While most of us think we’re our own worst enemies when it comes to sticking to the plan, it’s easy to overlook the saboteurs. You know who I’m talking about. The spouse, the kids, the grandparents, the evil stepmother. It could be anyone, but they all share an important attribute: they bring their food into your house—and leave it.
Try this scenario on for size: You finally decide enough is enough and you’re going to attempt another diet. So you go to the bookstore, head back to the the Diet & Firearms section, and choose The Dr. Peterson Potassium Plan: Your No-Nonsense, Foolproof Solution To Losing Weight In Only Eighteen Bananas a Day. Excited, you head to the store and pick up bananas, avocados, brown rice, and apricots. You carefully plan out six yummy meals a day for the next eight weeks. If you stick to this you will lose twenty pounds a week, guaranteed.
Day Two. You’re down six pounds and you’re preparing a banana & tomato smoothie for lunch. The front door opens. “Honey, can you help me with these bags?” “Bags? What bags?” you inquire. Your significant other replies, “Grocery bags. I went shopping.” Oh no.
As you drag paper or plastic to the kitchen, you find bag after bag filled with the exact opposite of your current diet plan. “What are these?” you ask, pulling out six white boxes. “Little Debbie’s! They were on sale. Buy one get five free!” “And this…?” you ask incredulously. “Ice cream. Only four quarts for a dollar!” “And this…?” “I figured we were getting low on Doritos, so I bought some more.” I didn’t know Doritos even came in drums, you say to yourself in utter disbelief.
“I’m on a diet, you know,” you inform your grocery buddy. “Oh yeah, that’s right. But aren’t you always on a diet?” (It’s the helpful comments that keep us going.) “Yes I am, but maybe I wouldn’t be if my freezer just didn’t get filled with 150 Klondike Bars.”
Day Four. The last banana is gone and you’re watching E.R. while finishing up your fourth Klondike Bar.
My advice to you, this week, is to do everything you can to prevent this. If you live with at least one other human, you’ll never have complete control over what foods come into the house. But you do have some say in where they’re kept. I recommend two pantries: one for your food and the other for the wicked stuff. I recommend deadbolts and chains, too.
on October 16, 2008 at 4:28 am
Luckily, I am the only one that does the shopping in the house. I have the opposite problem. I get the complaints that there is not enough junk food in the house.
on October 16, 2008 at 7:50 am
Ha, ha! I am the main shopper in our house too. I guess what that really means is that I am the only one to blaim when the bad stuff sneaks in. 🙂
on October 16, 2008 at 10:49 am
These are my daughter’s downfall at our house: Little Debbie Oatmeal Cream Pies!
That damn Hostess Outlet! Everything is either .50 or $1!
on October 16, 2008 at 12:55 pm
Even living by myself does not help. The boyfriend loves to take me out for dinners. I’m a lucky girl with 30 excess pounds to prove my luck 🙂
on October 16, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Why is it always the junk food that’s on sale?
And co-workers, those are the worst saboteurs of all:
“Come eat Mexican food with us instead of eating your healthy sandwich.”
“Let’s have donuts in the morning and birthday cake in the afternoon!”