Do you miss things?

I was working today, taking pictures in some of the shops in our town's downtown area for a "holiday gift guide" I'm working on. (It's connected with the holiday open house, which is in two weeks! Earlier every year, you know. But I digress.)

I went into one (very upscale) dress shop, and the owner stopped me. She's one of the ladies from my Weight Watchers group, and she was telling her employee (we were the only three in the shop) all about my weight loss.

I was in there for about half an hour, talking to them about making better food choices. Giving them examples of how to eat healthy when you're faced with challenges, like taking a 6-year-old to McDonald's. (And also making sure to eat enough, beacause this shop owner is only eating about half the food she needs to each day! She is, of course, not losing well, probably because her body thinks it's starving.)

The employee said, "I guess after two years of doing this, all that other food doesn't even bother you anymore. I bet you don't even want it."

I told her that yes, it does bother me, and I do want it, but that I've learned to indulge occasionally - that's the key word - and then move on with my life.

We wouldn't be human if we didn't crave at least some of those things that brought us pleasure at least some of the time. But if we're going to be healthy, we have to learn that we can't continue to eat that way every day (like I did before.)

I was reminded of this conversation just now, as I was watching a commercial for Burger King and their Whoppers. And I remembered how much I loved those giant burgers.

And then I remembered how their low price (99 cents at the time) and easy accessability contributed to my 30 lb. weight gain during my freshman year of college.

So, do I miss Whoppers? Of course! But now, if I crave that flame-broiled taste once in a while, I get a Whopper Junior. It sounds so "old fashioned," but moderation and portion control can go a long way towards a healthier lifestyle!

What, if anything do you miss? And what concessions have you made to satisfy those cravings? Because, seriously, I can't say I'm never going to eat a Burger King hamburger again. But I can make the choice to 1. do it only occassionally, and 2. find a way to get that taste in a more reasonable portion.

My New Temptation

I kinda wish I'd never tasted these. Once I open the can I can't stop. Seriously, I can eat a whole can of almonds. I'm not telling how many cans I ate in the week preceding the 3-Day.

Now that I no longer have the "preparing my body for a great big walk" excuse to eat everything in sight, I'll have to learn moderation with these or avoid them all together. I brought home a can today after shopping for new clothes, which was way fun today, by the way.

So, any tips for eating something so delicous and so small as to seem harmless? I'll tell ya one thing that helps, knowing there is 1,020 calories in one can! For now, I'm going to count out 28 nuts, which is one serving, which is 170 calories and put the can away. Avoiding it for the rest of the night will be tricky, though.

Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

Binging on the weekend and then repenting during the week is apparently not the most effective way to lose weight, so I'll be rethinking that particular strategy. I updated my weight ticker today. I only lost a little over half a pound. It's my goal to lose two pounds a week. Considering I lost over three pounds a week two weeks in a row, I'm still ahead of my goal schedule, but I can do better.

I have to stop flirting with pizza. Pizza is a fickle lover anyway.

Pizza, I will always love you, but we have to stop seeing each other for a while. I can't change who you are, and I don't want to do that. Until I change myself we can't even be friends. You have so many other lovers, I know you won't even miss me, but I'll miss you. Goodbye.

THE Best Cure for a PIZZA Craving

I've incorporated a one day a week blow-the-diet-meal into my weight loss plan, which I usually spend on date night Fridays with my husband. I've had a craving for pizza this week, though, and yesterday I almost ordered some for dinner. I resisted, but thought about it again this morning,...until I weighed myself.

I'm down another 3.4 pounds in just a week, and that has motivated me to pass on the fattening take-out pizza. I think I will take care of the craving, and still stick to my plan by getting some take-n-bake pizza instead. I remembered what I did with my pizza cravings a few years ago when I lost weight. I scrape off a bunch of the cheese, remove the pepperoni, and replace it with grilled chicken breast and pineapple chunks. I don't miss the extra cheese, and I quiet that pizza craving without totally blowing my healthy eating streak.

I will also limit myself to only 2 pieces, and have a salad on the side. That's a biggie for me, but if I decide ahead of time that that's what I'll do it's easier. I will also sit down and enjoy every single bite instead of chowing down in front of the TV or computer. Usually pizza nights are an every-man-for-himself occasion in our house, but I think we'll make it a regular family dinner tonight. I tend to not overeat that way.