Quick update: I went on a new eating plan during Lent this year, taking out a bunch of habitual foods from my diet. Specifically, Almonds, Cookies, Ice cream, english muffins and toast, and all types of chocolate candy, in addition to bagels and doughnuts. I know - I should have been eating about half of those things in any case, but that's where we were. I also cut down by (diet) soda consumption significantly (to about 1/4 of my norm) and switched to water, and some teas.
It was a good plan - it made me think more about what I was eating, and therefore how much I was eating. In addition, it removed a bunch of mindless eating from my day, and therefore from my calorie intake. While I did this during Lent, that's not what it was about (or so I thought).
So I jump to Easter. That didn't go well. Over two days, I consumed most of those foods again, and felt myself slipping back into old habits in a few ways. Within the next two weeks, I was violating most of the food bans that I had been using, but that's not the important bit. The real key was that I was back to the mindless eating and the increased calorie count that came with it.
Cut to this morning. After some disappointing news from my dentist (really no big deal though) I stopped to get gas, and popped into the convenience store [Aside: having those at every gas station is a real problem for me. I just need to say no, but I often fail]. I got myself a bottle of diet soda (My favorite: Dr Pepper) and I searched for something else to gobble. I knew in my head that I was reacting emotionally, and shouldn't buy anything, but frankly, I didn't case.
I had my piece of pre-packaged baked good in my hand, and went to the counter, right behind an attractive woman of about my age. She was buying tea, and then I heard her say "Oh, great. I'll take a banana too". A banana. I'm standing there with probably 400 calories of an unnecessary food item, and she is excited about a banana. My eyes were opened, and as I saw what I was doing, that baked good went back on the shelf next to it's cloned brethren. I didn't need it. I really didn't want it. I took control and changed my day, for the better.
I need to do the same thing writ large. My weight seems to be a constant struggle for me mentally, and I need to change my thought process around it, and my exercise and my eating plans. I plan to live for a number of years yet, and I want to ensure those years see me active by choice, not by necessity.
