It Has Begun

As of last Monday (Halloween), I officially let myself go crazy on the sugar. Don't get me wrong, my sweet tooth has been worse before (I used to eat a pack of Skittles a day during high school), but it's getting out of control.

And it doesn't help that coworkers have been bringing in their kids' candy to pawn off on us. For me, when it's free and right in front of me (and in mini size), I just can't resist. I really need to enlist one of Dawn Jackson Blatner's  action mantras "No Free Food."

Dawn is a Registered Dietitian and was the keynote speaker at the Healthy Living Summit. I told you I would do a post on all the things I learned from her, but clearly I lied.
She's on the far left here. Also author of The Flexitarian Diet and gave some great action mantras to use in life as well as easy plant-based swaps for meat (black beans, tofu, veggie burger, tempeh tacos, etc).

Another good action mantra from Dawn - "Table, Plate, Chair." As in, take your food to the table on a plate and sit your butt in the seat while you eat. I'm guilty of not always following this rule during breakfast!

Dawn's message definitely made me want to be an RD or at least more nutrition focused in my dream job. <-- Yep, I believe it's possible to have one of those.

Anyway...

Today, I ate a mini Snickers at 10 am and then a Twix, Milk Duds and Almond Joy throughout the afternoon (in addition to my lunch and snack). I tell ya, it's a good thing I run.


What I find interesting is that I've noticed the sugar - as in, I pick up the candy in a moment of stress (knowing I don't really need it), consume it and then want more even though I know it semi-sabatoges all the hard work I do to eat well and exercise daily. Blah, we can't be perfect, but I hate eating all this junk when I know it's not something I really want.

However, Sunday night's date to the local Sweet Life Patisserie with the manfriend was a planned occasion and we both enjoyed our respective cheesecakes (keylime and blackberry) and took the rest home for later. We made an event of it, bought our treats and enjoyed them - no rule breaking there!

So while the food frenzied holidays have definitely begun, I have a plan of action. Keep up with the fruits and veggies, cut back on the free sugar and moderately enjoy my favorite foods of the season. That action plan also calls for running at least 6 miles the morning of Thanksgiving (4 mile Turkey Trot + warm up and cool down).


How are you guys doing on surviving the holidays/massive Halloween candy overload? Have you developed any action mantras for yourself? 

Comments

Scarlett said…
Thankfully they don't have Halloween where I live, but we do have folks who bring chocolate to me at work. I just carry the box right up to the front office and therefore force other people to practice self control because I, solita, just can't.
Ugh. Last week was really really really bad. I ate A LOT of candy. It's hard when there is a ginormous bowl of miniature candy in the office. This week I have done well, though, and haven't had a single piece from the candy dish. I have had 2 peanut butter cups from the bag that I stupidly bought on Halloween for my boss and I to share! We have been slowly working away on those and I just need them to be gone!! Very dumb idea to buy them!!
missris said…
The office candy dish is my weak spot. I cannot pass the dish without seeing something I like and grabbing it to eat later. I eat at least one piece of candy every single day (hangs head in shame). I know it's only going to get worse as it gets closer to the holidays, so I've made a pact with myself to step up the workouts in the next two months to keep up with my candy habit!
Amber said…
When we had halloween candy around (i.e. before I ate it all) I really noticed myself reaching for it when I felt stressed or tired or whatever. SO interesting how we often feed our emotions, hey?

I have a MAJOR sweet tooth but I've been trying to feed it with mandarin oranges and only one actual treat a day the last week or so!
Well, I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one suffering from the overload of sweets. Luckily, it's only for a short time each year. And we'll move on from sweets to savories of Thanksgiving, which I feel are a bit more manageable.
Even in an office full of Dietitians & "health nuts", we had a ton of candy, too! Ugh. I had my fair share of Reese's (faaave) and starbursts.

"dream job. <-- Yep, I believe it's possible to have one of those." Because it is. :)

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