Aw, shucks...

Did you ever have a nightmare about getting caught doing something?  I call them shame-dreams.  They are the kind where you are caught doing something you aren't supposed to be doing by the one person who can really bust you for it.  When I was 12, it was me chewing a HUGE mouthful of bubblegum in the mall and then I turn around and run right into my orthodontist.  When I was 15, it was me using foul language, showing off to my friends, and getting caught by my favorite teacher.

Well, that's the sort of thing that actually happened today. Sort of.  Only it wasn't a dream...

There I am, minding my own business, doing some food shopping, and I hear someone calling my name.  I turned around and it is my Kaiser Permanente Wellness Representative.  You know, the person that our insurance company sends to my company to lecture and force us help us get our employees healthy. 

Echoes of my old shame-dreams...I'm loading up on food in the store and I get spotted by the Wellness Representative.  It's the bubblegum all over again.  So I say "hello" and on instinct, I quickly look down in my cart to see how humiliated I'm going to be by the poor food-choices in my basket.  Only there aren't any.  Salsa, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken breast, whole wheat breadcrumbs, greek yogurt, and unsweetened almond milk.  That's it.  No stacks of frozen pizzas, no gooey chocolates, no croissants, no abundance of pre-packaged pseudo-healthy crap.  I couldn't believe it.  What are the chances that a nutrition expert will actually catch you in the act of making decent choices?!

And better yet, when I told her I had recently had weight loss surgery, she said, "I can tell!  You look great!  You're glowing and everything."  That's right people.  Apparently I glow.  Who knew?  Maybe it's the 50+ lbs I've lost.  Or maybe I'm just relieved that I dodged a potentially embarrassing situation.  Or that I am actually proud, instead of hiding in shame.

So she and I chatted for a bit, and when I strode away, I realized I'm feeling pretty good about myself.  Good enough to celebrate with a big ol' mouthful of sugar free bubble gum.  In your face, Dr. Katz!