Wednesday, January 8, 2014
Warning signs
So easy to spot 'em in hindsight, eh?
Here are some phrases that came out of our mouthes that should've been a massive red flag to the mayhem awaiting our fat cells over the holidays.
"Taste these."
One of my friends LOVES Christmas cookies and he looks forward to getting mine because I spoil him with a ton of them. I'll give him like 8 different kinds of treats and he's in heaven. Obviously I don't want to give someone treats with my name on it without tasting to make sure they don't suck. Problem is to "taste" them, I didn't need to give the one to the Mr and one to me. We could've split one for tasting purposes and left it at one.
Bringing in treats every time I came back into the living room.
It got to the point the Mr would sit up like Pavlov's dog when he heard me walking in, anticipating my grubby paws would be full of yuletide treats. He was right 90% of the time. Even after our taste cookie was consumed, I might grab one later, come in, he'd look over and I'd give puppy dog eyes like "I know I shouldn't" and I'd say "if this is bad, I can put them back." I knew damn well it was bad and so did he. Ask if we gave a flying fart at the time. My hips don't lie...we didn't.
"I'll just eat how I want for the holidays and we'll get right back to it January 1st."
We did and then some. We paid for it. We got hooked and food had a ridiculous amount of control over us as a result.
We'll start January 1st.
Yeah, we made that January 1st, it's a new year bullcrap statement like it was gospel. It wasn't. It was lip service and our hearts weren't in it. The 1st itself wasn't too bad but the days following? Yeah, not so great...the next reason is...
"Let's just get X out of the house"
Boxes of cookies, candy and all kinds of crap staring at us on the downstairs food shelves while we worked out that hadn't been a problem, suddenly were. To most people that statement of just getting them out of the house would mean throw them away, take them to work or whatever. Nope. Not us. We paid good money for that crap, we weren't going to give them to others. Down the gullet. Truth has consequences, yo.
"I'm okay with skipping tonight, if you are."
This is the one that scared me the most because it was the 5th of this month and our "last day" of shoveling whatever we wanted in the pie holes. It was a busy day and it was late and neither of us felt like working out. We were thisclose to skipping and we went down and did a 20 minute free weight session. It wasn't a big calorie burner but we could say we did SOMETHING so as not to have ruined our exercise streak that we kept all through the holidays.
Did you have any warning signs you were about to go off plan during the holidays? Justifications? Etc.
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It is so easy to see it all in hindsight. I started November thinking that Thanksgiving was going to be easy and the only day I would maybe eat a little more than normal but I went batchit crazy on Thanksgiving and instead of learning from that I decided to say screw it I want whatever I want in December too. Well I am paying for it now but at least we are right back on track. It will cost us time in the long run but hopefully it was worth it because I can't see this getting quite this out of control next holiday season. I really do think I learned from this one.
ReplyDeleteYes it is. It will cost us more time than I'd ever like to recover from in the future. I hope we have learned our lesson where next holiday season is concerned.
DeleteI had a lot of low level denial with my eating. Because I didn't stuff myself to the point of feeling disgustingly overfull, that meant I was "ok". Truth is, I was eating way to much of everything (mostly by "nibbling" on snacks that were every where).
ReplyDeleteI was also lazy. Oh, so lazy. But as long as you announce how lazy you are being, then that makes it ok, right?
I'm on a total reset now, not resting on any "I've already lost X lbs" laurels. It's like I'm starting from total scratch (only with a better base this time). That thinking is helping me. I know I just need to get a full month of good habits back under my belt and it will no longer feel like punishment. It will be habit.
The things we tell ourselves are okay when we know they're not. I think it'll take a full month for us to recover as well and even then, I don't know if we'll be back to the weight we went into December. *rolling eyes*
DeletePretty much your list could be my list, but then add - if I don't eat X then no-one will and it will go to waste as a subcategory under "let's get X out of the house". Hubby did much better than I did about staying away from the junk through Christmas, but between Christmas and now he has slipped up too.
ReplyDeleteI ate many things in the name of waste. Maybe next holiday season we should not eat as much in the name of WAIST?
DeleteI hear ya.Husband's company sent a 7 tower candy new year gift boxes...man i didnt even like most of the stuff..but I ate it all...grr.....
ReplyDeletefinally bought some to work coz I need to stop at some point...
Isn't it funny how we justify that free things taste that much better whether we like the items or not? I did the same thing with gum drops that I started to shovel in my face and they're a flavor I hate. Oy.
DeleteI ate everything over the holidays and definitely used each and every one of those excuses. Such a slippery slope. I just need all the chips and sweets out of my house!!!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely a slippery slope!
DeleteI didn't do well. With my ankle being sprained I couldn't do many workouts for a while and I felt tired and depressed, so I ate more. I'd do ok with my meals, and then plan to eat 1 treat, then I'd eat more. I've been back on track for more than a week, and it feels great! I am not strictly counting calories, but rather working on not overeating and being mindful of what I eat. I can finally do my normal workouts, but not running yet. My ankle is still too tight.
ReplyDeleteHope you're feeling better soon and glad to hear you're back on track!
DeleteI asked my husband to take the remaining bags of candy and put them in his car or give them to strangers but just get them out of the house because I can't be trusted with them. He still hasn't taken them but another bag has mysteriously disappeared.
ReplyDeleteI'm trying hard to get back into my exercise routine. Your workout routines have a definite advantage in that you never have to worry about holidays or someone being sick. I participate in group classes and Christmas and New Year's resulted in a skimpy schedule.
The treat elf has visited your home! Mystery disappearances of bags o' goodies! Maybe you could keep a good workout DVD or two at home if the holidays give slim pickins again next year.
DeleteOh yes, my friend, I hear you. While I didn't go the sweets route, I stopped living by my credo which is "Don't take the first compulsive bite, then you don't have to worry about any that want to follow." I stopped eating my planned meals and nothing in between. There was one day when I got really antsy as I was in my house by myself (the hubs was out with the dogs) and I ate everything in sight for no apparent reason. And it was weird stuff -- bologna with sweet pickles; cheese, chips, bread out of the bag. I was very aware that something was very off, but I just kept doing it. I was sick as a dog by the end of the day and was so disgusted with myself because it all started with "that first bite." And for me, that's my trigger--the very first bite. I finally figured out that my addiction isn't as much about particular foods (although there are definite triggers that I don't take lightly), as it is about compulsion. And because of this health scare with my breast, I've "justified" not exercising. Makes zero sense because whatever is, is...and exercise can only help me mentally. And yet.... The mind f***s I allow myself to go through are ridiculous because I've done it my whole life. You'd think after 42 years I'd "get it". But I fall into the same excuses, even when I know better.
ReplyDeleteI swear if someone had some into the house, they probably would've found me curled up in the corner with chocolate chips stuck to my chin in the middle of a sugar shake. You're right, it's that first bite. One is never enough. I know I won't not make these things next holiday season, I just have to be smarter about it for our own good. Okay, you need to drop me a line. I don't think I know about this health scare!
DeleteI have beem hogging and this holiday mode doesnt seem to end. It waa not till i weighed myslef yesterday that I knew I must get back to my lifestyle.
ReplyDelete