Thursday, September 30, 2010

Not Just One...

"I'm an alcoholic, I don't have one drink. I don't understand people who have one drink. I don't understand people who leave half a glass of wine on the table. I don't understand people who say they've had enough."

This is a quote from one of my favorite shows West Wing , when one of the main characters, Leo, explains his addiction to alcohol.

I think this quote exemplifies my relationship with food. Yesterday, it was cold and rainy outside and I was craving a warm, crispy doughnut. But like Leo, I didn't just want one doughnut; I wanted to eat doughnuts until I was completely stuffed. I wanted to eat the whole box.

I don't understand people who can eat just enough sweet/junk food to be satisfied. I don't understand people who can leave half a bowl of ice cream left over on the table, people who can eat half a doughnut and leave the rest for later. When I was a kid, I had a good friend named Kiki. Kiki was an only child and she used to keep bowls of candy in her room. The crazy thing was--she didn't eat all the candy! If that had been me, I would have eaten it all within an hour.

On the other hand, I have no problem leaving half a beer or glass of wine left over when I feel like I've had enough to drink. In fact, I have a notorious reputation for not finishing my beers ;)

So, back to my doughnut story. Instead of hitting Dunkin Doughnuts, I went to the gym instead. And after 30 minutes on the elliptical, my craving for doughnuts had vanished and been replaced with the desire for a hearty, sustaining meal. I had cream of wheat, toast, and scrambled eggs for dinner. And it was delicious.

I just hope that I can continue to make good decisions rather than succumbing to my desire to compulsively eat. But as Leo says in the West Wing, every day he has to make the choice not to have a drink. Likewise, I'll just have to take this weight loss journey one day at a time. Today, I will make the choice to eat healthy foods. Although, I have planned to eat (one!) ice cream sandwich for dessert either today or tomorrow. And you know what I did, I went to the store and literally bought one ice cream sandwich instead of the box. Baby steps, if you will.

Happy Thursday.

1 comment:

  1. Ha I can totally relate to this. I can NEVER leave food on my plate, even if I am full. I have to remove it from sight or I will eat it, no question. They do say you should wait 30 minutes if you have a craving for something, and if you still want it 30 minutes later, have some. And what better way to wait 30 minutes than while doing exercise? Good for you!

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