Here's Why I Didn't Eat the Ice Cream!

Now that I'm back on my weightloss journey, I'm loving learning even more about myself and my body. After three and a half busy years building my business Upcycled & Co. it's wonderful to take this time for me. 

Since first making the decision to start my personal development journey back in 1989, I have thrived on discovering why I am the way I am, who I really am, and how I can become a better version of myself. It's been a process that has been incredibly enlightening, and this time it is no different. 

Yesterday I learned a whole new way of dealing with my food desires when I chose not to have the ice cream on our flight from Auckland to Sydney.

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As this trip drew closer, I'd become very aware that I would need a plan for food, cravings and temptations. Even though I didn't gain at all on our last holiday just a few months ago, I knew it would be to easy to slip back into old habits. Using excuses like, well, you're on holiday - it's your birthday - it's your anniversary, still are the first things that come to mind at these times. 

My plan was to eat mostly as I do at home; mainly protein and fats, with a small amount of fruit. Yes, I'd have some meals that were outside of this, but not too many. The most important things would be not to overeat; to only eat when I was hungry and stop when I was satisfied. This worked well last time. 

With my alarm clock going off at 5.00am, driving to Auckland, flying to Sydney, then up to Maroochydore, it was going to be a long day, but I was prepared, or so I thought.

By the end of the Sydney flight we'd been travelling for more than 12 hours. And that's when the ice cream came out. It was Tip Top, my favourite. I thought to myself, shall I have one or not. What I now realise is that if it were earlier in the day when I wasn't so tired, I'd probably not even had that thought. This was the first piece of awareness I had: Be careful when you are tired.

So, my next thought was, I'll ask for one and give it to Craig, that's what I'll do. Once it was in my hot little hand, the temptation got even stronger and I was thinking, now I'll have to figure out a way to have some, even a tiny bit. I hatched a plan, I'd have one bite and give him the rest, that's what I'll do. 

As I watched Craig bite into his, I could almost taste it. I thought I wanted it. Then, something very interesting happened.

I started to think about how it would affect me physically and emotionally, if I decided to have that one bite. My thoughts went like this... I know how sweat a chocolate coated ice cream with nuts is, it's incredibly sweet. I also know that if I eat even one bit, I will almost certainly get a headache from the sugar rush, and I will be really disappointed in myself for eating something that was not on my plan today. 

The next part was the most interesting part. I actually made a decision not to have it. After all, I'm losing weight, I have managed to stick to my plan and I didn't want to blow it. Having that one bite was going to potentially derail me from my commitment to getting to my goal weight by Christmas 2019. 

One of the biggest factors that makes things easier this time around is that I can actually eat whatever I want to eat, nothing is off-limits. But, choosing foods that sustain me, will mean that I lose the weight, and become healthier. 

Reflecting on this now makes me feel very proud that I did not waiver. I know I can do this, and I know that I can easily go off track after a few weeks. But I also know that the only way to succeed is to push through when it gets hard. That, is the only answer. I'd far rather have these feelings of pride than those of being disappointed in myself, as I have for so very long.

It's time to create a new self, and that's exciting!