Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Darn Skippy!

There's something about peanut butter. It flips a switch in my head, turns me into a uncontrolled, by-the-spoonful, maniac. Generally I don't keep it in the house for this reason. Plus, 2 of my 3 kids are allergic (and the baby isn't quite old enough to try so I don't know about her yet). If it's in the cupboard it can be a very bad thing for me. So why do we have 2 enormous Costco-size jars in the cupboard? Good question. Last time we bought it I donated 1 jar to the food bank just to get it out of the house! My husband doesn't get that it's like crack to me. A little jar of kryptonite staring at me when I open the cabinet. He likes the occasional pb&j sammy, I like to inhale it. I should've told him I'd get a small jar at the grocery store, instead of buying the "bargain" twin pack at Costco. But I thought "Surely I can control myself". Wrong. Lesson learned. I came to this realization yesterday as I was digging out a second tablespoon. Thankfully this process is teaching me that just because the urge is there, doesn't mean I have to indulge myself. I wanted more than just 2 tablespoons. I was able to recognize what was happening was a chemical brain response. I stepped away from the jar and was a happier girl for it. It wasn't easy, but I did it. Now I also know that the smell of pb can send me over the edge. Now I know to be careful. I knew I had an issue with Skippy, but I didn't really realize how big of an issue until yesterday.
The moral of the story.... recognize your triggers. I have others, but this is a big one. Being aware, instead of mindless, is also a big deal.
My weight is kind of stuck right now. It's time to go back in and tweak. This morning's weight- 160.0. Sunday morning it was at 162.0. Some of this "stuck" is from eating random things that aren't the best, having a few drinks, and a new strength training regime. I know I've lost some body fat (unfortunately that part of my scale is on the fritz and I need to figure out if it can be fixed), but that number is bugging me. I'd really like to see 150 something, and have it stay in the 150's. Consistency. Consistency. Consistency. I know. I keep telling myself to take a day or two off the scale, and I keep getting on anyway. Thankfully now that I understand water fluctuations, the number doesn't have the power it once held. My mood used to be dictated by the number. How I ate and behaved was often affected by that silly number. At this point, while I'm frustrated by the lack of movement on the scale, it doesn't send me into a downward spiral. It's more of a curious science experiment. What will happen today with the number? A much healthier approach. Since that's what the ultimate goal is... a healthier approach to life, I'm going with it. Strong and lean right?
How are you at recognizing your triggers? This has been a process for me. How do you deal with your responses??

2 comments:

Lucy said...

Trigger foods: they will never go away!Darn it to heck!!!LOL!

Good for you - I'm sure there is a time when you wouldn't have been able to walk away-right? You're doing great Tiffany, we both are. We are learning, growing and understanding how/what our bodies need. We won't stop until we get there :)

Trigger foods for me? Too many to list!! One thing that i have found is a must if I'm going to have something that I know isn't "good" for me...just one. Buy/Get/whatever...just one. Don't buy a whole dozen doughnuts, buy one (ya I know, it's cheaper if you buy a dozen)..not really! But if you MUST have something and a substitute won't do...buy just one serving. This is a hard lesson for me - one I'm learning. I always feel if I've had one, might as well have another and that leads to "might as well throw the whole day away & stuff my face with all kinds of poison!"

Anyhoo-Kudos for standing up to Skippy!!

Ryan Cowley said...

Way to go! You definitely have a different mindset this time around! I need to get into that mindset! I have been doing....well...not so good. But you continue to inspire me! Thanks!!