Little Rewards

As some of you know I've been on a diet since the start of the year, I hate to use the word "diet" since I've come to the conclusion that If I will ever be slim and stay slim I will have to watch what I eat for the rest of my life. That's just the way it is. I am doing quiet well, my goal is 100 lbs. for the year. 33 lbs. by Easter, 50 lbs. by my birthday June 19th and 80 lbs. by Halloween. So 2-3 pounds per week is very doable. This first month I have really been trying to get my food under control, next month I will start my workouts more intensively. I 'm eating 1,600-1,800 calories a day as I lose weight I will either have to lower this number or increase activity but at this point it's working. I'll be honest in the 1st month I have only gone out to eat once, Matthew had a "Book It" coupon from school so I took him to Pizza Hut and got a medium thin and crispy pizza for myself, I ate 2 small slices and brought the rest home...I really wanted to eat more, was I hungry...not really I just wasn't full. I have eaten at Subway a few times getting the kids meal with baked chips, is the best option I have found and it leaves me again, not "hungry" but not really "full" either. I went out to Breakfast at McDonald's once and had an egg McMuffin (300 calories with a lot of protein). One of my acquaintances posted this on Facebook and I thought it was so good.

Because that's exactly what I do. Every week when I go grocery shopping I stop by the bakery and get a special reward to eat on the way home, sometimes it's an eclair and or a red velvet cupcake. Why am I rewarding myself with food for? Maybe it goes back to childhood when you got a lollipop for being "good" who knows, "Well you have been such a good girl this week, folded 15 loads of laundry, stayed up with a fussy baby you deserve to have this 600 calorie eclair". I am also trying not to reward my children with food I don't say they can't have a cookie, but no more "if you're good you can have a cookie", what nonsense is that! So I have been replacing my food "reward" with something else earrings, new nail polish or a small plant each week. Is it easy? No, last night I was so hungry for a sweet I thought about getting dressed at around 10 pm and driving into town (5 miles each way). Something I learned in Bible College is whenever you take away a bad habit to replace it with a good one. I have been weighing myself on Wednesdays, So I will update you on the end of my 4 week progress then.