I mentioned before I was in Food Rehab and taking my journey as a daily ride. I also mentioned a book I read, “The End of Overeating” that offered specific steps to overcome some common food barriers. I recreated the list for ease of use so I don’t have to carry the book around with me everywhere I go. I read this list daily in order to try and keep myself in check. Here is one I should have read more than once today: Practice thought stopping: deliberately and quickly change your thoughts when faced with an urge or craving to eat something. Don’t take time to debate.

Today I was challenged with a dessert offered in the café at my workplace. If I haven’t mentioned it before my Achilles’ heel is anything in the dessert genre. I packed a healthy low cal, but satisfying lunch and then stumbled as I was faced with the dessert- chocolate trifle to be exact. I started the internal debate, the devil/angel syndrome, and considered strongly going and purchasing the dessert. I had it all planned in my head that I didn’t care about the calories or how I might feel later. This is how the slippery slope begins. It didn’t matter to me that just last night I had decided to buckle down and intensify my workouts and stay focused on making good choices so I can break my weight plateau. That promise to myself quickly melted away in the presence of gooey, yummy, chocolate dessert- with whipped cream I might add. It is that easy for me to fall- to lose my grasp on my goals for a moment’s pleasure.

That being said, however, I don’t believe that I should go through the rest of my life without the pleasure of a sweet treat. I don’t think that sounds fun at all and I’m not willing to do it. So what we need here is called… say it with me… moderation. For those extremists like me out there, let me take a moment to define this. Dictionary.com states: “the quality of being moderate; restraint; avoidance of extremes or excesses. I must ponder this for a moment. “Avoidance of extremes or excesses” hits home for me. I am an all or nothing kind of girl. And I’ve met me… I know what I’ll do. I’ll deprive myself for weeks; maybe months, then BOOM… bring it. I will devour an entire cake in one sitting and be sick for days. Trust me on this- I’ve been on this particular ride before.

But the whole point of writing about this and exposing myself is accountability and change. I want to change… and get off this ride once and for all. So here’s what I did. I asked my friend if she wanted to share the dessert. She said yes (yay!) and I had three, moderate, bites. I savored each bite, chewing slowly, absorbing the flavors and textures, the chewy, moist cake; sweet but light cream topping. Mmmmm. And you know what? It was good. So good in fact that I strongly considered purchasing my own piece and going to town. Ah but wait. What’s that you say? Oh the little voice of reason chiming in… “You want moderation right? That was just enough cake…” And the little voice is absolutely right.

I can have my cake and be healthy too.