Will I Ever Learn???

Deb Says:
So today is Saturday and even though it’s the weekend, I’m a fairly busy person and I usually have a bit of a plan or routine for the day. For example, today my schedule was up at 6:30, work on the blog, have breakfast, go for an hour’s swim, go to the rehearsal for my children’s play, get groceries, tidy up the house a bit, and then meet a friend for dinner later. If I had time, I was going to try and fit in a little walk, as well. But the rehearsal got cancelled. Suddenly my day was free. So I slept in until 7:45, which for me is an incredible rarity, packed my swim bag, made an omelette, watched a little bit of the news this morning, surfed some blogs for a while and then went swimming. Even remembered my grocery list! I had a good swim, took my time in the shower, got dressed and headed for the grocery store. I got everything on my list and ONLY things on my list (so proud when I do that, as it is my intention) and headed for the checkout. Now, to be honest, I had been getting a little grumbly/hungry for the last couple of aisles. You see, under normal circumstances I never go swimming without a “recovery snack” for when I’m finished. But today, with my routine out the window, my recovery snack was in the fridge at home. I was trying to use distraction while I was still shopping, and it worked, sort of. But once I was at the checkout, and the rows and rows of chocolate bars in their pretty packages were staring back at me, I was in trouble. So what happens? I start talking myself into them.


Oh, Smarties! There’s hardly any chocolate in those at all, there can’t be that many calories. Oh look, an Aero Bar – it’s like filled with air, so there’ll be less chocolate in there than the other bars. A Coffee Crisp – I haven’t had one of those for years. Oh, Kit Kat, I could just break off one finger of it and save the rest for later.

What did I do? I pushed my cart forward, unloaded my groceries, paid for my groceries, took them out to my car. As I was loading my car, I ate one of the bananas I had bought. I kept focusing on the fact that if I had a chocolate bar now, I couldn’t have the “dessert” I wanted for supper tonight (my original plan: while watching Once Upon a Time I would have a small bowl of rice krispies with peanut butter and chocolate sauces drizzles over them – a snack that is moderately healthy and reminds me of a chocolate bar).

As I drove home, I reflected on my win – sticking to my original plan after all that temptation. Was I happy? Was I proud? Hell no!!! I was hungry and had low blood sugar. Nothing was going to help. But slowly, the banana started to work, and as soon as I was home I made a smoothie with fruit, a bit of honey, skim milk and a quarter cup of no fat Greek yogurt and slurped that while I was unpacking the groceries. And finally I started feeling better.

So will I ever learn? Yes, but it’s going to take a while.

Arlene Says:
Honesty. Well I wish that was easier. Why is it that everything worth doing is HARD! In our book we talk a lot about the work needed. It is not easy for anyone. Often it ends up being mirror therapy -- if you spoke to yourself like you do to a friend the ideas and support would be great. You say to your friend: “It has been a tough start to 2012, you had plans and are off track already and that is discouraging. Let’s look at the plans, where could you make it easier for yourself? “ Pretend the mirror is your friend and encourage.