For the first time ever, I managed to make it through Halloween without eating any candy. For me that is a HUGE accomplishment. I guess it helps that I live in a security building with virtually no children so I didn't actually have to buy any. I imagine it would be 6 billion times more difficult otherwise. As a matter of fact I've been *clean* for 5 weeks and 2.5 days, and I've never felt better. Unfortunately unlike most addicts who struggle with alcohol, drugs or gambling, my addiction is one that is constantly in my face. It is readily available on every street corner, jumps out at me from the pages of magazines and inevitably flashes repeatedly during television programs and even worse, when I'm doing cardio at the gym, stuck on a machine sans remote control and no option but to look at my feet or close my eyes . There are few things more frustrating that trying to finish up those last 20 minutes on the elliptical and being forced to endure constant Dairy Queen commericals showcasing their latest sinful indulgence. Food is obviously something we have to consume and manage on a daily basis, and making the right choices calls for careful calculation, balance and extreme planning. But how do we deal with, or manage to avoid junk food?Yessir I am a reformed junkie. On Tuesday, September 29th 2009, I made a conscious decision to change my unhealthy eating once and for all, and I gave my life a real overhaul. It had been a looooooong time a comin'. Since that day, I've consumed more vegetables than probably in my entire life combined (sadly I am not joking), cut out virtually all processed foods with artificial or chemical additives, dropkicked sugar and knocked out refined flour. Has it been easy? Hell-to-the-NO. Am I determined? I'd have to say yes, finally. I'm proud to say yes.
I don't want to give the impression that I've been perfect - I have allowe
d myself a small, weekly treat, which was rather terrifying at first and it took a LOT of coaching and internal dialogue to limit my treat to JUST ONE, not 3 or 6 or the whole large bag of Salt n Vinegar chips. (Damn you Lays. You are so right) Ohhh no. Those days are over. I'm in charge now. I've worked tirelessly through my self-sabotage, dug deep to understand my food attachments, analyzed and over-analyzed my tendancy to gorge and learned to exhibit extreme self-control simply by revelling in and valuing each indulgence and not letting it turn into a gong show. So before y'all just roll your eyes at this skinny be@tch, let me make it clear - it's not a cake walk, it sure as hell ain't because I don't *like* the taste of cupcakes and yes, genetics may have played a small part in the past, but since I've turned 30, it's a different ball game. Off topic but did anyone else notice I mentioned cake twice in that sentence? Mmmm caaake.
d myself a small, weekly treat, which was rather terrifying at first and it took a LOT of coaching and internal dialogue to limit my treat to JUST ONE, not 3 or 6 or the whole large bag of Salt n Vinegar chips. (Damn you Lays. You are so right) Ohhh no. Those days are over. I'm in charge now. I've worked tirelessly through my self-sabotage, dug deep to understand my food attachments, analyzed and over-analyzed my tendancy to gorge and learned to exhibit extreme self-control simply by revelling in and valuing each indulgence and not letting it turn into a gong show. So before y'all just roll your eyes at this skinny be@tch, let me make it clear - it's not a cake walk, it sure as hell ain't because I don't *like* the taste of cupcakes and yes, genetics may have played a small part in the past, but since I've turned 30, it's a different ball game. Off topic but did anyone else notice I mentioned cake twice in that sentence? Mmmm caaake. OK so, how do I do it? That's what you want to know right? That's what I always wanted to know, before I actually started to do it, and it's probably my most commonly asked question by acquaintances - how do you say no? You bring your own chopped up veggies to a party so you don't have to eat the chips and salsa? What are you some kind of fruitcak
e? (had to fit cake in again somehow). Yes. I do that. I also make my own healthy pizzas while all my friends go to Romanos for the meaty-cheese-cream-carb-loaded bonanza. I snack on fruit while my boyfriend eats Fudgesicles. DAILY. And I'm actually starting to get excited about my favorite health foods. Food tastes better to me, real food! I'm delighting in the flavors and savoring smaller portions, not feeling as if I need to cram them in lest someone come along and steal them from me. I can't wait to buy hummus, or to eat juicy canned salmon on a pita with red onion. These foods make me happy, and therefore enable me to eat healthy without feeling like I am deprived. Until you find your foods, you may not be able to do it. Maybe you'll just ride the ol' diet rollercoaster for a while, drifting from deprivation to devouring, until finally, you've just plain had enough.
e? (had to fit cake in again somehow). Yes. I do that. I also make my own healthy pizzas while all my friends go to Romanos for the meaty-cheese-cream-carb-loaded bonanza. I snack on fruit while my boyfriend eats Fudgesicles. DAILY. And I'm actually starting to get excited about my favorite health foods. Food tastes better to me, real food! I'm delighting in the flavors and savoring smaller portions, not feeling as if I need to cram them in lest someone come along and steal them from me. I can't wait to buy hummus, or to eat juicy canned salmon on a pita with red onion. These foods make me happy, and therefore enable me to eat healthy without feeling like I am deprived. Until you find your foods, you may not be able to do it. Maybe you'll just ride the ol' diet rollercoaster for a while, drifting from deprivation to devouring, until finally, you've just plain had enough. Low-fat, low calorie food DOES NOT always equal healthy, especially if it's crammed with artificial sweetners, preservatives and chemical additives. What you want to stock up on are CLEAN foods - foods in their natural state, grown from the earth, unaltered by man. Try to choose these type of foods when grocery shopping. The following are a few ways I pay tribute to one of my favorite mantras - SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS.
1. After you buy your groceries, spend the time to wash, chop and prepare fruits, veggies and other go-to sn
acks (like boiled eggs or cooked shrimp) and store them in tupperware containers in your fridge. Having bite-sized bell peppers, cukes, carrots and broccoli will give you something to munch on while your cooking dinner or if you're feeling restless or bored and prone to snacking in the evening. I also keep fruit such as watermelon, strawberries and grapes in containers for a quick sweet tooth satisfier, as I ALWAYS need something sweet after dinner, always have. I think it's from when I quit smoking many years ago and replaced it with chocolate bars. Being prepared allows you to be ahead of the game. This is the MOST important thing you can do. The number one reason people go off track from eating a healthy diet is because they don't do this. You come home from school or work, tired as hell and you just want something that is fast and easy. Having those snacks on-hand will keep you from making bad choices when you are most vulnerable and want instant gratification. You will CONSTANTLY have something to eat, so you won't need to order chinese or eat a box of Oreos.
acks (like boiled eggs or cooked shrimp) and store them in tupperware containers in your fridge. Having bite-sized bell peppers, cukes, carrots and broccoli will give you something to munch on while your cooking dinner or if you're feeling restless or bored and prone to snacking in the evening. I also keep fruit such as watermelon, strawberries and grapes in containers for a quick sweet tooth satisfier, as I ALWAYS need something sweet after dinner, always have. I think it's from when I quit smoking many years ago and replaced it with chocolate bars. Being prepared allows you to be ahead of the game. This is the MOST important thing you can do. The number one reason people go off track from eating a healthy diet is because they don't do this. You come home from school or work, tired as hell and you just want something that is fast and easy. Having those snacks on-hand will keep you from making bad choices when you are most vulnerable and want instant gratification. You will CONSTANTLY have something to eat, so you won't need to order chinese or eat a box of Oreos. 2. Cook in advance when possible. Crock pots are great - throw all your ingredients in and let it cook all day and you come home to a ready-to-eat dinner. Sometimes I prepare meals the night before, after 
I've eaten dinner and reheat them the next day, or just do the preparation the night before and cook it when I'm ready to eat. I hate cooking when I'm hungry. After I've eaten or on a lazy day, I like to make 4-5 Pita Pizzas and keep them in the fridge. I LOVE snacking on cold pizza, it's my favorite food. With ingredients like tomato paste, pesto, tons of chopped garlic and red onion, sliced turkey, tomatoes, a very, very small amount of cheese, hot sauce and pineapple, they're super healthy and easy to make, and I always have something ready when I'm fridge-surfing.
I've eaten dinner and reheat them the next day, or just do the preparation the night before and cook it when I'm ready to eat. I hate cooking when I'm hungry. After I've eaten or on a lazy day, I like to make 4-5 Pita Pizzas and keep them in the fridge. I LOVE snacking on cold pizza, it's my favorite food. With ingredients like tomato paste, pesto, tons of chopped garlic and red onion, sliced turkey, tomatoes, a very, very small amount of cheese, hot sauce and pineapple, they're super healthy and easy to make, and I always have something ready when I'm fridge-surfing. 3. Do NOT buy junk food. Ok lots of people say this, but it's not so easy when you have a partner or maybe kids, who want it and demand it. I say I will not be buying it for my children if and when I ever have them, but I guess we'll see about that. BF has certain snacks that he likes, and I basically go into denial about it. I don't want to see it (so he hides it or keeps it high up in a cupboard I can't reach or don't use), I don't want to know about it and I flat out refuse to acknowledge it exists. It works for me. Gotta admit it is a bit of a challenge when he sits next to me on the couch mowing down brownies and ice cream, but I'm tough. I can take it. Or I just leave the room and go put on a sexy outfit that I couldn't fit into before and admire my progress. Some days I'll go to the 7-11 and buy an Aero 70% dark chocolate bar which satisfies my craving and is actually good for you - full of antioxidants such as flavenoids and can actually lower your blood pressure. I'm sure that's because I might blow my top if I don't have it, so it must relieve something.
4. When you do cook healthy, make large portions so you will have lots of leftovers to make other meals from. I am a big fan of doing this. Cooking a whole chicken, making chicken casserole, home-made chicken soup, sandwiches, whatever.Prepare your own food and you control the ingredients. If you make a large meal, again, divide it in half and eat it later. Be careful to hide it if you have a BF who loves to finish your food. Hands off buddy! I split a lot of my meals into 2 separate ones and eat them 2-2.5 hours apart. I feel a lot better being constantly at a comfortably full level as opposed to that "'sick, bloated and disgusting" state of overeating. We've all been there, and it sucks. Yet we seem to do it over and over. Defintion of insanity?
5. Drink water dammit - keep a Brita jug full, at least 2 bottles in your fridge and always have a glass by your side. I don't care if you "don't like the taste''. LOL whut? W
ater doesn't have a taste! It's not supposed to. Add some lemon/lime/oranges if you must, but it's your life's blood!Such wonders as Stronger Teeth and Bones, Clear and Vibrant Complexion, Regular Bowel and Urinary Functions and even, wow, Weight Loss can result from getting your 8-10 glasses a day. You know when your mom tells you to do something just cause? Well, that's what I'm doing.
ater doesn't have a taste! It's not supposed to. Add some lemon/lime/oranges if you must, but it's your life's blood!Such wonders as Stronger Teeth and Bones, Clear and Vibrant Complexion, Regular Bowel and Urinary Functions and even, wow, Weight Loss can result from getting your 8-10 glasses a day. You know when your mom tells you to do something just cause? Well, that's what I'm doing. 6. Lead Us Not Into Temptation - it's all around us, really. Sometimes I feel like a social leper - I'm reluctant to go to certain places or parties if I know there will be a lot of junk food. I carry healthy snacks like nuts or an apple in my purse. I eat before I go out to dinner with friends. Going to the movies was a real struggle; trying to pass up the popcorn and chocolate covered raisins seemed futile, so I gave it up for a while. And drinking is the worst! After 2 Bud Light Limes I could easily eat my body weight in chicken wings and blue cheese dip. Alcohol not only lowers your inhibitions, it also annihilates your willpower. So drink with caution kids. And not until you're sure you can handle it. Handcuffs might work.
7. A final thing that was huge for me - work through your food issues. I find it fascinating the issues different people have and where they stem from; just trying to figure out what they are is an or
deal in itself, let alone understanding and altering them. When I was a kid, the atmosphere around my place was Eat it All and Eat it Now, because you won't get a second chance. Food was hoarded and not shared. I never had an eating disorder, per say, although this might sound like I did, but I would not eat for many hours, then I would gorge on whatever I could get my hands on. Most of my meals were at 3am, when no one was around and I could access the kitchen. I remember half-pound bacon sandwiches on white bread with a ton of Miracle Whip and going to bed with chest pains. I'd wake up the next day, eat nothing for 2-3 hours, maybe have a few pepsi and powdered jelly doughnuts, go out for a poutine or some fried chicken and taters, then spend the whole night eating potato chips, chocolate bars and candy, until I came home in the early am to eat ''dinner" which consisted of whatever was around, before crashing. I never had a weight problem, but I'm sure my body composition was 80% marshmallow. Anyhow, changing the way you look at food is crucial in understanding how we are susceptible to emotional eating and how we use it as a crutch. Letting it get out of hand can destroy you. The good news is you don't have to let it. Knowledge is power baby.
deal in itself, let alone understanding and altering them. When I was a kid, the atmosphere around my place was Eat it All and Eat it Now, because you won't get a second chance. Food was hoarded and not shared. I never had an eating disorder, per say, although this might sound like I did, but I would not eat for many hours, then I would gorge on whatever I could get my hands on. Most of my meals were at 3am, when no one was around and I could access the kitchen. I remember half-pound bacon sandwiches on white bread with a ton of Miracle Whip and going to bed with chest pains. I'd wake up the next day, eat nothing for 2-3 hours, maybe have a few pepsi and powdered jelly doughnuts, go out for a poutine or some fried chicken and taters, then spend the whole night eating potato chips, chocolate bars and candy, until I came home in the early am to eat ''dinner" which consisted of whatever was around, before crashing. I never had a weight problem, but I'm sure my body composition was 80% marshmallow. Anyhow, changing the way you look at food is crucial in understanding how we are susceptible to emotional eating and how we use it as a crutch. Letting it get out of hand can destroy you. The good news is you don't have to let it. Knowledge is power baby.
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