Friday, March 26, 2010

Temptations

They are everywhere.

I started keeping a list of when other people offered or tempted me with something that was on the unhealthy side of the food spectrum. Well not really a list, more like a running tally. Every time it happens I tick a line on a sheet of paper. 4 lines vertically and then the 5th horizontally through the 4 lines kind of thing. For example if someone was to say: "have a cookie" (thats one mark) if when I say: "No Thanks." they answer back: "Are you sure?" or "Come on just 1" or "No you gotta try one" (that would be a 2nd mark)

I am amazed at how fast the ticks are adding up. The reason I started doing it was because me and a buddy got to talking about trying to stay on a diet over the holidays. I don't have to tell anyone here that it is really hard. Especially Christmas, there are parties and food everywhere.

Then I got to thinking about all the other times that temptation rears it's ugly head. Like birthday cake or anytime Grandma is around! She is a fabulous baker and loves to nourish her grandkids. So I wanted to know, in a year, how many times would I be tempted. To be clear it's not how many times I have a craving, the page would already be full that way. It's how many times SOMEONE ELSE tempts me.

It's not like I walk around with a pen and a sheet of paper in my pocket either. I just try to make a mental note of it when it happens and then record it later that night at home. It's been kind of fun to the point of hoping that people will actually try to tempt me. I've already decided not to give in to temptations but when it happens now my first thought is: "One more tick for the sheet!"

An interesting experiment I guess. I have to keep the sheet a secret, except to the blogging universe, so that I don't influence anyone to act differently. I have faced temptation 5 times in the 7 days since I've been recording them and all 5 times I've held strong.

2 comments:

  1. Yes. I guess you could claim my temptation. I'm motivated by our weigh-in, but maybe not as much as you. Two days left for me to eat better, move and get my head right. Took a step backwards because of those exact temptations you just wrote about.

    Hope your doing well.

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  2. Yeah Clyde I have claimed your temptation but thats the only one since you now know of the list any future temptations shall be void.

    I feel like I'm doing well.

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