There IS coming a day...

When I will look thin in ALL of the photos that are taken of me, not just half. I will look thin, because I will BE thin. I am tired of this cycle of doing great for a while and then pigging out and gaining 10+ pounds! I know what I need to do, but then I tire of it. I am discovering that I am an extreme person in many areas of my life. For the most part, this can be a good thing. Why do we go through these cycles?! I mean, I gained weight right before I had my family Christmas picture taken,(and it shows). And since then, about a week, I've lost eight pounds people! 16 pounds isn't far to go. I just need some cheerleading I think. That, and a good massage. : )

What exactly are we calling "maintaining?"

I need to know!

Because that was my challenge, to maintain over the holidays. And last night I found out the damage from the last two weeks (since my WW meeting is on Thursday, we didn't meet last week.)

I gained half a pound over the last two weeks! I'm now at an even 157, which means an even 80 pounds lost.

So, that's what I'm asking - does less than a pound gained count as maintaining? And does it make a difference if I tell you that it's my "time" this week?

If this doesn't count, just let me know - I won't be upset!

Oh, and one more thing: here is a picture of our office staff from December 2004. That's me on the right.



I found it while I was getting out my Christmas decorations last week. Could I have taken a less flattering pose?

And this was taken here with a tour group about two weeks ago. It's not the best picture, but you get the general idea:



And, in retrospect, I guess half a pound isn't bad, considering that I was served a holiday meal no fewer than five times within the space of a week!

Hurts Good?

I am a total masochist.

I hurt.

And I like it.


Yeah, I have been doing my sit ups, my leg lifts, I've even been riding horses. I'm totally a wreck sore. I can't raise my arms very high...I can't walk very fast, but you know what?

I like it.

I live in a lot of discomfort. Fibromyalgia steals my deep sleep, and even makes putting on clothes painful. I have a lot of pain I can't choose.

So I love the pain I do choose.

What do you do that is like this? What hurts good to you?

Eating changes

Today is my weigh in day, I am weighing 166 pounds now. Down from an all time high of 272 and from 168 last week. I thought I would tell you all something that has been a big change for me.

I love eating Chinese food and Indian food. For the most part, I make my own Chinese and it is as low in fat/cals as I can get it. I use steamed shrimp with the Chinese food or baked skinless turkey and the Indian food is a frozen dish and is vegan, so no meat products in that.

I love these meals, but I was getting so frustrated because they would really boost up my caloric intake for the day. Most of it was from the rice. I would add between one and two cups of rice to each meal.

I had a brainstorm one day and decided to make a change. For the past week I have been having my foods on a bed of steamed veggies instead of the rice. I use about a cup and a half of broccoli, snap peas, water chestnuts and carrots. I use the Steam-Fresh veggies from the freezer section. I love them. Then I top that with my Chinese or Indian food. Now the Chinese food has veggies already, so I just omit the rice entirely. If the Chinese is commercial prepared, I add more veggies because they never give enough to suit me.

This not only is much easier on my caloric count, but the feeling of fullness that I get lasts much longer. It was hard to make the adjustment, but now I don't see myself going back to rice. I know grains are good for you, but I really get enough throughout the day without the rice. I have two cups of thick sliced oats for breakfast.

One of the things that started me on this track was learning that when we get steamed rice from our Chinese food place, they add oil to the rice. That really bothered me. Here is another thing, for some reason, when I use the bed of veggies, I am not tempted to add soy sauce. Not sure why not. But I was becoming a real soy addict and the effects would be clear in increased fluid retention.

Please pray for a dear friend of mine!!

I just found out this evening, that one of our dear friends, Kerri, from our church family was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. She just celebrated her 33rd birthday less than two weeks ago, so this was a big kick in the face, so to speak. She will require surgery, as well as chemotherapy. In addition to that she has three small children. Tyler, (4) Jacob, (2 1/2), and Emma, (11 months).
Her and her husband Eric are incredibly active in our church, they both have such servants hearts. I'm sure that they would put many of us to shame. They are the neatest, NEATEST couple. If you knew them, I have no doubt that you would love them.
So please join Willem and I as we earnestly pray for their whole family. It would be much appreciated!!

WATER REMINDER

WARNING - IF YOU ARE READING THIS YOU HAVE 10 MINUTES TO DRINK 8 OUNCES OF WATER STARTING



NOW

Better Now.

Hi. I'm back.

My dad's out of the hospital (and thankfully, alive and looking much better), everything has calmed down, I ran my 8 mile Thanksgiving Day race (and finished well ahead of my goal time), I'm keeping with my training schedule, and my eating patterns have returned to normal. No more marshmallows for breakfast. So I'm back.

In good news, over the holidays I got many compliments on how great I look. While I've lost only a couple pounds running, it has built muscle mass and slimmed me down and it's noticeable in certain places. Like where, you ask? Exhibit A - my tighter waistline (and are those abs you feel? Why yes, they might be). Exhibit B - the jeans which are saggy in the rear (sadly, they're my favorites) which have to be hitched up frequently now. Assuming that I didn't do too much damage over my little binge break, I think I'm in good position heading into the holidays.

I promise to get with the tracking the jingle jigglers this week. It looks like everyone's doing well, so I'm proud of y'all. And I can't wait to hear how Melissa's Thanksgiving plan worked in action.

Love to you all,
Lisa

Buh-Bye Bloat

Okay, party's over for a little while. This week I'm gonna do things right. I'm just sayin'. It doesn't mean the fun's over, right? It just means I won't have to deal with the holiday bloat this time next week.

I had a really good time this weekend! I'll just let that fill me up for the time being.

What are you doing to recover from Thanksgiving? Am I the only one in need of recovery?

I CAN'T believe I did that!

Okay, so, I've not worked out the last couple of days due to Thanksgiving...and this last week I've not been lifting as much as I usually do. So, what am I thinking? I'm thinking that I want to try to make up for some lost time. In fact, I'm feeling energetic enough to possibly break my record of 81,000 pounds for one day. Well, I lost track, just hoping that I'd break my record... only to discover at the end of my workout, that I had lifted one hundred and seven thousand eight hundred and thirty-five pounds!!!! ( I intentionally wrote out the numbers for effect). : ) I blew my old record out of the water, girls! I blew it clean out. And yes, I do believe that I'm a bit crazy.

Holiday checkin

Well, here I am. Trying, like the rest of us, to not only survive, but THRIVE over the holiday season.

(I gained 1.5 pounds the week after I got to my 80 lb. mini-goal, possibly due to water weight, but I've lost that again and am back down to 156.5.)

After we all posted our challenges, I felt pretty silly. Maintenance? That's not very exciting! But considering how much most people gain during these six or so weeks, I guess maintenance is pretty important.

Now for my strategy.

1. I'm wearing my, um, tightest pants. Yes, they fit. Just. I picked up a pair of size 10 (size 10!) Liz Claiborne (Liz Claiborne!) pants at the Goodwill about a month back for $4.50. ($4.50! Score!) They just barely fit, and I figure that if I wear them I'll be less likely to over eat.

2. I'm going to Cracker Barrel for lunch. Yes, I am. We're traveling to my MIL's in Georgia, and we can't leave until Thursday morning because I have to work Wednesday. We're stopping for lunch on the way. How is that a strategy, you ask? Simple. I don't have to cook, so I won't be snatching a bite here and there as I do. And I can't just get as much as I want on my plate, so my portions are (relatively) controlled. And, I won't have leftovers hanging around to tempt me.

That night when we get to GA, I can resist the leftovers that will be there, because of the superiority of my lunch meal.

(Oh, did I mention that my MIL, a naturally thin person, is not only very critical of people who are overweight, she also has not one stitch of healthy food around? And that I have to bring my own stash, down to a granola bar to take to breakfast because she eats at Popeye's every morning and there's not a healthy thing on the menu there?)

3. I'm going to be extra-special good on the other meals, so that I can enjoy smaller portions of the foods I only eat once a year when the time comes. Like yesterday, I had some Progresso Light soup for breakfast, because we had an office Thanksgiving lunch. I had a small portion of the hen and dressing for lunch, and loaded up on green beans, and bypassed the mac and cheese all together. And then for dinner, I had a cup of hot and sour soup, which is really better for you (minus the sodium) than you'd think.

I also have a strategy for on-the-road snacking - I pack a separate small cooler full of veggies. And we take individual bags of baked chips for when we want something salty or crunchy.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to make myself a cup of green tea.

Photo and weight updates

Weight: 168

Measurements:

Before: Chest 57 Waist 51 Hips 57

Now: Chest 41.3 Waist 37.5 Hips 43.5

I intentionally took these photos in clothes that I felt would show as much of the remaining fat as I was willing to bare. Now I wish I had worn jeans!

I have put about 700 miles on our treadmill since April. I walk about three miles a day, but when I saw my photos today I thought, man, I really need to get this belly OFF! It's about the only place that I am still fat, and it is still very substantial. But it's coming. I can tell that the dents that I developed in my belly when I first started losing weight have really deepened and have become a waist. I have a big rounded pouch that starts just below where my ribs end, but it used to be that my boobs sat right on my belly. Not anymore.

So that's where I am now. I am hoping for more changes as time goes on. I am very happy with how I look and feel, with clothes on I look pretty good, but I want to get this fat reservoir gone!

Here is my old face and my face today:

Stress

I have more on my plate right now than I can handle. Between travelling for work, packing people to move, taking care of my friends who are in crisis, obligatory pre-holiday baking, my dad being in the hospital for really scary reasons, no sleep, and other assorted drama, I have been so unbelievably stressed this last week and it's not going away. And it's showing in what I've been eating but at this point I don't care.

I think that yesterday I ate scrambled eggs, two ginger cookies, a glass of milk, and a bag of marshmallows. The day before? No breakfast, enchiladas for lunch, no dinner, and about a dozen Diet Dr Peppers. Friday was no breakfast, a full turkey and stuffing dinner for lunch, half a piece of meatloaf for dinner. I get that I'm stress eating. I get that this is quite possibly the worst thing I could do for myself and my body right now. I get that this is a slippery slope into bad habits. But right now, I just can't deal. I cannot handle one more thing at this moment so this is what I'm going to let slide.

Someday I hope to be able to handle massive meltdowns in a more constructive manner. But for now, I will settle for being able to go back to eating well when all of this passes.

Whoever said that short hair isn't sexy?!

I feel so great with my new do. I got it done last night. In addition to having it cut shorter than it ever has been, I got some brown streaks put in. When I was a "big" girl, I always hid behind my big hair. Well I don't feel that need anymore, and it is very liberating! : )

More on Stress Eating and Sleep

Oh yeah, I'm stuck in a little stress eating cycle myself. My sleep cycle is all out of whack again. (That happens to me SO easily.) When I don't sleep I get very sluggish and I eat a lot more, don't we all?

I have to get my sleep back on track. I think I have just enough pills left from my last long lasting bout of insomnia to get me back on track. They aren't exactly sleeping pills, they're actually antidepressants (amitriptyline) that have the beneficial side effect of causing drowsiness. They also have the side effect of causing extreme weight gain, but I always lose weight when I take them because just getting a good night's sleep after struggling to do so makes me feel so much better.

Before I start taking the pills I'm going to try really hard to set my alarm and get out of bed by 8 A.M., even if I didn't sleep a wink all night. Eventually I have to sleep, right? I'm going to keep exercising. I haven't been walking, but I've been playing DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) with my kids. I make them give me a whole half hour before they start saying, "Can I have a turn now?" It's a whole lot more fun than walking on a treadmill and I think maybe an even better workout. Sometimes I hold 5 pound hand weights while I "dance".

If that doesn't get me back on track I'm going to take my little green sleepy pills for a month.

Thankfully, my weight has held steady months, but I would like to start moving toward my goal weight again even though I feel pretty good about myself just the way I am. Another 40 pounds gone would be pretty awesome.

Stress eating

Yummmmmmmmmmm......

Chocolate cake.

Why do I love the cake so? It fills my belly with fullness making me feel less incomplete.
It fills my mouth with sweetness, making the bitter taste of anger go away.
It fills my brain with happy feelings due to the chocolate.

Why do I need chocolate cake?

Food can make me feel very present in this HERE and NOW. Savoring and enjoying each bite makes the stressful things in life seem to go away.

Is chocolate cake bad?

No. It is the opposite of bad. But, if I keep eating that, and not eating other things that are good for me, then I'll start to feel bad. The sugar crash from the cake high equals bad...the increase in blood sugar and subsequent desire for MORE sugar equals bad.

So, I'm drinking more water and I'm going to make sure the girls have extra helpings of chocolate cake after dinner. The sooner it goes away, the less likely I am to hide away in a few moments of pleasure.

The dent that keeps on growing.

What's that on my leg?

Could it be .... a dent of MUSCLE?

Like, an actual indent of a muscle showing through my skin? Like, the fitness in my heavy legs is crawling up my thigh and making a row! I am getting stronger legs! I am getting that wonderful line up the thigh on the outside that shows the muscle? WHEEEE!

I have been watching that dent grow from my knee and hopefully it'll make it all the way up my thigh!

Do you have a new dent to boast about? A collarbone? A cheekbone? A rib?

Whatever helps, right?

I bought this at the thrift store - it is a water pitcher that has a glass in the 'lid' so I can keep water on hand with me all day around the house.

I first fell in love with these things when staying at a hotel. I also ordered (and got) one for my wedding present from Tiffany's but it is heavy crystal and it is a lot to lug around.

This was a few dollars at the thrift store and I think it will help me to remember to drink more water. I'm bad at it. Really bad.

Water Check

HEY -

What are you doing right now??

If you are reading this - STOP


and go get yourself a glass of water....


I'll wait here until you do.....




did you go?



Why not?


Get going!



Ok.





Now drink it and then post to me that you did!

Committed

As I look at the title of this post, I think it may be a toss-up as to whether I am (to a healthy lifestyle) or whether I should be (as a result of some of the things I'm agreeing to as part of this lifestyle).

I started running in late August to see if I could learn to like it and got hooked. That led to my first 5K in a long while, which is leading to the distance (8M) Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving, which has now somehow landed me racing 6 miles in the uphill portion of the local marathon relays in early December. I am feeling a little overwhelmed by my commitments at the moment, and wish people would stop asking me if I would like to sign up for such-and-such when I am obviously high on endorphins and thus not thinking rationally.

Nevertheless, I have had some good milestones lately. Our first 9 mile long run was last Sunday and I came through with absolutely flying colors. I can really feel the difference these runs are making on my endurance. Second, I have been paying extra attention to dietary concerns, having met with a nutritionist last week and discussed the fact that I am having a hard time getting adequate protein into my diet. (The last year or so I have practically been a vegetarian - not by choice or anything, it's just that I don't eat much meat by preference). She gave me some good strategies for balancing out what I eat that I'm trying to implement. I still need to work on getting the water I need, but since that has been my ongoing battle from the start it's not like this is anything new.

Otherwise, I've lost a couple pounds but nothing too exciting. I'm just hanging on, trying to live up to my commitments.

Another something pretty cool...

Yesterday was Verteran's Day, so my oldest son had the day off from school. Anyhow, I took all of my kids to the Y in the morning, but they only had activities for part of the morning for the older kids, so I ended up getting some excersize WITH my nine year old, and it was so much fun! After I did my weights, his time was up so I took him upstairs and we played some volleyball, and then pumped out a few miles on the bike. And I swear that he was beaming the whole time. This never would have happenned before. I'm just so thankful that I can be active NOW, and enjoy being active WITH my kids. : )

I found a new fat photo...

This was me and my sweet friend Ruthie 10 years ago. It feels good to shed the pounds, ladies. Be encouraged and don't give up!

This is the new me with my wacky friend Mandi. She was Disney's Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty.

A Gentle Reminder and Request for Help!

Hi y'all!

Guess what?

I haven't heard from anybody (other than Jen and Patty in Tuesday's comments) regarding their jingle jiggle challenge status! So, how're you doing? Hanging in there? Needing a little motivation? Hunkered down and not thinking about it?

Also, apparently I cannot make an image appear in an HTML page to save my life (see Exhibit A, left). If anyone can help me fix this, you'll have pretty partridges and gold stars to see.

So, let me know how you're doing in your challenge - I want to award some gold stars today to everyone who's worked hard. Also, if anyone can tell me where I've gone wrong (with the HTML, not in general), please let me know!

Happy Friday,
Lisa

Bringing Back Fresh

A friend looked in my refrigerator during a lean season in our financial year and commented that it looked just like it did when we were college age. Bare, with random yogurts and condiments. True, we were between costco runs, but I've never been one to stock the fridge.

Ok, I eat like a bird. I get it. I don't care much about food. I don't like to cook all that much. I'm not a foodie.

Responsible parenting includes teaching children good food attitudes. This is hard for me because I could care less about food. However, I have pushed myself to keep one week of fresh veggies/fruits at a time until we consume them, then buy more - making trips to the produce stand more frequent.

Yet, even with my best efforts, the fruits eventually get flies. The broccoli molds. The corn goes unboiled. Wasted time, nutrition and money show up in my pathetic fridge. Is this what I want to teach my kids - "Buying the good food is enough, you don't have to eat it."

I saw an ad for Debbie Meyer's GreenBags promising to keep my fruits and veggies for a ridiculously long time by absorbing the gases the ripening fruit put off. I went ahead and paid the $20.00 thinking I waste at least that on veggies per month, so why not try?

THEY WORK.

Now this is what my fridge looks like:

Dieters Dilemma

I feel the beast within my gut,
A snarling, raging, mangy mutt.
To tame the hunger, calm the rage,
I'll throw some food into it's cage.

I eat the oatmeal, not the brownie,
Though fudgy frosting longs to drown me.
Sweet, upon my binging lips,
Giving me size 3X hips.

I ignore the teasing call of sweets,
And feast on whole-grain, healthy treats
At last I give up, nearly beat -
And go to sleep, so I won't eat.

That tray of brownies called to me
and lied to me so earnestly!
It spoke to me of just one bite,
"You needn't journal late at night!"

No one would ever need to know
But that's a path I will not go.
My strength is bigger than my gut
So go to bed, you mangy mutt!





This poem inflicted upon you by me, JanB

Welcome Maggie!

Hey Everyone, meet Maggie!

She's a lovely woman with two children a beloved hubby and a love for people. I met this kind-hearted person at Massage Envy where she gives me awesome massages when I'm lucky enough to get her!

Maggie - Tell us what your goals are for your health, weight loss - etc! We wanna get to know you!

Join me in giving her a warm WAIWMIWLI welcome!

A funny conversation...

Last night, as my husband and I were discussing the events of our days, he brought up me going to the Y, and this is what he said;'I'll bet that you worked out REALLY hard today, because you couldn't go yesterday.'And this was my response;'No, I wanted to save my energy to do yard work, so I only ran three miles and lifted 58,000 pounds.'And then he burst into laughter, which in turn made me laugh. But the thing is, I wasn't trying to be smart, I was serious when I said it. But then we were talking about how a couple of years ago, none of this would have ever happenned. I was so large, and had such low energy, that I rarely wanted to leave my home. Combined with the fact that I had a very low self image.
Well, I have left that woman behind. I vaguely remember what she looks like, or how she felt about herself. All I know is who I am NOW. And I love myself NOW.

Doin' the Happy Dance

I weighed this morning and I've lost TWO pounds this week, even though I did cave to some Halloween candy a few days ago. It wasn't nearly as big of a pig-out session as I've had in the past, though. The water, walking, and watching portion size are working for me so far. Two doesn't seem like very many pounds, but this is huge for me.

When I want something sweet, I eat fruit or suck on a little mint or sugar-free candy.

Thanks for all the support, and have a great day everybody! Off to fill my mega jug with water...

Question for all.

I am trying to gage if I am the only one that does this. Do any of you feel like people are watching you eat and thinking that you shouldn't be eating, or feel the need to eat in private?

I am having a hard time getting over this aspect. I still feel people are watching me eat, even when I am only eating 3-4 oz of food. It stems from my youth with people telling me that I shouldn't eat that or I shouldn't have this. I am just wondering if others have this problem, and if it went away when they lost most of the weight. I feel like it is getting easier, but still hard.

By the way I am almost at 90 pounds lost. YEAH. It feels really good, yet I have a lot to go yet.

I have a new photography website!

Hey! I am so excited! I have been taking professional portraits now for about 11 years. Over the last few years, people have been asking me if I have a website....well, now I do! It is simply http://www.juliepaine.com/ ! I am really on a high and revitalized to fill my calendar with some more photo shoots. Come check it out! I will be adding some WAIWMIWLI photos soon. You can even buy copies of the photos online, directly from me!

Love, Jules

Following the Challenge - Logistics Edition

Ladies,

We are three days away from the official end of the first week of the Jingle Jiggle Challenge - Thursday starts the beginning of week 2 - and I want to make sure that I have everyone's challenge choices straight. Please check below to make sure that I've got your challenge choice (and let me know if I don't have your choice right).

The way I see this going down is through a weekly post recognizing those people who have kept their challenge goals. Each week will come with a different "badge" showing that they met or maintained their challenge for the week. The "badge" will be a small picture that will then appear throughout the challenge next to your name on the sidebar. If you keep with the challenge each week, you'll accumulate quite a string of badges that you can see and feel proud of.

Since Thursday will be the start of the new week, I anticipate doing the weekly recognition and badges each Friday morning for the prior week. That will allow everyone to email me their results on Thursday and allow me to get my act together and recognize everyone's hard work. So, each week of the challenge, please email me your results - whether you met your challenge goal or not - on Thursday. If you forget and I get your email Friday, that's no big deal but I would like to get everyone squared away on Friday morning. Email your results to jinglejigglechallenge-at-gmail.com.

The current challenge goals I have for each of you are as follows:

Kristina: Workout 5x per week; lose 5 lbs recently gained
Jan B: Maintain 2lb. per week weight loss rate
Melissa: Maintain current weight over the holidays
Kris: Workout 4x per week
Jennifer: Workout 4x per week & eat breakfast everyday
Lisa: Follow half marathon training schedule (no missed workouts)
Elicia: Situps and leg lifts each night
Jules: Journal and share journal with PRISM group

Patty: Walk 5x per week; drink enough water; meal portion control

Please let me know if anyone needs to be added, modified, or patted gently on the back and steered away from the leftover candy corn. Otherwise, I look forward to hearing how the first week went!

Love,
Lisa

Becoming an athelete again...

Yesterday, I ran six miles. It is not a record for me, but is quite a distance non the less. But the point is, from the last time that I ran this full distance, which I believe is around three weeks ago, I can feel a noticeable difference. I felt a big difference in my endurance, and how I was feeling during the run. I didn't really feel that tired until the last five minutes. And it took me a solid 59 minutes to run that far. In fact, I was able to carry on a conversation for a good portion of my run... It's so cool for me to see my own progress. And it's weird too. I've increased several of the weights for lifting recently as well. I'm just, well, getting into better shape. I'm feeling stronger. I'm feeling more fit. I'm feeling more alive...

Fitlinxx Stats - October

Inspired by Kristina, here goes:
Based on calories burned, I'm 1st in my age group (co-ed) and 8th overall at the Y.
Based on Fitpoints, I'm 1st in my age group and 12th overall at the Y.
Based on weight lifted, I'm 8th in my age group and way far down overall at the Y.

Can you tell what I don't like to do (or more appropriately, lift)?

In fun news, however, I ran well over 50 miles last month. Which really doesn't seem like much to me now, but as my long runs get longer, it should start edging up fairly quickly. All heading towards the Thanksgiving turkey trot!

For Kristina

My Fitlinxx stats for October

Last month at the Y, I lifted 1,061,115 pounds,(my most yet).Placing me 1st for my age group, 1st for all women, and 3rd over all.

I earned 18,540 Fit Points. Placing me 1st in my age group, 1st for all women, and 4th over all.

I burned 13,455 calories. Placing me 1st for my age group, 6th for all women, and 13th over all.

As for my jingle, jingle, challenge: I am going to LOSE the five pounds that I have gained over the last three weeks, and I am GOING TO STAY THERE! I will be perfectly happy to maintain, and not GAIN over the holidays. And, I will continue to work out five days a week. : )

DANGER!

There is a danger lurking in many of your homes....

It looks innocent enough, but the innocence hides the true danger.....


HALLOWEEN CANDY!

It comes in many colors, flavors and shapes. It is in small bite-sized portions. It can hide in your hand, your purse and you can wad many wrappers up in the garbage can next to your bed and few will know - but it is DANGEROUS!

Why?

Well, if you haven't already allotted yourself a small portion and set it aside so you can look at it longingly while you're 'earning' them, then you're in denial. You're in denial that candy can touch your scale. But it can dear one, it can.

SO - put a few aside. DO NOT EAT THEM but store them somewhere where you can see them. Make up something for you to do to 'earn them' - run an extra few minutes on the treadmill, or do a few extra pushups. Then when you do earn them, EAT THEM SLOWLY AND DELIBERATELY. Smell the cheap chocolate. Savor the peanuts.

Then wash your hands. THAT'S RIGHT I SAID WASH YOUR HANDS!

(or even better - brush your teeth!)

Washing your hands, or brushing your teeth sends a message to your brain that you are DONE. Be done with the candy until another day. (Make sure to tell your inner child when that day is and what you have to do to earn another goodie).

You too can avoid danger by preparing (making a plan) and managing candy!