Friend of Julie: Choose

I had a conversation with a key friend yesterday that a few of you may relate to. She gave me permission to share this story, but I changed her name in this story to Nikki.

Nikki:

I just ate three spoonful's of ranch dressing. You know, the creamy homemade hidden valley kind. I ate some with my dinner and then I ate three more spoonfuls after dinner. I ate the dressing like a special treat, as if it was ice cream.

This is something that I've never done before! Since I began this program two and a half years ago, I have never eaten anything I shouldn't have. I know ranch dressing is a condiment and that I shouldn't be eating it by the spoonful.

Some people crave sugar, but I crave saltiness. I've always been more of a tortilla/Doritos chip and dip snacker kind of girl with no sweet tooth. I miss tortilla chips. I don't miss cake or cookies or bread or pasta. I miss salty foods.

I'm not really sure what I'm trying to ask you, but I could use some guidance.

My Response:

The way you interact with ranch dressing is similar to how I am with yogurt. I have trouble with yogurt and no matter how much I promise myself (and everyone else) I'm not going to eat it, I still do. I have long periods of time when I'm able to push yogurt cravings away, but then I cave in again.

I convince myself yogurt isn't going to make me obese again. This is a gray area. This is making up my own program and not following the program as I learned it. This can lead to a plateau.

I've been on this weight loss journey for more than four years and I'm SO ready to be at my goal size. Every time I choose yogurt in an inappropriate way (too much) I'm pushing myself further away from reaching my goal.

I must decide a) goal size, or b) yogurt.

You have a choice to make too: a) goal size, or b) ranch dressing.

Each time we choose A over B, we teach our bodies not to trust us and our goal size pushes out further from us.

We must choose A so we can reach our goal. Otherwise, this program this will be like a diet that we never get off.

We aren't meant to stay in the river for the rest of our lives. We're supposed to do this program once and be done. We return to the river as we cycle through maintenance and after that a few times a year to drop back to our goal size.

You've inspired me Nikki!

I choose option A.

What about you? Will you choose A too?