I've been wanting to post for days, but of course there's been no time. I can't believe how packed my hours are, & how little I get to do for ME.
I'm sure I'm not the only one. Heh.
I made one change last week, as several of you suggested--baby steps. I had been in a horrible habit the last couple months of getting a Starbucks latte every morning on the way to work. This is a horrible habit because it's: (a) expensive, (b) exacerbates my bad habit of not eating breakfast at home, and (c) a lot of unnecessary calories. I get skim milk, but the pumpkin spice is not sugar free and a grande has over 200 calories.
My sister equated the cost of my almost-$5 a day latte habit with smoking a pack of cigarettes every day, which actually made me feel better about the cost. There are millions of people who don't think twice about spending $35 a week on cigarettes. Why should I feel guilty about spending that on my guilty pleasure?
But it was also just as addictive as cigarettes (almost anyway). I'd tried to stop myself going every day several times, but somehow my car just found its way in the drive-thru.
So last week, I decided I'd eat breakfast at home every morning, & I'd brew a second cup of coffee to take with me in the car to work (I have a one-cup at a time coffee maker, since I'm the only coffee drinker in my house--I LOVE my Keurig). And I did it. I had a latte on Friday, which is my plan now, to have one a week. And my breakfast has been a toasted English muffin, egg in the microwave, & a slice of cheese...tasty, quick & easy, with protein & enough fat to be very filling.
The habit is sticking so far.
My next baby-step item to tackle is a biggie--no night eating. I'm still plagued by that Pavlov's response of "it's late, I'm tired & feeling down, I'll eat a bowl of cereal and a few cookies." It's usually not a binge, but 500-600 calories at 11 pm every single night is going to add pounds to my body, and undo any good I've accomplished during the day.
I managed to drink hot tea last night while doing laundry & watching election returns with Mark. I still wasn't asleep at midnight, but I stayed in bed and gritted my teeth when the urge came. But, then at 2:30 am, when insomnia hit (which doesn't happen often, but it does happen occasionally), I hit the pantry. It was too late to take a xanax--even .25 mg puts me out for hours. So I filled up on sleep-inducing carbs.
I felt awful when I woke up this morning. That sand paper in the mouth, puffy fingers, achy belly yuckiness that always, always follows sleeping after eating. I don't know why this is such a hard habit to break.
But I KNOW it's breakable. Many of you have done it. I've done it before. It's going to take some time for it to stick (21 days minimum, right?), and some practice on using other things to substitute for food.
No exercise for over a week. I carried my gym bag in & out of the office last week three times, and not once had time to go running/walking. I brought it in yesterday--same deal. I'm hoping today will break that streak. The park where I usually run was calling my name as I drove by it this morning.
I am signing up today for the Indianapolis Mini Marathon next May. It's the 100 year anniversary of the 500 race, so it should be a cool year to run the Mini. It will be my 6th half marathon. Maybe my 7th, if I decide to also run Evansville's SIC half marathon in April. The only way I run consistently is to train for races. Nothing wrong with that, right?
Vickie, no Halloween party this year. Mark was out of town on business over Halloween. The kids missed him, but we went trick or treating with my sister & niece, so it was OK. I'm glad we didn't have to dress up. Halloween costumes for adults run really small. I'd never have fit into anything this year.
6 comments:
Good job on skipping the Star Bucks! I think you'll feel so much better - and just think, you'll have an extra $25 in your pocket every week. And an extra $100 every month (new boots, anyone?????!!!!).
Good luck on the night time snacking - that's a toughie to conquer, but I know you will. Remember it just takes time, patience, and compassion (for yourself). You can do it!! :)
okay not to pick on you but to point out - what on earth is going on that one would rationalize smoking is a valid reason for doing anything - ? I understand you are not smoking, but there is something odd going on there somewhere. (And is sister an enabler in general? Because that whole little story sounds like enabling/codependency - or am I totally off base?) And I think Friday only sounds like a very good idea. Helen used to do an every other week donut thing that worked very well for her. She could do the every other week and not let it turn into a parade of WANTS.
If sleep is just a temporary issue - then I agree with Jill that you will just have to focus and work through it.
BUT, if getting to sleep and staying asleep has been a huge issue forever - then my answer - me personally - on the night time eating is to take something so you sleep. and to take it at the same time each night. So not to wait to see if you need it, but to take it so you instill patterning to get out of the night time eating rut you are practicing. It does not have to be an addictive something. Benedryl for example (tylenol PM is tylenol and benedryl, but we are not supposed to take tylenol on a regular basis, so benedryl is half of tylenol PM) can work very effectively. And herbal (no caffeince) tea can be a very soothing, filling thing to incorporate into your night time (unless it then creates a night time potty thing which wakes you up).
It felt like you were really HERE with this post. It felt focused and aware and in touch with reality. All very good things.
And baby steps is a very good answer. One little thing at a time. So it is doable and you can see the impact it has on how things are going
my old but true
what do I mean to be doing?
what am I actually doing?
is it working?
I guess I should have elaborated on the $5 a day habit thing--I was just writing quickly & didn't want to belabor the point.
It was more of a joke than anything. I was lamenting my latte habit while talking to my sister on my cell phone, going through Starbucks drive thru. My sis said they cost as much as a pack of cigarettes (she smokes, I've never smoked), and I said well then, if you can spend $5 on cigs then I can spend $5 on coffee, ha ha. She wasn't enabling me to buy a Starbucks latte every day. Which, frankly, if someone wants to get a latte every day, I don't think it's that big a deal. For me, though, it was becoming a "I HAVE TO HAVE A LATTE" thing--a comfort, feel good ritual that I craved every morning (the pumpkin spice is to die for). That was the main reason I wanted to stop the daily habit. So, yes, I think you're reading more into that than is there. It's no big deal.
Hi, Laura
Vickie gave me a link to your blog as a way of introducing me to to other Hoosier bloggers, and I'm so glad she did. Really enjoying it so far! I have a Keurig too, and it is by far my favorite appliance in the kitchen.
I thought of your 'habit' and immediately thought of the possibility of whether or not you'd get the same pleasure of making your drink at home. I used to get Starbucks tea lattes ALL of the time until I had a 'duh' moment and realized that I could make them at home for about 70 calories and $2 less. I think they taste better, too. Have you ever used Torani SF syrups? That's what I use and they are fantastic. OK, enough rambling for my first comment, I think..... :)
Laura, You probably already know this, but I'll add it in there anyway. Eating well early in the day has been proven to decrease the amount of night time snacking done by people. So if you continue your good breakfast habit, followed by a good lunch, and keep it up for a long time, the night time snacking just might become a thing of the past.
how did this week go for you? baby steps?
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