If it’s not in the house, I won’t eat it

I think that will be my new philosophy going forward.

It makes sense really. I can’t eat something I haven’t placed virtually under my nose. In some ways, I am certain that will be the best form of discipline, especially when it comes to certain foods.

I first thought about it this morning on the drive to work. Every Tuesday, the radio show I listen to features the owner of a local gym who also was a contestant on the Biggest Loser. He discusses his weight loss journey, what he hopes to achieve at his fitness club, and many other topics of conversation revolving around food addiction and weight loss.

Though I have never gone through many of the experiences or share the same anxieties regarding food, I can relate to different aspects of the conversation. Even as someone who wants to tone up and slim down a bit, I fight similar urges when I get home from work or before I go to bed. I want to reach into the cupboard and pull out whatever junk food sounds good at the time. But that won’t help me get where I’m going.

Well, today, one of the morning hosts talked about her way of combating those urges. When you don’t have junk food in the house, you won’t feel compelled to eat junk food when you’re hungry. It’s genius really.

Then, later in the day, I thought about it again when my daughter called me after she got home from school. She asked what she could have as a snack and suggested a sandwich. Mind you, she already knew we had dinner planned for the evening. When I told her no, she asked for a half of a sandwich, and when I once again refuted her request, she complained that there was nothing to eat. To that, I suggest the variety of fruit and vegetables I knew were in the fridge. Turning up her nose in disgust, she opted to eat nothing rather than eat something healthy. Suit yourself, I thought.

But she can’t do that for long. Eventually, if all I buy is healthy food, there will be nothing left to eat but, you guessed it, healthy food.

This will be both beneficial for me AND my children. I call that a win-win.

Now, if only I can rid my house of those blasted Girl Scout Cookies.