True Confessions...

I was too embarrassed to let you all know what I did last Wednesday, but it's been bothering me so I must 'fess up.

I bought cookies last Wednesday at the store. There it is out in the open. I've been thinking about them for so long and I do love cookies. I'd prefer homemade but I have found out with experience that homemade cookies have a real hold on my willpower. So I decided to try store bought. And before you ask, I did get my favs in the cookie category. The first and second nights I dove in...but...I did stop myself at 4. I just kept telling myself they would still be there tomorrow and that worked. Since then I've "allowed" myself two per day, again telling myself they'd still be there tomorrow. And I have had a day or two without cookies at all. I've put them out of sight so they are not reminding me they are there but in the back of my mind I know I can have one if I want. It's working! And I'm counting them in my daily calorie intake, and enjoying a little treat.

I did this same thing with potato chips and now I don't buy chips often at all. As a matter of fact I haven't bought them in well over a month.

I used the 100 calories snacks in the beginning of this journey and got to the point that I was having several packs a day and decided that wasn't a good way to lose weight much less healthy for me. I broke myself from them by having a piece or two of cinnamon toast as a sweet. Using Splenda instead of sugar and light butter on the toast. It really worked well and the whole wheat bread was so much better for me than the processed stuff. Now I do buy a box of 90 calorie Quaker Oat granola bars about once a month but they don't have the hold on me that they did in the beginning. Maybe it's the fact that I do keep them in the house and know I can have one once in a while if I want but they have lost their hold over me.

Now I'm trying the same thing with the cookies to see if I can get them to release that hold.

We all have to experiment on this journey and find out what works for each of us. I've found that if I am too strict on myself and cut out ALL "treats," I won't stick with this at all.

I also got some strawberries and made my Strawberry Pie last night. Haven't had any yet but am looking forward to a piece tonight after supper. If you're on WW, the pie is only one point per piece!!

In the past I've always said that I wasn't addicted to sweets but I'm beginning to reevaluate myself. I must be addicted to sweets or I wouldn't be wanting them so often.

I still miss my salty snacks but I have found substitutes for them. Mostly I use roasted, lightly salted almonds. When I'm having a craving for salt I grab a very small hand full (about 10) of almonds and eat them slowly one at a time. That does it for me and I'm getting such wonderful nutrients from them. When I started this I did it about 3-4 times a day but now it is down to 1-2 times a day. I can't find almonds locally so when I go to Wal-Mart I do have to stock up. Thank goodness they are sealed and have a good shelf life.

Next I'll have to find a substitute for the cookies. I haven't made my bran muffins in a long while and maybe that will work. After the cookies are gone I will give it a try.