Good GRAVY

Just when I thought I was never looking back, life happened again. Don't you just sometimes despise the way that happens? I wish I could shout out loud- "DON'T DERAIL ME!" But I don't really know who to shout at? Who's to blame for the inconveniences of life? The checker at the grocery store for moving so slowly? The people who won't drive at LEAST the speed LIMIT? ARRGHH! 


And then out of nowhere, my husband says to me ever so sweetly- "you can stop trying to control the universe now." Ahhhhh, sigh of relief! Duh! Why do I get so silly and so tightly wound? God's got my back. And my present. And my future! Thank you very much, Lord. 


And yes, this is totally applicable to my clean eating lifestyle. I found out this week that I am a MAJOR stress-eater. Dang it!! Know how I found that out? A food journal. What a novel idea! (again, duh.) Ok, so I'm a PMS mess and my food journal showed it ever so bluntly...a pick here, a peck there...and guess what? I'd eaten an additional 400 calories just in carbohydrates. Sheeeesh! Oh, and um, that was just one day of my journaling. I was so upset at my finding, but immediately researched foods that one should consume while experiencing times of stress. Instead of reaching for whatever is closest and easiest, (which should still be somewhat clean if you've transformed your pantry and fridge to eat clean) eat a handful of almonds, some clean guacamole (avocado), spinach, an orange....you get the idea. When I get stressed, I grab the very WORST thing I can put in my mouth:(


So the important thing for me at this point is practicing self-control. Here's the thing, I'm home-I'm fine. I don't have any junk in the house, so I'm forced to eat an apple and egg whites when I'm hungry or stressed. When I'm not home- I'm not fine. My parents own a restaurant. I LOVE the food they serve. LOVE IT. It's BBQ people! Homemade, southern-style BBQ. I'm fortunate that I'm not 500lbs already. So, when I'm not home, I'm typically there at the restaurant helping out or just hanging out with my family. I can still choose to eat clean while I'm there: grilled chicken with broccoli or salad. But my kids don't want grilled chicken every time they eat there! They want chicken strips, fries, fried pickles or potatoes, ranch dressing, cheese sauce...the 'good stuff' And they're still little and don't always finish all their food, leaving the Mother Garbage Disposal job up to me. I HATE IT! I'll have one or two fried pickles before I even realize what I'm doing! Mindlessly eating. When I'm focused, I'm satisfied with a clean meal. When I'm tired or stressed....I'll eat till my eyes close. 


My point here is, eating clean takes work. It takes mental work and focus. It takes a good attitude and a soft but steady approach to changing your lifestyle. None of these things are my strong-suit. I'm sure in a few weeks, I'll have chewed on this info for a while and regurgitate it again in some form only for you to read it again:) But, believe it or not, it helps me to type it down. Journaling is a big key for me. It's like a built-in accountability partner. I avoid it only because my focus is lost. When I re-visit my thoughts and try to organize them, I find my focus again. I think I'll start sharing my food/mood journal on here. Probably not daily, but at least once in a while. I think I'll also try to remember to slow down and pray when things seem out of control. I know, I know...it's pretty obvious, but I'm a slow learner. 


Any suggestions for me? How do you exercise your self-control?