Reading....and Dan went out to get iceberg salad wedge ingredients [head of lettuce, blue cheese dressing]. Slim pickings around here. We don’t know why, but when I deposited check received yesterday, the ATM spit out a receipt saying funds will be held until September 11. Ridiculous. Dan went to bank manager but so far, mystery remains unsolved. Usually, $300 clears right away and the rest the business day after that.
I’ve been on shaky ground w carb consumption this week. Being on a low budget doesn’t help. I cooked pasta for Punch and two friends at lunch today. Nice and cheap, $1.49 per pound.
I’d like to sketch out a plan of triggers to avoid:
I’d love for you to weigh in. How do you manage these?
Good night.
$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET
Average daily spend: $92.24.
I’ve been on shaky ground w carb consumption this week. Being on a low budget doesn’t help. I cooked pasta for Punch and two friends at lunch today. Nice and cheap, $1.49 per pound.
I’d like to sketch out a plan of triggers to avoid:
- Bagels. Too big.
- Donuts, cakes, cookies.
- Fried foods, including potato chips.
- Ice cream. I had my ultimate chocolate-dipped vanilla custard cone of the summer on the Cape earlier this month.
- Sweetened cereals.
- Candy and chocolate.
- Pizza. If possible. Sometimes it’s whats for dinner.
- Sweetened coffee drinks.
- Pasta. Also a tough one.
- Crackers, pretzels.
I’d love for you to weigh in. How do you manage these?
Good night.
$ MONEY SPENT OUT OF POCKET
- ZERO!
Average daily spend: $92.24.
Posts
For me, avoiding food temptations means have food with you to eat and make yourself eat it. Both have different challenges.
ReplyDeleteThe first involves tedious planning or repetition. I pretty much have a routine of hard boiling eggs once a week, and keeping a constant supply of salad. We buy a Costco roast chicken every week, and frozen spinach in 10oz boxes, and Costco supply of 200 calorie protein bars and 200 Calorie frozen Greek yogurt bars. I have very sturdy Tupperware that fits in my laptop bag for both salad and dressing, and insulated bag for the spinach and egg.
So, I have spinach and an egg for breakfast, salad and chopped chicken for lunch, and protein bar and fruit snacks. If someone brings in donuts, I say, I am saving for after my breakfast and make myself microwave the spinach and peel that egg. If someone brings in cookies, I say, I just had a snack and make myself eat the protein bar.
This plan -plus gum and decaf tea and water - gets me to dinner time. We cook low sodium for Peters blood pressure. Greek yogurt bar after dinner.
When this isn’t enough food, we have indiv package of skinny pop -100 calories.
Sometimes I eat 3! When we got the big bag, I could eat 2/3 of it without slowing down. Sigh.
Anyway, knowing that I have something else to eat and making myself eat it is my key to avoiding temptation. Booze is an issue. Once I drink, my brain clicks over into party mode. Two cocktails and appetizers offsets a week of decent eating.
I should note, this plan for avoiding temptation has not transformed me. I feel good and have energy, but I seesaw from 4-9 lbs below the obese line I skirted a few years ago. I get close to 9 lbs under, then I bob up. I can see how people put on 10 lbs a year without noticing.
Having said that, I still think step one is protecting yourself from the crap food world by taking control of I take, and making sure you never get too hungry.
Should I ever succeed at step two and stop eating at my desk and get serious on portion control/calorie counting, I will come back!
Liz
I take supposed to be intake
ReplyDeleteLiz, thanks for this thoughtful reply. I read it first thing this morning but our internet bill was late...am on laptop now at Joyist doing a little work./I love your strategy. Sounds smart. And I guess you don't really crave sugar? You don't get pulled into the donut hole? Also, planned snacks, I agree, is key. That's a little tuff for me.....I don't really like fruit so much, it feels like work to eat it. But I am improving. Thank you, and that's great that you got your weight away from an unhealthy line. I have not done so consistently. Have a good weekend. Love Alice
DeleteP.S. Liz, I agree with you on cocktails. I pretty much avoid them. I don't behave so well with too much sugar, and most drinks I like are sweet.
DeleteI know this is tough. I don't eat as well as your friend. ^ The only thing I will say is that I definitely notice that the less sugar I eat, the less I want. I have no doubt that it's addictive. I read from the most recent post, and I remember that when you go hard against sugar, you always make really, REALLY good food. Loved hearing about your oatmeal. Keep up the good choices!
ReplyDeleteHi Eileen. Thank you for support. Yes, no doubt it is addictive. I highly recommend the overnight oats. Yeah, if I'm not spending on high-end dark chocolate, more room in my life for expensive mango and fresh figs. ;) Sending love to you and yours for new school year. Love Alice
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