Are you a ripper?

When you have a bandage that needs removing, are you a 'rip it off fast' kind of person? Or, are you like me, the 'work it off slowly and gently' type?

I was reading a most excellent blog this morning. I didn't enjoy reading it as it was telling me things I didn't really want to hear. Ya, ya, call me an ostrich, I don't really care!

Susan was blogging about food addiction and a way to overcome it. A way that I didn't like, and I certainly didn't want to hear. She has cut out all the foods that trigger her into over eating from her diet. Wow...talk about radical eh? She's given up moderation as that didn't work for her. Ultimately we all have to find what works for us and what doesn't. Trial and error.

Will I do that? Probably not. Would I like to? You bet. Wouldn't it be awesome to sail through a day and not fight with yourself about what you will or will not eat? I mean really, how cool it would be to crave say, oh I don't know, MAC AND CHEESE MAYBE??? Then just tell yourself, oh my, I can't crave that as I don't eat cheese anymore. Silly me. Then, magically have the craving go away! Yes, give me the pen and I'll be signing on the dotted line for sure!

I was overwhelmed reading Susan's blog. Thinking I'm so glad it worked for her but it's just too much for me. I can't possibly do that, I don't even want to. I'm too old to change. Then I realized I have changed a little.

I've cut out white pasta and white rice from my diet. Rip.

I've cut out all hydrogenated oils. Yes, that's right, no cool whip for this Pixie. No Coffee Mate either and believe me that was difficult to give up. I don't miss it at all. Not one little bit, not even a smidge. I use powdered milk in my coffee now. I get half a milk serving, I'm not poisoning my body with trans fats, and I feel good about it. Rip.

So, maybe I'm just a little slower than most. Maybe I can cut out the bad stuff from my diet and not go back to it. Maybe I just approach dieting like I do taking a bandage off. I don't rip that sucker off, I peel it ever so slowly and gently.

Maybe I need to focus on one thing. One thing that gives me problems and makes me crazy. Get rid of that one thing until I don't miss it anymore at all, and then move on to something else. Rip.

That one thing doesn't have to be a food item either. It could be a bad habit. Anything we do to improve our lives has to be good right? Even if it doesn't have to do with our diet, it could still affect our diet outcome. Just knowing that you can do something, conquer something, could make it easier to tackle the next problem.

I've been feeling overwhelmed lately as you all know. I read Susan's blog and half way through I felt like a real failure. Then I kept reading. I realized that I am doing something and something is better than nothing. Go me! I need to find the positive in every situation. I don't like negative.

I'm going to sit down today and make some goals for my life. The sun is shining and I'm happy.

Maybe, just maybe, a little more of that bandage will give today.

:-)