Pasta, Pasta Everywhere But Not a Drop to Eat

This getting healthy thing would be sooooooooooo much easier if I could just hide in my house, keep to “the plan”, count my progress on MyFitnessPal, and finally emerge from the house a new, skinny me. Viola! But, I’m not a hermit!

And, it would be soooooooo much less of a challenge if when I do go out into the world there wasn’t temptation ALL around me! For example, yesterday I had to make a Target run and holy guacamole do those restaurants pump out the smell of deliciousness into the air. Its like a smell trail they send out to woo you into their place!

It’s so easy to pass something off as a special occasion and allow yourself to indulge. Therefore, its hard to deal with visiting family and friends, going to a wedding (“please let it be sit down and not buffet”), holidays, anniversaries, picnics, birthdays, christenings, work parties, happy hour, vacations…. you get the picture. Here are a few things I am teaching myself:

1) Eating at a restaurant is no big whop.
Eating at a restaurant is special but shouldn’t be an excuse to go overboard. I have to think of it as a regular meal and order accordingly. That means resisting the appetizers, heavy sides, and (*gulp) desserts! Oh, yea… AND the bread basket!!

2) Say No to the “All or Nothing Domino Effect“.
Scenario: Hubby and I are running around almost every Friday because we’re driving the two and a half hours up to New Jersey from Maryland to visit family. So we have to finish up work; make sure we’re packed; leave the cats with food, water and clean litter; get gas; take out the trash, etc. Since we want to get there at a reasonable hour, this all occurs through the “healthy” window for dinner! And, by the time I look at the clock its 7pm and I am so hungry I could nosh on my own fingers. The probable answer- we’re gonna get something fast and maybe not so healthy. But, just because I have to scarf down a quick meal before the Delaware Memorial Bridge doesn’t mean I should order half the menu at McDonalds. And, furthermore, this meal shouldn’t be the precursor for a whole weekend of “what the heck did I just do to myself this weekend” weekend. I will never again use one unhealthy meal as an excuse for ten more!

3) Be honest.
While trying hard not to offend the people I love, I have to be honest about what I really want to eat. Sure, I would love to see a movie but please do not buy me a large popcorn with butter because I WILL eat it. And, I do NOT want to.

4) Drink responsibly.
One tequila, two tequila, three tequila…. four hundred calories. Just sayin’.

As a F.A. (food addict) it is really easy for me to fail because of bad influences. I have to learn to stay in control of life situations that are out of my control.

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