Old habits die hard....

…and some refuse to die altogether!

Beth and I have been married for 12 years. During that time, we get to house sit for my in-laws when they travel. You see they have 3 dogs, a bird and a partridge in a pear tree. And we all know how hard it is to pack a partridge in a pear tree in a car! Anyway, when RJ was a baby it was a really cool thing. We pretended we were on vacation in Gatlinburg. As the years progressed, it got to be impossible having to carry all his “STUFF” with us. So, we decided on those house sitting days, only one of us would go and the other would stay home.

Now to the old habits refusing to die! This past weekend, right after the Lunch Bunch, Beth headed off for her parents house. We view this now as a mini business trip instead of a vacation! RJ stayed with me for a guy’s night out. Not long after dinner, these habits I speak of decided to rear their ugly head. In the past when Beth was away house sitting, it was a chance for RJ and I to “pig out” so to speak. It was nothing for us to grab a gallon of Blue Bell ice cream, hot fudge sauce and all the other necessities that Satan has surrounded us with, and finish the half gallon in one setting. So what did I do? As soon as dinner was completed, I headed to the “aisle of shame” as RJ calls it. That’s right; I went to that “den of sin” known as the candy and ice cream aisle at K. Rogers

I decided to stay away from ice cream, but hit the sugar free candy hard! I walked away with 3 bags of sugar free candy and one bag of sugar free cookies! When I came home, RJ was on the couch watching TV. He immediately knew what this was, a chance to have a “boys night out”. We picked a good movie and picked our first object of obsession, the Russell Stover Caramel Drops.

Let’s put it this way, we finished the bag within 20 minutes and that was all she wrote. I felt terrible. Mel was not a happy camper! Oh yeah, Mel is the name for my pouch (stomach), as in “Mel’s Diner”. Beth’s’ pouches name is Alice, from the same TV show! Anyway, Mel was not doing well. I never had the gastrointestinal distress that a lot of people have from sweets. This was the first time since surgery that I did have an acid reflux attack. If you have never had one, they are painful. The rest of the candy was disposed of. What was so supposed to be a fun night out for the guys, turned into a disaster of epic proportions!

What did I learn from this episode “Boys can be pigs”? Once again, surgery was done on my stomach, not my head! I feel like I have come a long way in making good food choices. But I also figured out that it’s a long and winding road that leads to a healthier me!

So, what “old habits” are you dealing with? And most importantly, what are you doing about it. For me, it’s “Food for thought and moderation”. In other words, before something goes into my mouth, I will think about it and remember this night! I’m gonna try my best anyway!

Poor choices and stress!

Hey guys!

The last 2 weeks have not been the best since surgery. I feel fine, my body is healing properly, and the energy level is back to normal. In fact, I feel just as I did before surgery, maybe even a little better.

What's the problem you ask? Well, I feel so much like I did before surgery, that I am making some the same bad choices food wise. We are still eating healthy meals, at least a lot healthier than we did before surgery. The problem lies with sugar free treats. I know, I know, I have said the same thing you are thinking..."Sugar free, that's gotta be better...right?" WRONG!!!! At least for me it's wrong. My friend Melinda posted her feelings the other day on sugar free treats and it made a lot of sense! I know what is happening. Sugar free treats have become a comfort food. Before surgery it was ice cream and hot fudge sauce, last night it was Murray’s Sugar Free Shortbread Cookies. I feel better when I eat something like that. The problem lies with the ability to moderate these choices...I have none!

These last 2 weeks there has been a lot of stress in my daily walk. Money seems to be the biggest stress-or. But other things are there too. I should start my part time job this next week, and I'm looking forward to it. The stress comes from the fact that Beth will be with RJ in the mornings. They have a very unique relationship. RJ knows exactly what buttons to push in order to get his way. For me, I don't want Beth to have to deal with that right now. She is working at a job that she loves and does not need that extra stress. But what can I do? I have spoken to RJ, and we have set a plan in place that provides positive reinforcement when RJ is cooperative. All I can do is pray that this works!

So, what can I do for my other situation? You know the comfort food issue. I have an idea of what I can do…the only sugar free treat in my house will be…sugar free jello! I can only tolerate a little of this at one time. So, this way I can have a sweet treat and still work my tool correctly. I think I will also attend the lunch time counseling sessions my Dr.’s office provides. That just might help me get to the bottom of the problem!

By the way, these last 2 weeks, I have not lost any weight, that is another stress-or. I am still at 264 lbs., I only have 2 pounds till I reach that 100 pound lost mark! But on the other hand, I have not gained any either! I realize I am only 7 weeks out, and my body is still trying to hold on to every ounce it can, but this is frustrating to say the least.

Sorry about the long vent. I feel a little better just getting this off my chest! Have a great day, I think mine just got better! Thanks!

Sugar Free Strawberry Dessert

A friend of mine from Obesity Help posted this recipe, and I thought I would give it a try. The only concern stems from the sugar alcohols in the glaze. Here is the original post. Hope you enjoy!

Tonight, I took a few strawberries, cut them all up, added two spoons of sugar free strawberry glaze found at Kroger, then a few sugar free Murray shortbread cookies (which I found for 1.00 at Big Lots... they are normally 2.99 each) and then whipped cream. Yummy! It was soooo good. It is great portion control rather than making the pie. Then you are not tempted to eat more than just the small amount you fixed for a one time consumption.

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