On the morning of Saturday 13th, I lay in bed and it occurred to me that it was exactly 6 weeks until Christmas. I thought of the 3-ish kilograms that I could lose to bring me back to my post-Joseph weight, and decided that I could certainly lose 500g a week until Christmas.
It will never be found that I did or didn't achieve this goal, because I am too cheap to buy new scales and my old ones are cantankerous. I'm not blaming anyone for this. At any rate, I do not have a "before" weight, I don't have any update weights, and unless Father Christmas is kind to me, I won't have a final weight on Christmas morning. It's probably a good thing, because if I found that any Christmas indulgence caused an increase, I'd be devastated.
Nevertheless, I have had some success since making my six-weeks-until-Christmas discovery. I've been doing some healthy eating things - and I have been sticking to them. This is good (for me.)
Over the recent hungry months, I have found it difficult not to blow out on treats. This is because I have allowed myself treats. It never has and it never will work for me, the "I'm allowed the occasional treat" approach, because simply, unless it's an all-or-nothing rule, I will have "just one little treat" and then "ooh that was yummy, I'll just have one more" and then it will be all, "what the heck, six didn't hurt me, twelve will surely be alright" and before you know it, there's no hope for me OR the top button of my jeans.
Absolutely no self-control. I acknowledge that, and I work with it.
I know that people say you needs treats or you'll have one big blowout, and I know that works for many people, but without an all-or-nothing rule, my life is one huge blowout. So I'm trying something different.
For the first week following my six-weeks-until-Christmas discovery I vowed that not one gram of dip shall pass my lips until Christmas Day. For heavens' sake, dip is hardly an essential food group! If I can't get through 6 weeks without something as off-the-wall as dip, there's a problem. Recently I have been unable to limit my overall dip intake. "Just a small amount" becomes "just a little more" becomes "only 8 Jatz-worth of dip" becomes "only 8 more Jatz-worth" becomes "I feel sick."
This has been really easy to achieve for the last fortnight. There's been some dip in the fridge but instead of saying, "Should I have one cracker with dip or 5 or 10 or when should I stop myself?" I have had absolutely none since before the 13th. I have had some other treats and things, I have had no dip, and dip is such an Achilles heel for me.
Funny thing is - I don't really feel like dip after all these days. And herein lies the beauty of it all. I just don't crave it anymore.
On the second week, in addition to having no dip, I decided that I was no longer going to drink any calories when I wanted a cold drink. No cordial, no fizz. Easy - I love water and so I've had nothing but water since before the 13th. The kids have polished off our cordial, I plan to buy no more, and when I went to a kid's birthday party, I had water for every drink and didn't touch the fizz or the cordial. I also didn't have any dip.
I don't feel like dip or sugary drinks these days. I just don't crave it.
Today is Saturday again, and this week, in addition to no dip and no sugary drinks, I'll be having no sugar in my hot drinks. This will be slightly harder for me because sugar in hot drinks is something I have every day but I am ready to do it. I was thinking of cutting down to half a teaspoon but I find that amount is below my threshold of taste and so half a teaspoon tastes the same as none to me. So wish me all the best as I dive in - no sugar in tea until Christmas Day.
Six and a half years later
3 years ago
3 comments:
good on you for staying off the forbidden foods, I wish you all the best for no sugar in hot drinks. I found that one hard til I realised that 1/2 teaspoon equalled no taste. I hope your weight shows your restraint. Keep going til Christmas and see where you are at then. I am into parties and having to show restraint on some yummy things. You be good with eating and so will I.
Well done for sticking to your things to give up totally. If it is working for you go for it!!! I recently had a blowout on BBQ chips. After years of not eating them, I saw them on special and bought some. They were yummy, and I don't know what happened to the rest of the packet (My Beloved must have eaten them). I survived for 12 years without BBQ chips. Grrrr.
The word verification is "cupcke" I think it is suggesting bad stuff to me. Thankfully no cupcakes in the house.
I am quite amazed - I am finding it EASY to have no sugar in my tea! I do encounter problems when it's a wishy-washy rule. I often say, "Oh what the heck, I'll have some today" and then it's on again - emptying the sugar bowl in record time over the next few weeks.
All-or-nothing has taken the hassle out of deciding about sugar. The answer is no. And I am not minding it one bit - mainly because I haven't been all-or-nothing about too many food items.
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