Some days, I honestly don’t know what to write. Today is one of those days, so I asked people what sort of questions they’d like to have me answer. Here are a few.

 

I’d love to read what motivates you when you feel like you just can’t do the healthy eating any more or when you are having a stressful day.

Believe me, there are days when I get absolutely and horribly frustrated, especially when I’ve pulled out every trick in my bag and it doesn’t seem to be working. That’s happened to me, lately, and I needed a reality check that luckily came from an outside source.

I can’t always rely on outside sources, though, to remind me to get my head in the right place. On talk radio tonight, coming home after eating dinner, I heard the host put forth the idea that we often give up on something just before we achieve success — weight loss being one of the things mentioned, and the reasons are often because what motivated us, in the beginning, is no longer motivation. In my case, when I first started losing weight, being able to move easily and fit in semi-normal size clothes were big motivators, but now that those things have happened, they’re not as motivating as they once were.

The host suggested that prevention becomes more of a motivator that can help that final push of success, and I believe that. I have photos of where I used to be. I have journal entries of how tough things were at that time. I made videos of myself at various stages, and look back on them. When I’m having a moment where I just want to trash it all and give up, remembering where I’ve been often pushes me past whatever is holding me back at that moment.

I don’t see myself as a stress eater, but can be prone to it at times; I let myself stress eat months while caring for my husband after his first knee surgery. And that fact is — I love food. I’m not gonna lie about that. I used to kid myself into believing food is only fuel, but I love a fine glass of wine, the satisfaction of a great meal.

Mindless eating isn’t that. Being selective in my eating actually makes the meals in which I choose to have something I don’t normally eat much more special. I can fully experience it and go on, instead of just eating whatever fills the space. When I do that, I end up feeling like crap and feeling sorry for myself.

Besides, none of us ever get closer to our goals by doing the exact opposite of what we know will get us there. Throwing my hands up in frustration and diving into a bag of Doritos certainly won’t make me feel better. I have to focus that stress somewhere else.

 

I would love to hear your thoughts on the willpower you muster in regards to avoiding unhealthy foods.

I think most of us know how to eat healthy when we’re at home and we have the time to fix meals; the challenge is when someone shows up with cupcakes with three inches of frosting on them, or your well-meaning aunt is pouting because you’re trying to resist that marshmallow salad with whip cream on top that she made just for you. Or in my case: Bavarian pretzels are my kryptonite. (Salt is a food group, y’all. Honest.)

I try to look at these sorts of temptations in two ways. The first is that I view each day much like a bank account: I start with a set amount I can spend. If I want a treat, I have to consider whether I can afford it, or what I’m willing to give up so that account isn’t overdrawn. I will also plan times when I can spend more from that account, and thinking this way tends to make me evaluate what I’m willing to spend on, and it had better be worth it. (I actually get pretty upset if I plan for a special meal — or pretzel! — and then it’s not up to snuff. I feel like I got ripped off. Eating selectively makes you appreciate each bite a lot more.)

The second is that I know what the consequences are when I eat (or drink) outside of my norm. Eating clean helps balance cravings for treats, and it also amplifies how different I feel after I do have a treat. Someone who doesn’t drink caffeine for months and then has an espresso will have a more pronounced reaction to it than someone who has caffeine daily, and the same holds true for sustained clean eating. That pretzel might taste fantastic, but it could very well make me hungry for a couple of days when I don’t normally deal with a great deal of hunger. Am I willing to possibly deal with food cravings for a couple of days if I have that pretzel?

Sometimes it’s about limiting the amount of the treat, too — a bite of pretzel might satisfy that desire for the taste rather than eating the whole thing. It’s a longterm choice rather than an immediate “gosh, that looks good!” reaction.

I’ve become a picky eater. I want food to be a joy, so those decisions are actually not big decisions. When I do make those occasional decisions, I do so in a way that I can appreciate them instead of regret them.

 

Are there certain foods you substituted to satisfy a sweet tooth or a salt craving?

I don’t do a bunch of substituting. That way lies craziness and turkey bacon, but I do workarounds on occasion.

During the summer, I like my backyard cocktails, and I like combining sugar-free drink mixes with clear alcohols (rum, tequila, vodka), as well as adding things like sugar-free ginger ale. But really, I don’t crave a lot of sweets. I like my salt. I will snack on bacon or pepperoni. I like my hot sauces and spices, too.

For me personally, I stay away from processed foods that are meant to duplicate other foods. I also don’t make rice out of cauliflower or noodles from zucchini. I know there are folks who swear by them, but I don’t miss rice or pasta, so have no desire to duplicate it.

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Thanks to my friends for posting questions — I hope I’ve given a little bit of insight. Got questions? I may consider them for a future blog.