Beginning this process of getting to a healthier lifestyle has forced me to reevaluate (probably just Evaluate, can't say I've done it before)the decisions I make concerning food, exercise, etc.
The biggest issue of mine was easy to see, as it stared at me in the form of a cookie...I call it an oral fixation. (This will cause my one and only reader, Hi Jaime!, to giggle, but it is true). I have a need to always be chewing on something. And that is why I love snacking. Let's face it, a chocolate chip cookie, chips or whatever else it might be will always taste better than my pen cap (which is a regular item I chew on...gross, I know).
I was reminded of this fact when I went to our lunchroom to warm up my lunch. I walked past an open container of Chips Ahoy cookies (drool). In my mind, I was already justifying eating one, since it was "Just One". Oral fixation aside for one moment, SERIOUSLY?? I am down here to fix my LUNCH and I am thinking about snacking while my enchiladas are warming?? There is something wrong with this picture! I, of course, did not eat a cookie. But, it is still the fact that my mind automatically went into justification mode and I would have devoured that cookie before the microwave had time to ding.
I know this about myself. I want to change my habits. But, I also have to be real and say that I will probably always feel the need to be chewing on something. So, what will I do about it? A couple of things-
1. Stock up on gum. I *love* chewing gum. I love wintermint, peppermint, pretty much anything but spearmint (which reminds me of when I was a social smoker in HS and College...yuck). When I start feeling a snack attack coming on, I will make myself stop and think: "Am I really hungry, or do I just want something to chew on". If I am not hungry, I will chew gum.
2. Have healthy snack options on hand. While I have already calculated how many points a handful of tortilla chips are (yum, one of my weaknesses!), and I have written the point values of all my 100 calorie pack snacks (don't be fooled, 100 calories doesn't always mean 1 point!), I still want to have other, FRESHER options for snacking. Such as:
*Peppers! I never liked peppers at all growing up, but I have found a new
love for them as an adult. I love cutting them into long strips and just
munching on a baggie full. They are crunchy like chips, but without all the
salt.
*Fruit! I pretty much love all (normal) fruits. Grapes, melons, apples,
strawberries- they are all good stuff in my book!
*Other veggies: I don't love carrots, broccoli, cucumber, cauliflower, etc. as
much as peppers. But, I plan to throw them in the mix as well. I need
options to keep myself from caving in on the chocolate chip yumminess!
As I have probably already mentioned at some point (here or on my other blog), we are currently living with my husband's parents while we wait for Jason to find a job at a church. So, any food in the house is up for grabs. I don't mind that at all, but it just means I need to make sure these foods are always well stocked. I am hoping for a trip to the grocery store this weekend. I'll let you (Jaime) know how it goes! (O:
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i feel special. and i'm still giggling about oral fixation. jason should be much less cranky than he is with your oral fixation. (was that too inappropriate for bloggy world?)
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