Pass the Salt (and Fat and Carbs), Please

Why is it that the best of intentions can go to hell in a heartbeat?

Last night, Stephen (my husband) and I went to our friend, Flip's, house for a rousing match of Scrabble. Lots of trash talking, swear words, and laughter were had. If that had been all there was to it, it would have been a perfect night.

BUT NO.

See, we showed up at Flip's house without food and without a plan. This was the first mistake. The following round of (food) mistakes thereafter included two Mike's Hard Limes, one glass of red wine, one piece of garlic cheese toast, a small bowl of rice, quinoa (which I LOVE!) and some kind of Asian stew brought by Patti, who dominated the Scrabble board all night, topped off by a piece of Domino's pizza, full of meat. UGH.

I should have brought a gun, it would have been faster.

There's a new theory of spending out there called "Emotional Economics," which basically says that despite our best intentions, a full 70% of all spending is based on emotions rather than rational decision-making. I'm finding that the economics of eating is much the same.

Studies have also shown that when we go through the drive-through at McDonald's, in spite of the fact that they offer salad, grilled chicken and apple slices, the majority of the time, we will choose one of the fat-, carb- and salt-laden options, such as a Big Mac, fries, and a Sprite (for me, it's usually a fillet of fish, extra tartar sauce, fries that have to be piping hot, and a Diet Coke).

I tend to live life by the seat of my pants, and I even take pride in the fact that I seem to be the ONLY spontaneous person in my county. So I hate to say it, but here it goes: when it comes to healthy eating, you've got to plan. Without a plan, all of your best intentions will go out the window when you're faced with a piece of chocolate cake, a yummy Margarita, or a bowl of hot and salty tortilla chips. It seems we're hard-wired that way.

About a year ago, I visited a nutritionist, who basically told me that we are hard wired to eat what we see. This is why it's so important to keep your pantry full of clean eating foods and keep the bad food options to a minimum. If you see it, you will eat it. It's just biology.

Next week, we are set to return to Flip's for another evening of Scrabble (Patti, I'm going to kick your a*@!). Next week, I will have a plan. I might even show up with food of my own.

I've started off today with a bowl of oatmeal topped with nuts and blueberries, a cup of coffee and a few glasses of water. So far, so good. I am going to plan out the next week's meals and see if that helps me. I would encourage you to take a look at your week (especially any holiday outings) and see what you have planned, and get yourself ready if you see a chance for any food bombs to go off and set back your progress.

Prayer for the day: God, thank you for the grace you give us to start over each new day. Please help us to follow through on our plans and take care of ourselves. amen.