What works
1. I eat regular meals with low inflammatory foods.
2. I abstain from most processed sugar.
3. I feel full until it's time for the next meal.
4. I rarely think about eating out of emotion.
5. I don't have cravings for junk food.
6. I don't eat snacks between meals unless I'm very physically active.
7. I am fat adapted, so my body burns fat rather than stores it.
8. My insulin, glucose, and other hormones stay balanced out most days.
9. My clothes fit, day in day out, month in month out. Year in year out.
10. My weight stays within about a +3/-3 pound variance range over the last 20 months.
Rinse and repeat steps 1-10 for all food focused holidays. Halloween is the kick off of the food season.
1. I ate mini-candy bars several weeks before Halloween and counted points. Hey, I banked those points from a long hike several days ago... and I'll hike a long time every day to work it all off. I can out hike this candy!!!
2. I ate processed sugar every day, best to eat the good stuff and give the other stuff away.
3. I felt hungry all the time...counting the hours til the next meal.
4. I ate when I was sad, mad, tired, and happy.
5. I craved candy corn and chocolate. Bring all the mini- bars (because they are low points).
6. I snacked all day on processed foods... it fits into my point range, you know? There will be left over Halloween Candy in the break room. By the afternoon, I would have given up and eaten some.
7. I stored fat from steps 1-6.
8. My glucose, insulin and hormones were spiked more often. I knew this but did not connect the dots so well while I was under the sugar influence.
9. I had a wide range of clothing sizes at all times in my closet.
10. My weight yo-yo'ed a lot 10-20- 30 pounds and I tried so hard to figure it out.
I rinsed and repeated steps 1-10 for 40 long years. Glad to put those Halloween Memories back in the memory box.
I know abstinence is not for everyone, but if it is your "what works" choice, then I raise a hot cup of coffee with a sprinkle of cinnamon, and wish you a Happy and safe Halloween. You are not alone. No scary stuff, just clear thinking.
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| Forget candy, we want to lick the pan that had the bacon, BEFORE you wash it... |
Abstinence is my life saver! And after all these years, I finally saw the light. Halloween candy is over rated. I've had boxes of it in my house for weeks now 'cos it was on sale. Luckily no one here eats it (but hubby would if I left him alone with it:)
ReplyDeleteI TRY for abstinence... I know it's best to keep my body in balance. But I see a mini twix or Reese's and I cave- working on it!! Glad to read posts like these, from those who can say no!!
ReplyDeleteFour large bags of Halloween candy showed up last night. 3 of them...candy names I love.
ReplyDeleteI will not have a single one. No sirree. Still paying for a couple of indulgences in Vegas. ;)
Good reminders, Karen!
What didn't work for me before was trying to eat candy in moderation. There is no such thing for me! No candy for me this week and I'll be eating as I usually do :)
ReplyDeleteThe shops seem to have gone into overdrive for Halloween. It's special cakes, special sweets (candy) and of course special costumes. Each to their own of course but for me I will spend a quiet evening, definitely no sweets (candy). But a nice glass of red wine with some Stilton cheese ... now that does make sense to me.
ReplyDeleteTake care
All the best Jan
We are lights out for the second year in a row. This is not as much candy related as it is jarring doorbell related.
ReplyDeleteThose are the cutest kitties! (No sugar for me this Halloween.)
ReplyDeleteVery good post, Karen. You always make me think and confirm what I should be telling myself. What you say up there describes how I used to eat around Halloween to a tee. I used to be one size bigger by the end of the tri-holiday season. So I definitely needed 2 sizes of clothes. And I never knew for sure what fit me. And the Halloween candy thing lasted from September until the candy was eaten up in November. I never realized how much I hated yo-yo sizes, but I really love it now when I know that certain outfits fit me perfectly in my closet. It's the best feeling ever--so worth ignoring the candy.
ReplyDeleteYour cats are awesomely colored. They are really beautiful! :D
Leigh and Jeannette, yep, even1 mini-bar- especially before the holidays can effect the rest of my year. It would be weeks before I would have stopped.
ReplyDeleteGwen, Suzanne, Susan, Leigh and Jeannette joining you on the no sweets route, too- glad I'm not the only one..
ReplyDeleteVickie, my cats will thank me after I go lights out. I can't think of 1 neighbor kid who will be upset that I won't be at the door with candy. My daughter will pass a few candies out to the little ones, early in the evening. That's it.
Marion, my brain space "Should I eat this mini-candy bar" and then the binge brain over many days... and the clothing not fitting. Oh, I have so many other things to do in my life now... kicking that to the curb is priceless. :) Thanks, the cats are adopted sisters. Great markings and fun times- different personalities. So fun to observe.