Entering my mom’s house is like entering a diet disaster zone. There are crackers and pretzels in the cupboard next to Hershey’s dark chocolate Bliss candies. Plus almonds, peanuts, and peanut butter. There’s ice cream, cookies, and muffins in the freezer. Not to mention chocolate syrup and whipped cream in the refrigerator.
I can imagine Indiana Jones with his rope and boots and machete trying to wade through a dangerous jungle. Sometimes I feel like I’m wading through a food jungle with quicksand under my feet and a trap waiting to drop over my head.
Even when I take my own healthy food along, I sometimes fall into temptation’s trap. I won’t eat ice cream…I won’t eat ice cream…I won’t eat ice cream… WHAP! Into the trap.
I know when I go to my mom’s house that I need to be prepared and on guard. I think there are two main reasons for this.
- The environment is not “safe” and supportive. At home I don’t keep ice cream in my freezer or pretzels in my cupboard. I don’t buy chocolate or any other sweets that would be trouble for me. So when I’m at home, it’s not too difficult to eat healthy foods. Temptations foods are not in my house and I don’t think about them. At my mom’s house, they are everywhere and they talk to me!
- Childhood comforts linger into adulthood. Everything my mom loves she feeds. As a child I remember eating lots of her homemade baked goods, ice cream and pretzels, chocolate candies, etc. In the evening we often relaxed around the table with snacks and talked (and my dad made the stupidest jokes you had to laugh). So, I know relaxing at Mom’s and eating are associated behaviors.
How about you? Where are your diet disaster zones? Is there a certain hang out with friends that is an eating temptation for you? How about late night TV watching? Maybe it’s the lunchroom at work.
Identify the diet disaster zones that are waiting for you. Plan ahead, prepare mentally, and do everything you can to stay out of temptation’s trap!
