San Francisco...then and now

My friend Amy is in town visiting and we decided to go up to San Francisco to relive our youth. We had such a blast when we lived there and before Amy heads to Milan (yes, Italy) for three years, we wanted to go back up and cause some trouble.

When I lived in San Francisco in June & July of 1999 and then again from June 2000 - September 9, 2001, I had no worries, well not really. I'm sure I was in this place of not liking my body, but not to the extent it has gotten to in present times. But I ate what I wanted to and didn't really work out that much. I know I started to have big trouble with my weight, my emotions and my lifestyle when I was in San Francisco, but for the most part, I remember eating, drinking and doing pretty much whatever I wanted. I didn't think too much about consequences...that I can remember!

Anyway, it was an interesting thing this time around. Before we went up, I made a list of all the places I wanted to go to eat and drink at. Here's what I was hoping we'd do:
Sears Fine Food- the best Swedish pancakes in the world and something my Dad loved. They're famous for them and the order I usually get comes with 18 silver dollar pancakes. And I usually add a side of bacon.
Tapp's- Another breakfast place right around the corner from our old apartment at 940 Post Street. A side of pancakes comes with any breakfast dish you order off the menu. I couldn't wait to try those pancakes too.
Kezar's- Amy & I always used to go here and split a turkey club sandwich (with tomato on the side) with french fries, typically before hitting the bar.
Finnegan's Wake- Many great nights were had here drinking and having fun. This is a must stop on our tour especially since it's in Cole Valley, where we worked and lived and first fell in love with the city of San Francisco.
Crepes on Cole- Back in the day, I would get a chicken Caesar salad, a side of potatoes and a sesame bagel.
Pluto's- This place is fantastic. You can build your own salad, and they have the best garlic fries around. I always try to hit this up when I'm in San Francisco.
The Owl Tree- The type of place you never forget! And a great place to get a beer.
The Ha Ra- Historically, we would drink so much we'd get Dominos to deliver. Note, Dominos was across the street. Like you could see it while sitting at the bar.

Okay, so I got up to San Francisco and realized that I didn't want the entire trip to be about what I ate and drank. I wanted to see the city and walk around a ton. I didn't want to go from one restaurant to another and feel all bad about myself.

I also took this as a really good sign of the progress I've been making. One thing that my nutritionist (and I'm sure my therapist) said to me was that I need to not make food the most important thing in my life. And I'm really working on that one. This trip was a big step forward for me with that line of thinking. I had all these intentions before I got there to eat my way through San Francisco.

But the good news is, I went on a mini vacation and really and truly didn't eat and/or drink my way through the city. I felt good about my food choices, knowing that it wasn't 100%, but also knowing that it could have been so much worse. I left feeling very proud of myself...trusting that this process is working for me.

It's slow, for sure, but I know the changes I'm making and the work I'm doing is helping me make life long healthful decisions.