So I just got back from my local supermarket....and that was hard! Last week only we were bombarded with all the Halloween goodies. Halloween cakes, cookies, chips, chocolates to name a few. Now not even a week after Halloween and all the Christmas goodies are out....gingerbread cookies, fruit cakes, chocolate cookies in beautiful tin boxes, Candy cane ice cream, egg nog etc. It's going to be another tough season. I am now finally realizing that this will be a lifetime fight I'm going to have. There is always a "season" for delicious treats.
I know I don't fall into this forum, but I just had to say I totally agree with you! I'm a sucker for egg nog (at least they make soy egg nog, that helps a little!)
Have you tried to do the trick where you only shop on the perimeter of the supermarket? That's usually where the dairy, veggie, fruits, deli, good for you sections are, all the processed junk is usually in the center.
But I suppose you can still find egg nog in the dairy section.
Christmas is the hardest time for me at the store... I love all things gingerbread, mint, cinnamon, etc... and I'm the type who could eat nothing but sweets all day and not feel like I'm missing anything.
I stock up on the stuff that's not too bad... mini candy canes, gingerbread flavored tea, fat free egg nog... cook with lots of fall/winter ingredients (cranberries, pumpkins, squash, apples, etc)... and I try not to even look at the ribbon candy and Christmas nougats and gingerbread cookies.
There's going to be a quart of eggnog consumed. That's a given. This year, though, I'm going to drink it with 110% understanding of what it means - the calorie load and the accountability. I'll be passing up other choices in favor of it. And I will journal every last freakin' bite of it.
Shopping used to be difficult for me but I'm proud to say I'm in the habit of shopping well now. I go into the store when I'm in a good mood and feeling positive about my goals and myself. I make sure to get healthy options-organic, no high fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated oils- but I also stay realistic. I know that I'm going to have weak spots later on in the week so I try to get some sort of "treat" for myself that's healthier than other alternatives I might find. For instance, I'll buy a small thing of fat free candy or high quality dark chocolate or something like that so when I do get cravings I'll have that instead of heading to the vending machines and gorging on cheezits.
Just remember--that stuff will always be there in the store. Maybe not year 'round, but every year will bring the same candies, cookies, cakes, etc. So we mustn't feel like we HAVE to buy them and eat them this year; because they will be there next Christmas and the Christmas after that.
Someone in another forum made a good point--that holidays are holiDAYS, not holiWEEKS. One day of cookies and treats isn't necessarily a bad thing, but if we treat the month between Thanksgiving and Christmas as a license to binge on junk, we might be sorry! So I plan to have a guilt-free Thanksgiving and to enjoy my Christmas Eve party, but other than that, it's going to be as close to business as usual as I can make it. That's the plan!
I am so thankful that I don't have a sweet tooth!!! I can pass up the candy and cookies without a second glance...it's fried chicken and the McDonald's drive thrus that are my downfall...and they're around all year long!!!
One bonus of living in Turkey (Muslim country): No Christmas, No Thanksgiving, No Halloween. I'm save from all those sweet little treats that i used to eat until i was sick! This will be the second holiday season i will have missed.
Cons of living in Turkey: very little diet food. Supermarkets are generally smaller, and have less of a selection. Its good because there isn't nearly as much unhealthy stuff as there is in the states, but there aren't very many low calorie options. The few light options they have i make sure to stock up on!
Trip to the supermarket
