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January 8, 2007
The Slope, It Is So Slippery
What a Terrible Thing It Is, To Lose One's Ability to Rationalize
As I sit here with my creamy-rich coffee and sadly-tiny serving of Trader Joe’s chocolate chip cookies, here's the question that weighs heavily on me: Why is it so hard for me to get back to my before-kids weight?
I urge you to overlook the obvious answer (say what you will, but these cookies HONESTLY feel healthy – no trans fat and only 150 calories per serving size…but what were the Trader Joe’s folks smoking when they decided that only twelve of these little cookies equals a serving size – have they never eaten at Claim Jumper?) It must be more complex than simple “calories in” minus “energy expended.” I mean, why make things easy when they can be so much more difficult? I sudoku; therefore I am! Conspiracy theories aside, I have to blame (or credit) my highly-developed ability to rationalize.
Take a look at what went through my mind today while grocery shopping – I warn you, it ain’t pretty:
Me, to Self, on the way to the store: The best thing to do is just not bring crap into the house in the first place. That’s the only thing that would work, and I KNOW it would work. When I was growing up, we just didn’t have sweets or junk food in the house. It just wasn’t an issue. So no crap in the house….
At Sunflower Market, my first of two stops: Hmmm, pumpkin pie, Daisy’s very favorite, which she only gets when her Nana visits and makes it for her….When I was growing up, we had dessert occasionally. I remember puddings and Chips Ahoy, the occasional dish of ice cream….I’d like to tell Daisy I got this especially for her, let her know I was thinking about her, even though I wouldn't let her come with me…you know, make a deposit in that old emotional bank account that I’ll be able to draw on during the teenage years. Organic eggs, organic pumpkin – yes, I can do this and feel good about it. We shall have pumpkin pie tonight. And whipped cream, of course, we mustn’t be half-hearted about these things….Ah yes, in the next dairy case over from the whipped cream is the reason I came to Sunflower Market in the first place, for kefir. (Because Trader Joe’s is my main source of groceries, but, alas, one can seldom do all one’s shopping there.)
As I make my way to the checkout line, here is a sampling of the thirty items I pick up: grapes, apples, peppers, baby carrots, olives, sushi, tangelos (tangerines + mangos? I’ve never figured that one out), orzo, pineapple, focaccia bread, and a decent-sized bag of toffee-covered peanuts. (I’m finishing up a book this week; the toffee-covered peanuts, a particular favorite I will hide from the kids, will get me to my writing office that much sooner.) In all, per my receipt, I got thirty items, only two (well, three, counting the whipped cream) are less-than thoroughly calorically-responsible choices. That’s a 90-percent rate of healthful shopping, people!
Onward: Trader Joe’s was quick and painless. Edamame, mandarin orange chicken, three bags basmati rice. All my hormone-free dairy needs, plus blueberries, carrot juice, cherries…. and the container of the adorable little chocolate chip cookies that always beckon – how can anything so cute be harmful? AND, an entire 17-serving-size container STILL has fewer calories than one entrée at Claim Jumper, I’ll have you know, so I could eat the whole carton – which I WON’T, there are four people in the house, after all – and still come out ahead of one restaurant meal (never mind that I never go to Claim Jumper anyway…I have, three times, so it’s a fair comparison).
Driving home, this week’s conclusion: Not so bad. As long as we eat at home for every single meal this week (yeah, right, when’s the last time we’ve done that?), and as long as I fairly share everything but the toffee-covered peanuts (yeah, right, I’m alone in the house all day), and as long as I burn 500 calories on the treadmill six times this week (yeah, right, who’s got the time?) this 90 percent healthy-shopping-rate is something to be celebrated.
That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it. I’d love to hear your clever-minded rationalizations where food and eating and grocery shopping are concerned. I’ll just pour myself another creamy-rich cup of coffee and maybe have one more serving-size of these itty-bitty cookies, and enjoy reading your comments before moving on to my writing office and my toffee-covered peanuts….Love, Laura, guest chicklet who normally nests at www.laurafitzgerald.com.
Posted by Laura Fitzgerald at 12:55 AM | Comments (6)
Comments
Dieting so shopping boring. The internal conversation goes---mmmm cashew and basil dip, no can't have that, mmmm camembert, no can't have that,mmmm my favourite wine on special, no can't have---you get my drift?
However, whilst shopping on Sunday was horrified to see Easter bunnies and eggs on the shelves.
Posted by: wendy at January 8, 2007 2:07 AM
Over break I indulged my sweet tooth a little too much... So now my reasoning will be that I have to go work out. Yoga once a week is good right?? lol
My all time favorite excuse to eat sweets is PMS... I just have to have chocolate because hello?? Major hormones here! lol Plus you know its a good excuse when your guy goes and gets ben&jerry's for you... probably to give him brownie points for the week but whatever works:)
Plus Ben&Jerry's cant be that bad... I mean you can buy it at Wild Oats!lol;)
Posted by: Kimberly at January 8, 2007 12:58 PM
I'm just like Laura in the thought process of "if I don't bring it home, I won't eat it all." I'm really good about not bringing it home but... I look like I'm lost when I'm in the grocery store! Every time I pass by something I shouldn't bring home, I slow down and contemplate. LOL I have this little battle of wills conversation in my head and move on. Most of the time I'm good but ocassionally not so much.
My husband likes to sabotage me if I make good choices though. His excuse: "we should have at least something chocolate around here." He swares he only needs a SMALL sweet after a meal (thanks for that habit, honey.) Only, it's never small and if we don't have anything, he'll go out and get it. You'd think he was the PMSing woman!
Posted by: Amber at January 8, 2007 2:34 PM
Laura, Laura, Laura,
I feel your pain and recognize your shopping list. Why does chocolate have to have so many calories? It's totally not fair.
The LC Eileen
Posted by: The LC Eileen at January 8, 2007 3:18 PM
God, I miss Trader Joe's. I love the chocolate cat cookies.
Posted by: Beth at January 8, 2007 5:04 PM
Rationalization? Okay, you asked for it. I like to think of Trader Joe's as something of a health food store. (As compared to, say, 7-11) Ergo, if TJ's sells it, it must be good for me. If it's good for me, I should be able to eat as much of it as I want. So there.
Posted by: Janina at January 9, 2007 9:07 PM
