Daily Maintenance Weigh In - Wednesday, December 25

Merry Christmas Everyone!

182.4 this fine morning - down .4 from yesterday.

Instead of eating today, we're going to Madera Canyon, south of Tucson, where Nancy will do some bird watching and i will do a 26 mile ride - 13 of which will be climbing up the canyon road.  Far more memorable than one more Christmas meal, over-stuffed and laying abou****ching football.

I hope you have a magical Christmas Day, wherever you are!

Tom

145.4 - I ate cookies last night. They were homemade and they were NOT worth it. 

2 more days of making it through the eating-fests and I'm good. 

Tom, you've got me thinking about next year and something different for Christmas. I'll have to warn my hubby that we might not be here next year. :-)

Social cues are SO important in eating (and in any kind of addiction). I minored in Psy*****ollege and one class we discussed research around drug addiction - if they moved addicts to a new city, new friends, new environment, they did  well.  If they went back home, hung out with the same people, went to the same places, their relapse rate was very high.

I read some research this morning on cues for food consumption. Turns out that research is similar - we eat based on what those around us are eating... if it's holiday time and parties are happening and everyone is eating with abandon - what chance do we have?  Combine this with readings and research on "willpower"  - it's consistently shown that willpower has a limit.  Too much exposure to temptation and we WILL fail, the cues will overwhelm our limited supply of willpower sooner or later.  

That's why I'm in Tucson. I can see my family whenever I want, so I don't feel i *must* see them in a situation where I'm going to be exposed and weak at the same time. Not a smart strategy :)

I felt it last week at the office when the goodie baskets from vendors started arriving and were set out for all to enjoy.  I had to walk past a row of things many times a day.  By the end of the day I was grabbing a chocolate on my way past.  I exceeded my limit on willpower.  Next year those treats are going to the employee kitchen where I rarely go... :)