100 Days Challenge - Day 28 - Eating Because It's There

"Success seems to be largely a matter
of hanging on after others have let go."
- William Feather

I chose the above quotes for a number of reasons.  One reason is I'm just now returning to my blog - with a reticent attitude of "I'll do it anyway!" - in other words, I'm sorely lacking in motivation.  Another reason is my weight loss has been at a standstill for the past week or so.  I often experience weight loss regularly for a while, and then hit a "plateau" -which sometimes results in another kind of loss - that of keeping focused.  The quotes above serve to remind me that I still need to keep on keeping on my journey no matter what the scale says, or how motivated I feel.  One thing that helps me do just that is this blog. It forces me to be not only aware but also honest about what I'm doing - or not doing, and what I may need to do to "shake things up a bit".   

I've been out of town for a few days, and while I stayed within my boundaries the first day of our trip,  I can definitely say that I "slipped" considerably the second day, partly because we were at a Bed and Breakfast, and the morning fare included a calorie-laden "gourmet French toast" along with home-made sausage - I have no idea how many calories it was but it "felt heavy" and was not the kind of breakfast I would normally eat.  I did "throw away" part of the food as I left about 1/4 of the French toast and ate only one of the two sausages.  For lunch, we ate at a Mexican restaurant in Austin (my daughter's choice).  I shared a "fajitas for two" with my husband - chicken for me, and beef for him - with flour tortillas, guacomole, sour cream....  I also had a glass of Sangria.  I did skip the rice and beans, however!    On the third day, which was our return trip home,  I did much better -  a crustless quiche for breakfast with one slice of bacon and 1/2 a sausage, along with a biscuit and fresh fruit.  Still a large meal - but I tempered it by having only a salad for lunch and a fat-free scrambled eggs with veggies for dinner.      

I've been lazy today - haven't yet returned to exercise and almost didn't blog this evening.  I have to thank a DWLZ buddy,   Flo  for her blog today - her blog theme was "Never Give Up".  I also received an e-mail newsletter from the author of the 100 Days Weight Loss Challenge - Linda Spangle, and, coincidentally,  the theme of the letter  was "It's too soon to quit"!   Guess I finally got the message, as you can see, as  I'm ba-a-ack!!!  : )     


The topic for Day 28 is "Eating Because It's There".   There are many of us who eat food simply because "it's there" - whether it be at the office, or at home, or at someone else's home.  If it's "there", we reach out and grab it - a handful of this, or a piece of that....At home, we can get rid of tempting foods, but out in the public, we have to rely on our "willpower".   What Linda reminds us is this is nothing but "autopilot eating", not "eating for satisfaction".  I did this same exact thing at the Bed and Breakfast.  There were home-made chocolate chip cookies on a glass covered plate in our bedroom.  Instead of passing it up, I ate one, feeling satisfied that I had eaten "only one".   However, the very next morning,  I ate the other one - beginning my "downward spiral" for much of the day.   In order to combat the mind frame of "eating just because it's there" - which basically is "mindless eating" - Linda tell us to literally memorize the following statement (and repeat as often as needed!):

"I don't eat food because it's there!"

She also suggests writing this on sticky notes and putting them in places where reminders are needed - the kitchen counter, the office, etc.   

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What did I do today to demonstrate my commitment to this challenge?

I returned to my blog.

I also kept within my boundaries on my food plan.

Spring Challenge:  
This weekend, I took delight in viewing the many fields of Texas wildflowers, such as the Texas Bluebonnets, the Indian Paintbrush, and other wildflowers known in Central and West Texas.