The Rhubarb Pie Diet

This morning when I stepped on the scale, I was delighted to see I have recently lost 2 pounds.  


I became overweight between high school and the end of nursing school.  I  lost the extra and a bit more while in college and had no trouble maintaining an ideal weight until I hit my late 50s.  Ever since that fateful day when my doctor said I had to stop hormone replacement therapy, I have struggled with creeping weight gain. I am still not to the point where my BMI indicates I am "overweight," but I am too close for comfort.


About a week ago, I had an abundance of rhubarb, even though I had already made rhubarb bread, rhubarb sauce, rhubarb jam and rhubarb squares, so I broke down and made my favorite...rhubarb custard pie.  I left off the top crust, figuring that would at least cut down on a few calories.  Over the past week, I have eaten the entire pie myself....my husband doesn't really care for it.  I have accomplished this mighty feat by eating a slice every morning for breakfast.


So...when I stepped on the scale and discovered I had lost weight, I immediately thought, "Ha!  I will become a famous and wealthy weight loss guru.  I will write books and blogs and advocate rhubarb pie for breakfast as a weight loss strategy!"


In the shower, with the warm water running over my addled brain, I had two thoughts...
Oh wait...this is not scientifically valid...remember that blog you just wrote about correlation and causation?
But then, I thought, on the other hand, maybe it wasn't the rhubarb pie for breakfast.  Maybe it was the radish sandwiches for lunch!

Confession

I didn't sleep well last night, and I was under no pressure to get to work at a specific time today, so I rolled over. As a result, I was still in bed when my daughter called from Maine. After chatting with her, I talked to her two girls. Maddie (age 3) and I had a brief conversation, but Meri (age 4 1/2) is quite a chatterbox.

Here is a snippet of the conversation:

Meri: What are you going to do today, Grandma?

Me: I am going to go to work, but I guess I need to get out of bed first.

Meri: I had oatmeal and juice for breakfast this morning. What are you going to have for breakfast, Grandma Ruthie.

Me: Oh, Meri. I think I am going to be naughty. I made a rhubarb pie, and I think I will eat a piece for breakfast.

Meri: WHAT!!!???

It isn't possible to relate in text the expression that went into this....or the volume. My husband who was in bed next to me heard this although the phone was nowhere near his ear.

She then turned to her mother and quietly, but disapprovingly, said, "Mommy, Grandma Ruthie is going to eat rhubarb pie for breakfast."

I could hear her mother chuckling. She and I have been known to eat pie for breakfast together.

So...there you have it...my dirty little secret.

I do indeed eat pie for breakfast.

I would never be tempted to eat banana cream or pecan pie for breakfast, but raspberry or rhubarb? Well, that's a different matter entirely.