Yesterday morning I ate my standard breakfast of maple and brown sugar oatmeal mixed with a half cup of Kashi’s crunch cereal.  I can tell you that while the meal was healthy—it was finished off with a small, ruby-red grapefruit and 20 ounces of water—what I’ve been gnawing and noshing on since Friday night is not.  I’m self-aware enough in my weight loss “process” to know that when the munchies kick in, it is one of two things: physiological cravings or emotional crapola stuffed in my wheelbarrow. 

Whipping out my trusty FranklinCovey planner, sure enough last weekend was a precursor to my PMS party.  The party likes to be a surprise and can give as favors either a migraine or vicious cravings for anything of the sweet or salty variety.  The extra salt and other carb delights then triggers the migraine and down the wormhole we go.

I figured out for myself a while ago that banning any food would just be a trigger to yearn it more, and I’m not going to beat myself up for eating “bad” foods per say.  As part of the Weight Watchers program, treats can be enjoyed occasionally and planned for as part of one’s daily journal (key word: occasionally).  This week, I even reconciled some of the gorge by trading in activity points (earned from exercise) in an attempt to cover the excess.  Yeah, still was at -5.5 into my extra weekly points that day. 

So in true tell-all glory, I’m going to confess all the wonders of goodies that have crossed my lips.  With my eyes on the little cravings monster, I’m going to take inspiration from Natalie’s boot camp journey and attack the little fella with some steady days of cardio.  Now this might only make me break even and maintain, but that is better than gaining back.

What I’ve Eaten November 12 – 17

• Starbucks non-fat lattes
• Kashi cereal
• Maple and brown sugar oatmeal
• Ruby red grapefruits
• Small, homemade hotel muffin (donated the other three to office mates)
• Low-fat Laughing Cow cheese circles
• Low-sodium (still 240 mg slice yikes) turkey slices
• Brussel sprouts
• Cauliflower florets
• Beets
• Scrambled eggs (made with skim organic milk)
• Multi-grain toast
• Yams
• Fried catfish (eaten multiple days 3 oz. at a time, here is where the road gets choppy)
• Ben and Jerry’s Oatmeal Cookie Chunk ice cream (again, repeated feedings)
• Sweet potato pie (ditto)
• Chocolate chip cookies
• Lemon meringue pie
• Sunflower seeds (with salt, oye)
• Kashi granola bar
• Weight Watchers 1 point mini-bar
• Chicken (baked white meat)
• Orville Redenbacher fat-free microwave popcorn
• Green tea
• Milk Duds (two mini-boxes)
• Tootsie roll (one mini)
• Hershey dark chocolate heart (one mini)
• Carmel chew (one)
• Hershey dark bars (two mini)
• Reeses Peanut Butter cup (one mini)
• Baked beans
• Macaroni and cheese
• Whole kernel corn