If you have your I'll-eat-anything-anytime appetite issues sorted out, it's good to start buying or making tasty treats to have around. That doesn't have to mean muffins, cookies, cakes, etc. And it most definitely does not mean processed, junky foods like the stuff from the "bakery" at the grocery store.
A tasty treat can be anything you previously banned because it had proven a problem food for you. For me, that's most snacks, and high-glycemic ones in particular (a Protein Type's death sentence). That includes baked goods, of course, but also organic chips and crackers, dates (oh, nature's candy! that caramel-y taste!), whole-grain bread, and even certain fruits (for Protein Types and some Mixed Types).
Carb Types will have their own vices: steaks, cream sauces, rich desserts, or whatever they've grown to enjoy that wreaks havoc on their consitutional type.
I've developed a Fit Foodie Idea that's working out tremendously well. So well that, despite being a lifelong all-day-snacker, I've snacked very little in the past month (and have shed a couple pounds, to boot).
Fit Foodie Idea #47: Keep What You Really Like In Your Home, But Not What You Love
There are foods you love so much that you'd be happy to devour it all in an afternoon or two... and... there are foods that you really enjoy and serve their purpose, but which don't compel you to overeat.
There are certain foods that don't tempt you to overeat, *most of the time*, but in the event of an overeating urge, you might be tempted to devour in one sitting. Those don't make the cut.
The litmus test is: Ask yourself, "Would I eat a whole bunch of this thing if I was on an overeating spree?" If you answer yes, then hold out for a goal-supporting alternative.
A few examples...
1. Bread - Before I learned about Metabolic Typing, I ate plenty of bread. Plain bread. Because "butter was bad". And bread was cheap, anyway. I went for organic, locally-made whole grain bread from the health food store. But my constitutional type wasn't happy with it, and it triggered me to overeat. So I'd eat a ton o' organic whole grain bread from the health food store, plain, one slice after the other.
First of all, I've gotten smarter: I don't eat bread or any other grain by itself anymore. Second, I discovered that certain types of bread don't pass the Idea #47 litmus test. So I don't keep those breads around, most of the time. My substitution is Alvarado St. Bakery Sprouted Sourdough Bread or Ezekiel 7-Grain Sprouted Bread. They're tasty, and they do the trick for an egg sandwich, grilled cheese, or whatever I may want to use them for. But there's something about sprouted bread that doesn't make it an appetizing overeating target.
2. Chocolate - I do love chocolate, though the sweet teeth I always thought I had has dramatically lessened. Sugar is an addiction that fades with avoidance. But give me a cup of good decaf tea and a little dark chocolate after dinner, curled up on the couch in front of a good movie... and I'm a happy girl.
Ritter Sport Marzipan is one of my favorites. I've discovered that I can have a bar around for a month or two and not think anything of it, nibbling a square every now and then. But if I do get into an overeating mood, that's the first thing to go. All of it.
So, in light of my own best interest, no more Ritter Sports at home for now.
But my vice doesn't carry over into plain dark chocolate. The more bittersweet, the better. Look for bars with a high cocoa content (at least 70%). To the untrained palate (read: The Hershey's-eating one), real dark chocolate will taste... well, dark. And a little bitter.
(Many people's taste buds are so desensitized from over-flavored processed foods that a normal amount of sweetness (like that in dark chocolate or fruit) tastes bland. This gets corrected with time.)
Bottom line: I can happily enjoy a square of extra dark chocolate every now and then... and... I'm not tempted to gorge myself on a whole bar when in a too-snacky mood. I have a "dark chocolate stash" in my pantry that's been around for months. That's saying something.
Green & Black's makes a good organic bar; Lindt's is also a favorite.
3. Chips & Crackers - I used to eat some kind of organic chips with fresh guacamole and Greek yogurt every day, but alas... my pants stopped fitting as well as they should. I was eating way too many chips every day, and they were often the first to go when my defenses were down.
First, I found an alternative, higher-protein way to dip my guac & yogurt: either a high-protein veggie burger patty or chicken pieces. Sayonara, daily chip fix.
And I started buying these little flat bread crackers from Fresh Market. They're good to have around for eating with cheese and hummus as a little appetizer, or the occasional guacamole dipping. They're tasty and satisfying, but not phenomenal. They're no sour cream and chive bistro chips, that's for sure. And good thing -- because they hang around considerably longer than those darn bistro chips ever did.
I'm still experimenting with what works and what doesn't. In other words, what I eat half the container of immediately and what I forget is there for days on end. Experimenting is OK -- I don't think it ever stops, as the Fit Foodie lifestyle is a journey with the only definite end being death -- but be honest with yourself. If you KNOW something is a weak spot for you, just say no. It's not called "deprivation" -- it's called "being kind to yourself".
Save the stuff you LOVE-love for special days and evenings at home, cooking for family and friends, and try not to make enough for more than a day's leftovers. Your most indulgent experiences are often best kept in restaurants and cafes where a single serving can be had (or a huge one split in half or quarters). Enjoy that organic brownie from the Whole Foods bakery -- not from the family-sized pan calling your name at home.
