a peek inside the fishbowl

I’m not a diet. I can’t be, because we made Rocky Road squares yesterday and I ate two.

I will say that diets are doomed to fail if they focus too much on food deprivation and forced sweatiness. Most people cannot sustain hard workouts and carrot sticks over the long term. The longer we cut out our favourite foods the more we will crave them.

I’ve been trying to change the way I think about treats and come up with a few healthier ones for to enjoy during Operation Trim. Early this week I made a batch of my favourite soup and every lunch hour I’ve been taking time away from the computer (a big deal for me) and sitting down with a bowl of soup and a book. And it’s been great.

Since I knew I was going to be the only person eating it I made this batch super spicy with loads of extra ginger and some cayenne (which I normally omit). I find that the boost I get through eating spicy foods makes me eat less of it.

When I nuke up my bowl of soup I leave it in a bit longer and make it extra hot. I also eat it with a smaller spoon. It takes longer to eat that way and I enjoy it much more. When I’m done I follow it up with a sweet piece of fruit.

Here’s an idea might do the trick for some people who likes sweet treats. This is a frozen yogurt-covered strawberry sprinkled with a tiny bit of cookie crumbs:

You want to know something interesting? It’s only been a few days of Operation Trim but I’m already feeling better. Not lighter necessarily (I haven’t weighed myself again), but I’m not fighting that afternoon slump anymore. Is it possible that change can happen that quickly? Hmm.