Just Say No To Red Light Foods

Nancy Reagan, I need you now! I need you to stand behind me, poke my shoulder when I want to eat those cookies and say "Just say no!"

There are so many reasons I need to just say NO to certain foods. It's not just a matter of looking better or feeling better about myself. Now I have a number of health issues I didn't have 20 years ago:

sleep apnea
fallen arches/torn ligament
high blood pressure
knots in my shoulders from heavy breasts
and now ... a fractured vertebra probably caused by those spasms in my shoulders

I used to go to Weight Watcher meetings and had success, particularly with this one group on Long Island. The leader was absolutely fantastic -- to have a successful meeting you've got to have a terrific leader. Anyway, our leader talked to us one day about our "red light" foods. These are the foods we are hopelessly addicted to; the ones that make us lose total control and just about totally debase ourselves.

I got the concept right away. A red light food is to me what a drink would be to a recovering alcoholic. Have a taste of the red light food and I'm lost in a binge. A prime example: Cadbury eggs. I hate them because I love them so much. The way it usually goes down is like this: I see them in their adorable Easter displays and I think, oh, they're so good, just one won't hurt. I buy one. Ahhhh, it is soooo good!

The next day, I go back to the store and hey, that egg was so good and it's so little I'll just have one more today. And one more tomorrow. And the next day. They're still around on the weekend, hmmm...why not have a treat and get a couple? Oh look ... here are the boxes of 4. One of those will last the weekend ... maybe. Maybe I should get a couple of boxes. Oh look at these quaint little egg boxes filled with these Cadbury eggs. Easter is coming, I deserve a treat, don't I?

Red light foods.

Is it fair that I should have to go through life without tasting another Cadbury egg?

Well ... should an ex-smoker have "just one" cigarette, just this once? Or should the recovering alcoholic have just that one drink? NO.

So far this year, I have refused to go near any Easter candy displays. Easter is at the end of this month. After Easter, the Cadbury eggs will go away for another year.

One day at a time ... one day at a time ...

I got this in my email from Mountain Wings

Stop It=======
There was a comedy sketch I saw on television some time ago.It involved a psychiatrist and patient.
The patient talked about all of his problems, how he was afraid of heights and worried about losing his job and on and on.
The psychiatrist just took notes, nodded his head and listened for the entire session. After the patient finished saying all that he was battling against, the psychiatrist spoke.
He began to explain that his methodology is a little untraditional in the field, but he has had great success with his method and has written books that are well respected. Even though he was charging $150 an hour, he said his formula and analysis really just consisted of two words, just
"Stop It."
The patient went on to explain, "But I am fearful of heights." The psychiatrist responded, "That's why I'm telling you to just stop it." Each thing the patient mentioned the psychiatrist had that one simple solution.
"Stop It."
I know that was just a parody and many of the problems of life are a lot more complicated than that, but many things in life are that simple.
Simple is not the same as easy.
It is just a matter of making up the mind and determining the will strong enough to just stop it.
With some bad habits you can read all the books in the world and get all sorts of counsel, but when it comes down to the end result, you are going to have to just stop it.
If you want to lose weight, sooner or later after all of the diet plans have worn off, some fattening foods you just have to stop eating.
If you want to make better use of your time, there are some time wasters you just have to stop doing.
If you want to save more money, there are some material items you just have to stop buying.
The opposite is also true when procrastinating from establishing good habits. Like Nike's motto you must "Just Do It."
I won't even charge you $150 per hour for this counsel.
~A MountainWings Original~