Please God, make my words today sweet and tender, for tomorrow I may have to eat them.
Looking back, I can see a pattern of excessive behaviors growing up among myself, my brothers and my extended family. Over-eating. Over-drinking. Over-indulging. And it was all considered normal.
Personally, I did not have a drinking problem. I got drunk, fell down, no problem.
But now I have a secret weapon. More after the jump.
WHEE (Weight, Health, Eating and Exercise) is a community support diary for Kossacks who are currently or planning to start losing, gaining or maintaining their weight through diet and exercise or fitness. Any supportive comments, suggestions or positive distractions are appreciated. If you are working on your weight or fitness, please -- join us! You can also click the WHEE tag to view all diary posts.
While I never considered myself an alcoholic—that insatiable urge to drink that others in my family talked about—there were nights of excessive intake. A point of no return. One could lead to two. Two might lead to three. But four always led to ten. Always.
Just over seven years ago, this pattern of indulgence came face to face with the highway median—at a speed of sixty miles per hour. By the grace of God no one was harmed... but it did provide me cause to examine my behaviors. I contemplated giving up alcohol, but instead chose another weapon: planning ahead.
Now, before heading out to a social function I think about what I intend to drink, how much and when. Seven years later... I am happy to report that I am in command. Thinking ahead – advance planning – has helped me avoid getting to the point of no control. One might lead to two. And that’s where the story ends, thanks to God.
This year, as changing a life of over-eating has become a priority, I am trying to apply that same approach – advance planning.
Clio2 wrote earlier this week about the car with no brakes– the food-lust reward system in our brain that leads to excessive behaviors (one cookie, two cookie, six cookie, more).
So this morning, we are going to chat about the secret weapon – advance planning – and how that can help us all on our journey to healthier, happier lives.
I invite you to list in the comments approaches you’ve tried, or ones that you’ve heard about, where some advance planning led to better decisions.
Here are a few that I’ve been working on.
The Grocery List
I love randomly walking down the aisles of the grocery story, seeing what’s new, what’s on sale, what’s cooking over in the prepared food section... but it leads to poor decisions. Instead, I make it a point to write out a list in advance, skipping the aisles that don’t feature my list items.
Brown Bagging Lunch
Right outside my office there is this great Italian deli. Amazing hero sandwiches. Tasty hot dishes. For several years, I was a regular. Not anymore. Bringing lunch from home has not only led to healthier choices, it has also saved me about $30 a week.
Calendar Conscious
Hard to believe, there are mornings when I do not feel like getting up at 5:30 to hit the treadmill. And that’s OK. But before rolling over to hit the eternal snooze I think through my calendar... can I run tonight? Tomorrow morning? If calendar conflicts occur in the days ahead, it motivates me to get up and get going today.
Eating Out
I love eating out, but it can be a challenge – especially if you are away for a few days. For me, I try to decide in advance which meals will be "dining experiences" and which will be "food intake moments". If the meal is solely one of food intake, I make it a point to order less, and order only healthy. (Last Friday in NYC with the family, lunch was the grilled chicken Ceasar salad at McDonalds, no dressing, 220 healthy calories.) But some dinners out are meant to be dining experiences. Even then, planning ahead to have one glass of wine, one piece of bread helps a lot.
How about you? Any tips or advice you would like to share today? Have at it...
Housekeeping: When it comes to advance planning, how about planning to write a WHEE diary? Guaranteed fun. Plus, people will tip your tip jar and say nice things about you. If you would like to sign up please see the schedule below. Leave a note in the comments and I'll be sure to add you.
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