Crunch In - Jill

Most of the day went well yesterday, although I did slip a little bit toward the end of the day. That's such a hard time for me! This morning I was back at it though, with thirty minutes of exercise on my cross-country glider. I also had a grilled chicken breast for breakfast, and I even took my multi-vitamins.

Yesterday afternoon one of our clients sent a big box of delicious baked goods as a Christmas present. I know they're delicious because I remember them from last year. I was so tempted, but I did resist!

One of the things that helped me resist was that I started reading the nutrition information. There was a very small brownie that I wanted and normally I would have said "it's so small it can't hurt much". It has as many calories as some of the really big cookies! If I'm going to waste calories I want it to last longer than a bite!

Reading nutrition information helped me in another way, too. By the time I finished reading, the urge to eat something had diminshed. I would have liked to eat, but I was able to step away by putting off the decision for just a few minutes.

That same box of goodies was in the kitchen at work this morning. Again I was tempted. This time I didn't tell myself "no". I told myself "maybe later". It kept me from grabbing something and devouring it only to regret it two minutes later. I have the promise of "maybe" for this afternoon. Then I'll probably read the nutrition information or eat the grapefruit I brought for a snack.

So that's my tip for the day: read the nutrition information. It can help you make better choices, even when you're splurging. And hold off for just a few minutes when an urge strikes you. Those few minutes can help you gain perspective.