Ghosted, Not Derailed

This week was fairly quiet from a Program perspective.

No major food experiments. No dramatic moments involving the DMV, questionable zucchini recipes, or voodoo dolls. Just a solid, consistent week that ended with a three-pound loss.

Honestly, I think part of what helped was spending the week house sitting and dog sitting at my parents’ house.

And I have to give them credit—they were incredibly thoughtful.

Knowing I was staying there, they removed all the junk food from the house beforehand. No snack drawers calling my name. No mysterious cookies appearing on the counter. No chips silently whispering “just one handful” while I walked through the kitchen.

It was such a simple gesture, but honestly, it meant a lot.

One of the hardest parts of Program sometimes isn’t the planning or the food itself—it’s the environment around you. Having support from the people in your life, especially in small but intentional ways, makes things feel a little easier.

Of course, while the food side of the week was relatively peaceful, life itself decided to provide the drama elsewhere.

Specifically: dating.

Now, I’ve joked before about hosting speed dating events while being spectacularly single myself, but this week the universe really decided to commit to the bit.

I had plans for a semi-blind date with someone I met online. We picked a restaurant together—one that I specifically chose because I knew I could stay healthy and on Program while still enjoying myself. It was budget friendly, had good options, and honestly felt like a solid choice all around.

So I got ready, drove there, arrived on time…

And he never showed up.

At first, I thought maybe he was running late. Then I tried texting. Then calling.

That’s when I discovered I had apparently been blocked and unmatched entirely.

No explanation.

No cancellation text.

Not even a fake emergency involving a dead phone or sudden international espionage.

Just… gone.

Now, thankfully, I’m at a point in life where I understand this says far more about him than it does about me. Still, it’s hard not to feel frustrated when someone treats another person’s time and feelings like they’re disposable.

And to make the evening even more ironic?

That same night, I had to go host a speed dating event.

Let me tell you, it is very difficult to enthusiastically encourage people to “put themselves out there” and “give love a chance” while internally wanting to file a formal complaint against the male species.

Thankfully, the event itself went well, and I managed to keep my bitterness level low enough to remain professional.

Mostly.

But weirdly enough, the experience also made me realize something important.

Old me probably would have handled that night very differently.

I could have easily turned the whole situation into an excuse to spiral. Ordered comfort food. Declared men terrible. Decided the week was ruined.

Instead? I stayed on Program.

I still made good food choices.

I still followed through with my responsibilities.

And I still ended the week moving forward.

Three pounds forward, apparently.

And maybe that’s one of the biggest signs of growth—not avoiding disappointment, frustration, or awkward moments, but learning not to let them derail everything else.

Because life is always going to happen.

People will disappoint you.

Plans will go sideways.

Someone somewhere will probably continue ghosting perfectly nice women before dinner.

But none of that has to stop the progress we’re making for ourselves.

And honestly? Anyone who stands someone up at a healthy restaurant with good menu options was probably not the right person anyway.

This week’s loss: 3 pounds

Total loss so far: 57 pounds