Because it was there!

7^th March 2012

Better to wear out than to rust!

As much as I try to make healthy eating habits a priority, sometimes life just gets in the way and even though I know I could make time, I just don’t.  One of those reasons would be because it would be another thing to do and I believe it to be quicker to have what’s available, just because it’s there even though I really do know it isn’t better for me or necessarily quicker either! 

Yesterday I did the ultimate no no, I had bread for every meal, starting with toast, then a liver sandwich (how bad is that, mom cooked some for Alfie so I had what was left, eating the dogs leftovers is just wrong on so many levels, I suppose the only good was I didn’t get it off the floor!), then I had a ham & salad sandwich before leaving the house and when I got home I had 2 ham & salad cobs!  The cobs were really good though, one of my friends mom’s had made them for me from the new Members Favourite cookbook, they’re Butternut Squash Rolls, excellent indeed.  But seriously how bad is that day, the only saving grace was the slices were small and wholemeal!

So why do I still do it, truth – because I can!  And why did I choose bread – because it was there on the side when I walked in the kitchen.  Think about it, when you open a bag of crisps, do you have to keep eating until you poke your finger through the corner in the bottom to make sure you get the last bit of flavour, or if you start on a packet of biscuits do you keep going until you’ve finished them.  If you do then it’s because we all have an availability instinct and on that occasion it’s kicked in and took control, and you feel like you just can’t help yourself, actually you don’t feel like you can’t – YOU ACTUALLY CAN’T!  And think about it, sometimes whatever it is you’re just eating because it’s there doesn’t even have to taste good (that’s been proven in tests btw!)  I’ve don’t it, the main thing I can think of is those Bombay mix things they put on tables in Indian restaurants, they are horrid, but I eat them!

This availability instinct can cause us huge problems, especially when we’re trying to lose weight.  Think about the portion sizes they give us when we’re out, Big Mac and Fries – would you like to go large madam, “erm, no, oh go on then!”  The cinema where its only 50p difference between a smallish popcorn and a huge one.

So in your defence, you are not just being weak when you can’t help eating something because it’s in front of you.  It’s your availability instinct telling you to go right ahead!

There was a research thing done in American where they gave some movie goers popcorn, half got fresh the other half got stale and the ones that were given a large bucket of stale popcorn ate almost as much as those that were given a smaller bucket of fresh popcorn when it was weighed later.  They just ate it because it was there!

So what can we do?  Ask yourself who’s in control of your food environment?  YOU ARE!  So it’s up to you to avoid temptation by getting rid of the stuff that tempts you.  Sounds simple enough doesn’t it and it will make a huge difference.   Just think if I’d had crisps and chocolate on the side in my kitchen yesterday instead of bread, the damage would have been a whole lot worse because I would have eaten much more. 

Research again has shown that being susceptible to foods lying around the house can cause a massive 40lb of weight gain between the ages of 20 and 55.   So how do we stop that happening?

Make the food that is available good food, fruit bowl is the most obvious thing to have on the side, maybe put yourself a snack attack tub together full of low ProPoints treats, include Weight Watcher bars, crisps, dried fruit & nuts, or anything thing that you have already worked out the ProPoints in and you can just grab. 

Realise that less is more, buy smaller portions when possible, you may save 50p at the cinema but is it worth it if you gain a pound in weight from eating the popcorn!

GET RID!  Yep spring clean your kitchen of all the unhealthy foods, I know it has to be there for the childrens sake – REALLY?  Does it?  Is it there for them or you?  And if it does need to be there for them, just buy enough for them, not enough to cover what you usually steal!

Track and write down everything you eat, because being honest and recording it all makes you realise just what you’re doing, I haven’t tracked for 2 or 3 weeks and I’m gaining an average of 1lb a week, luckily it’s been planned because I knew I was going to be away for 3 weekends in a row and I’d go off the rails so I lost the 3lb in anticipation!  But as of next Tuesday my tracker is back out on my desk and I’m on it again to remove that gain.

Lastly when you eat out, be smart, check your choices and make wise ones – you know you’ll be glad you did when you get on those scales, low ProPointed food tastes just as good as high ProPointed food when it’s been cooked well!

On that note, I’m ready to start my day, luckily I’m out of bread so breakfast looks like porridge or yogurt, one of the benefits of not having time to shop is eating what’s left in the fridge which you brought when you’re head was in “eat well” mode!

Have a tremendous Tuesday x