have completed them both. Then confirm I will be at class next Monday. Usually at this point I hang up. But, today.... well, today I don't know why... but I decided to say more. I explained that I was about to have a challenging day... not in terms of my commitment to the program but just uncomfortable situations. I was out of town all day for meetings and had a scheduled lunch meeting with a Hospital CEO and then a function today we were sponsoring and expressed my level of frustration and embarrassment around having to be "in the box" professionally. I assured her I had "problem solved" (she loves that phrase) and had an insulated bag full of food to keep me focused.
Within a couple of hours Ginah had called back and left a long message offering support and creative "strategies" around my challenges. These all brought me to tears... laughing. One thing she suggested was going to the restaurant prior to the lunch and telling the whole staff there about my situation and ask them to be discrete while I order nothing and ask them to heat up my entree and pretend it's a menu item. She also said I should bring an entree that is most like the food they serve there. (We were in St. James parish and fried shrimp and catfish were the biggies-- we don't have those yet in the box). I played Ginah message to my colleage who was aware of my situation and we laughed so hard. I had decided to tell the hospital administrator that I was on a Pennington study. That seemed noble and less embarrassing than explaining my inability to manage my own health... then we realized the hospital administrator might be smarter than both of us and might ask hard questions around it. So, I decided to just order coffee... which threw the waitress into such a panic. She said (after a huge sigh of shock), "ARE YOU SERIOUS???"
I drank coffee and no one even asked why that was all I ordered. Then, I gobbled up one of my puddings while in route to the next meeting. It all worked.
Ginah asked that I please please get back with her about my challenge today and let me know how I did and if her "strategies" were helpful. I just haven't had time yet.
Oh well... off to my evening event. We'll see how this one goes..... can't wait to update Ginah.
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