A Mommy Story

So the Halloween candy is nearly gone from our house, and I can only say THANK *burp* GOODNESS! My weakness for the sweet stuff got the better of me and I binged on candy for two weeks straight.

Last night Aaron and I were watching TV and he commented on our different preferences for snacks. “You always go for things like ice cream bars at night. But I prefer baked goods, like cookies and snack cakes,” he explained.

I laughed – as I ate my ice cream bar – and he added, “But you’re the one who usually does the grocery shopping, so you control what’s in the house.”

I thought about that for a moment. Yes, I do have more control over what’s in our house because I do the grocery shopping. If Aaron doesn’t specifically request something, I won’t buy it.

However, I do like cookies and snack cakes and baked goods. Probably more than ice cream. But I know that if I keep those foods in our pantry, I’ll eat them. And eat more. And then eat some more and probably lick up the crumbs.

So it’s better for me to keep those high-temptation foods as far away from me as possible. Which often means out of the house. Ice cream treats are often single serve, and I keep them out in the chest freezer in the garage. It takes more effort for me to go get one (especially when the garage is cold in the winter) so I’m less likely to go back for a second.

Keeping the right balance of resisting the temptation to binge versus allowing myself some “bad” foods to keep from feeling deprived is often a difficult line to walk.