[Michelle98272]

This morning I had to be up early to get to the office. I packed a healthy breakfast and lunch to take to work. I stopped to get gas and a coffee. I had forgotten that this particular gas station had a potential to be a stumbling block to my healthy eating. The darn gas station has a deal with a pastry company and have a HUGE display case of amazing looking goodies, super cheap and super fresh. I was tired from getting up early and a little stressed about an upcoming deadline. Out of no where the lure of the pastry was strong.

I was walking down the aisle to the coffee station and straight in front of me is the pastry case, larger than life, huge shiny glass case with bright red and yellow lettering. All of a sudden I had this overwhelming urge to have "just one" of their dinner plate sized glazed cinnamon roll-ish doughnut. At 5:30 am one morning, I met the pastry delivery man, so I knew at 6:05 am these bad boys were still warm! Better than a cinnamon roll because it's fried and made with doughnut dough, better than a plain glazed doughnut because it has cinnamon.....AGH! I wrestled with myself down the length of the aisle. My mantra became "Don't-look-don't-look-don't-look" in time with my steps. I knew it was like the ending of that Indiana Jones movie when the bad guy look and gets his face melted off. If I looked directly at the cinnamony doughnut pastry, I'd be rendered helpless and have to have one.

I averted my eyes from their naughty loveliness and poured my coffee, jazzed it up with the ff creamer and a Splenda. I paid for my coffee and the gas and escaped with my healthy eating plan intact!! As I left the store I reminded myself how wonderful my spinach and egg white omelet was going to taste next to my nutty crunchy whole wheat toast! (My new healthy fav!)

Beware of the Pastry Porn your gas station has on show every morning!! I know next time, I'm brewing the coffee at home and paying at the pump. I'll leave the temptation to others far stronger than me!!

[lookin2lose]

That's great Michelle!!! If you can do it ONE morning, you know you can do it EVERY morning! It's hard to go back into territory which was so familiar to an unhealthy past and try you hardest to kick a bad habit. But YOU DID IT! Congrats to you this morning and EVERY morning you "Don't Look"!!!!

[rockinrobin]

Originally Posted by Michelle98272

Beware of the Pastry Porn your gas station has on show every morning!! I know next time, I'm brewing the coffee at home and paying at the pump. I'll leave the temptation to others far stronger than me!!

I don't know Michelle, you seem pretty darn strong and DETERMINED to me.

You were faced with temptation and handled it like a pro. Or should I say, like a mature, responsible person who doesn't only look to her immediate gratification, but is more interested in her long term satisfaction. Who knows there are consequences to her actions. Atta girl.

Oh and your breakfast sure does sound yummy. It's yummy AND it's good for you - a win/win situation. No more settling for stuff that simply tastes good - nope, it's got to taste good and be good for you, long after you're done chewing.

[KimL1214]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! That is a really awesome feat!

[Glory87]

Take a thermos of coffee, pay at the pump

[Jane]

Originally Posted by Michelle98272

..... I know next time, I'm brewing the coffee at home and paying at the pump.....

Planning ahead is what it's all about! Kudos to you!

[ubercast]

Good job. I wish we all were that strong!

Someday you may even be able to look that pastry in the face and I don't need you!

[gottadoit2010]

LOVE your version of this. You had me hooked into reading. Great job too. I know it was tough, but you did it! Congrats on that victory!

[Mahalia]

Also, I bet you felt a lot better after eating your healthy breakfast than you would have with a cinnamon pastry in your gut. I always feel sort of nauseous after eating pastries for breakfast.

Good job!

[Shannon in ATL]

Fantastic job! You definitely seem strong to me, you rock!

My Keurig saved my life early in the diet process - I can brew a single cup of coffee so I can buy all the fancy flavored coffees I want without making DH drink an entire pot of chocolate raspberry truffle, and it kept me out of Starbucks and away from the pastry case. Still does, actually.

[ANewCreation]

Major NSV! Good job!!!

[renstwin]

Congratulations! Great Story!

[saef]

Pastry Porn. Yep, that's about right.

Reminds me of what I've seen in diners. They have their desserts in a glass case, like holy relicts or museum displays. I always tell myself they look better than they taste. Same with dessert trays that waiters wheel across the room.

If you don't see it, and you don't give your imagination anything to work on, you're better off. Three-quarters of appetite is our imaginations at work. Almost like a hallucination.

[rockinrobin]

Originally Posted by saef

If you don't see it, and you don't give your imagination anything to work on, you're better off. Three-quarters of appetite is our imaginations at work. Almost like a hallucination.

^^^^ Yes!! Yes and more yes ^^^^

Out of sight, out of mind.

So many of people's cravings, stems from *viewing* the food items. "Funny how I didn't *crave* it/want it till after I SAW it." Ummm, yeah. A true craving is something that builds up, you've been longing for, - like as in a *long* time. Not simply because it was just thrown into your face and you must have that immediate gratification.

[caryesings]

my cravings would get triggered by a food description in a fiction book I'd be reading, but not instantly so it took me a while to figure out where some of these specific cravings would come up "out of the blue".