Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Red light foods: A little victory goes a long way!

We all have those "red light" foods. You know those foods? They are the ones that once we start to eat them we just can't stop. Chips, cookies, chocolate, ice cream, pizza......we all have a weakness. I encountered one of those foods today....and I must say, I was proud of my little success. :)

My "red light food" is simply that....FOOD. My younger brother and I have many memories of experimentation in the kitchen. I had my perch next to my dad at his BBQ, and I was the taste tester. Food has always been a weakness for me. I LOVE food....GOOD food. My family is full of excellent chefs, so I have always had a love of exotic and interesting food. Cooking is just as much about the creation of the meal and the presentation of it as it is sharing it with those around me. So really, I just have an issue with FOOD in general.

That being said, my wonderful husband could eat Pizza every day....for every meal just about and never complain. I LOVE pizza....not just the fast food greasy stuff that every place on the corner serves...but homemade pizza. Loaded with veggies and just a tiny bit of cheese....I  love it all.

I hadn't really slept all night (I went to bed at 3am...homework and then lost track of time) and the husband's sinuses had him snoring so I was up....then the kids had to be up at 5:45am, I went back to bed at 7am when the kids went to  school and I didn't get up until nearly noon! So I had brunch today. :)

Breakfast wasn't a bad choice. A couple of egg whites scrambled with 1 whole egg, tossed with some cooked barley, drizzled with a tiny bit of  soy sauce and my Furikake (a Japanese rice topping that is just wonderful!). Low fat, high in protein and VERY filling. So because I had such a late breakfast, I ended up not hungry for lunch at any point in the day. THIS can set me up for an issue later with snacking because then I end up starving later.....but I handled that rather well...if I do say so myself.

I had several "cuties" (those little tangerines that I LOVE so much) and waited for the Pizza to arrive. Now everyone else in my house gets the pan pizza or the pepperoni and mushroom...or my son's favorite 5 cheese stuffed crust pizza. I always order myself a thin crust, veggie pizza with very light on the cheese....this allows me to have a little more (in number of slices if I'm just feeling greedy or gluttonous) without going over on points/calories etc.

My "red light" food that I encountered today was that Pizza....oh it tasted so good....we hadn't had pizza in a while. I'm sure I could have just had the 2 slices and been fine....but I did go and have a third....but instead of picking on myself for that, I simply decided that I was going to count the victory as a victory. I didn't have the whole pizza, I didn't let it call me in for one more slice when I was clearly FULL.

For a lot of us, "red light" foods mean we just can't EVER eat it anymore because we are afraid that we will over-indulge. But I offer you this challenge.....moderation. If you can get yourself to a point where you CAN have it...once in a while...without going overboard with it, then you count it as a victory! And if you let yourself have it, and you can't control yourself...then you count that as a victory too. It is a victory because you challenged yourself, you planned it out, challenged yourself, met that task and learned a lesson...it isn't time to consume that food yet. LOL

In short, I don't believe in fully omitting foods from my diet. The moment I tell myself I'm not "allowed" to have a food, it becomes the very thing I crave. So be honest with yourself...that is the best thing. If  you have a "red light  food" or a whole box of them....really ask yourself WHY? Is it because I feel like I'm not going to get any more of it? Is it because I feel like I "shouldn't" eat it? Is it not "diet food"? I am constantly reminding myself that the definition of "diet" isn't "restriction"....or "omission".....or "deprivation"...the definition of DIET  is simply the nutrition I put into my body....good or bad....it is all part of my "diet". EVERYTHING is on my "diet".. I just have to monitor how much of it I consume!

1 comment:

  1. Good point, and YAY! for you that you were able to stop yourself at 3 pieces. Now that really is a Victory with a capital V! I know there are some foods that I WILL still overeat. Pizza and peanut butter are Red Lights, ice cream is a yellow light. I can sometimes limit my consumption of ice cream, and sometimes go crazy. It depends on my mood, if I'm tired, and how much is available. Just a matter of knowing yourself, your limits, and your current state of mind.

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