169.8 Baking Cookies But Not Eating them

I baked cookies yesterday and today. I baked them for Jennifer as part of her 75 birthday present. (She loves cookies.) I hadn't baked much of anything over the past four to five years. I used to make cookies frequently when I had a houseful of kids, but with my weight issue and not being able to stand for very long because of my back, baking was one of those things I quit doing. So I got this idea to bake three kinds of cookies and giving Jennifer exactly 75. I didn't even know if I had decent cookie sheets or cooling racks or where they were. But I found everything, headed off to the store, and started baking yesterday evening. I made Chocolate Chip Zucchini Cookies, Peanut Butter Oatmeal Lace Cookies with chocolate filling, and Russian Tea Cakes.

And, here's the thing! I ate a half of a zucchini cookie and that was that. I didn't want any more. I didn't want to "lick" the bowl, I didn't want to eat the left over melted chocolate, and I didn't even want to taste any of the batter. What I really didn't want to do was to set up that sugar craving which I have learned can be easily triggered if I eat just a small amount of something sweet. My body likes being at this weight and my spirit likes it too. All of those hypnotic suggestions about being healthy, being happy, being slender have really settled into my consciousness and don't want to be messed with!

Thanks, Jennifer, and Happy Birthday! Hope you enjoy the cookies!

191.4 Reactions and Strategies

A funny thing happened this morning. As Linda and I started our walk we both agreed it was way too cold and windy to go very far, so we walked to the golf course and ordered breakfast at the cantina there. I always order two scrambled eggs and one pancake, knowing I will eat only half of each item. Without thinking I poured regular syrup on my pancake. You would have thought that I poured gasoline on it. I was horrified and immediately scraped off the syrup and lifted the startled pancake up off of my plate. The waitress, noticing my distress, brought me a new plate and the sugar free variety of syrup. What's important here is my reaction. In the old days I would have blown off the error and gone ahead and eaten the pancake with full strength syrup. I liked my reaction! It proves that my mind has changed and I don't want that sugar in my body. Now some might think that sugar free syrup isn't exactly a great thing to be eating, but it works for me. It's a way for eating something I love without stirring up old cravings and associated problems. And, in the end I did only eat half.

Last night we went to a great steakhouse and I ordered halibut. It was so delicious. And, I ordered two veges, again knowing I would only eat half. For me, it's like buying insurance when we eat out. I don't want to overeat the higher calories things that often come with the entree because I might not be satisfied, so I cover my bases and have plenty of good veges available. Tonight I don't have to cook anything. I brought home half my fish, and have wonderful mushrooms and broccoli ready to be reheated. It's all about the strategies!