Setting myself up for success

As well as joining My Fitness Pal for really getting a good grasp on my caloric intake and what all I'm putting into my body I've been making other positive changes in my life in regards to foods over the past months.

There was a passage in the weight loss bible (Dr. Phil's The Ultimate Weight Loss Solutions) that told a little story about setting yourself up for success and that may include making some really tough decisions in regards to the people you're with and the surroundings you're in on a regular basis. One story he told was of a man who took a different route to work in order to avoid driving past McDonalds and tempting himself. Another story was about a kid who quit working at a video store where candy and sweets tempted him and found a new job at a gym. Reading that passage and really taking it to heart meant I needed to make some changes in my life as well if I really do want to succeed at weight loss.

I took a look at one of my biggest, most fun, favorite hobbies that I have and that I share with a very close friend of mine and decided it was unhealthy for me. So for a time, I've stopped baking treats. No more cakes, cupcakes, cookies coming from my kitchen every other weekend. I will still bake on special occasions or at the request of my daughter, because she's fallen in love with the hobby as well (or maybe it's just the one on one time with Mommy) but to bake just because it's cold and I feel like doing something... that habit I have stopped. Even if the intention was to bake and bring the goods to work, you know one or two or five of those sweets would always creep past my lips and onto my hips.

I've deleted the many facebook pages I had "liked" that were bakers, cake shops, decoration shops and food related. I am mesmerized by the "art" that is cake and shows like "Cake Boss" and "The Ace of Cakes" but it's all too tempting to watch those things and not crave sweets! Sweets, especially cakes and pies, are a total trigger for me. I've stopped torturing myself by sitting on the couch and flipping these shows on. Who couldn't think of cakes when every other post on facebook is showing you a delicious treat? Nobody, that's who. It doesn't make me weak, it makes me human.

The hardest part was telling my good friend that I was no longer going to partake in our cake adventures. She's a baker, semi-professionally, 100% talented and we used to look for classes we could do together. From baking to decoration to just shopping around, caking was something that originally brought us together. She helped me raise money for a charity by doing a bake sale with me. We even practiced piping one weekend when she came over to hang out just for fun. The only negative part about all of those fun time were they surrounded me with triggers and temptation. I'm a human after all and I'm not about to try to prove otherwise. Naturally she was understanding and even supportive of my decision, which just shows what a true friend she is. We still talk and hang out loads but we just have other things to talk about now.

It's pretty amazing how simply cutting out a few visual triggers can make such a big difference in your mental health surrounding foods but, at least for me, it's worked wonders.

I hope you're having healthy, successful weeks!