It's Over, Jack!

"It's over, Jack"! Those are the words I said out loud in my car as I drove past my neighborhood Jack in the Box restaurant today. Sounds kinda crazy, but I did it to emphasize my commitment to myself to break some of my bad eating habits. Getting a chocolate shake on Friday nights started last summer as a one-time treat that became a weekly habit. For some reason I decided that Jack makes THE best chocolate shakes around. I looked forward with great anticipation to the smooth, creamy, deliciously cool decadent delight.

While there is nothing wrong with having a treat once a week, it might have been OK if that's the only one I had. However, chocolate in many forms had become my go-to stress reliever, reward, punishment, escape. I kept it in my desk drawer at work. My boss wanted a candy dish on my counter and he bought good chocolate to put into it. If we ran out or I didn't like what was there, I walked (exercise!) to visit friends who had candy dishes on their desks. I have even used my lunch break to drive to a local store to buy some chocolate when I was particularly stressed.

When food becomes more than fuel for an extended time, it needs to be reigned in. I am the one who has the responsibility to put food back in its proper place. For the foreseeable future, I am eliminating those foods that are easy for me to overindulge in or those that trigger overindulgence. Life is about balance and I'm trying to figure out what things will or will not be a part of my program to encourage me to get closer to my goal of a balanced life.

One thing is for sure: SparkPeople and SparkFriends are an important part of my program.