Tempting Fate

I've decided that the 4th of July holiday is the biggest chip eating holiday there is. Chips were everywhere this weekend. Everywhere but my mouth, I'm proud to report.

I knew this weekend would be difficult. The holiday weekend would include cookouts and snacking and chips would be running amuck no doubt. And sure enough, as early as Friday evening when I ran to the store for some dinner items, there it was as soon as I walked in - an entire tower of Lays potato chips. On sale, $1.69 a bag. I almost had to laugh to myself. It was like someone put it there just to see how I would do.

What I realized is that I go to the grocery store way too often.

I usually take my lunch breaks to run to the store to get food for that night's dinner. While I'm there, I might pick up a small bag of chips to eat with my lunch. I run to our grocery store in town a few nights a week to pick up forgotten items. And look, there's a bag of BBQ chips for $1.00 and supper won't be ready for hours and I'm hungry. I went to the grocery store five times this weekend. And I went hungry twice - rookie mistake.

In my quest of potato chip addiction discovery, I've decided I must eliminate my temptation zones. Temptation Zone A: The Grocery Store. Instead of taking multiple trips each week, I've decided I need to start planning meals and healthy snacks for the week and go once. So that's what I did on Sunday. My cupboards and refrigerator are now stocked with healthy ingredients and meal items. I can avoid the leaning tower of temptation for another week.

The Chips are Down

I’ve heard people talk about that “a-ha!”moment in their lives – that moment when they realize they must make a change. For me, it was an article that showed up in my facebook newsfeed one day – “Why potato chips make you fatter than ice cream and alcohol.” Automatically my heart beat a little faster and I felt the shame wash over me as I quietly pushed the bag of salt and vinegar chips back in my desk drawer, hoping no one was watching me.

This definitely wasn’t hard breaking news – yes, I realize potato chips are bad for you and have probably contributed to my weight gain over the years. But seeing it in black and white print hit me like a ton of bricks. How many times have I said I want to live healthier? Lose weight? Eat better? Exercise? Why am I not doing it then? Why am I still choosing something so wrong for me?

Hi, my name is Jocelyn and I am a potato chip addict.

I’m 33 years old. I have two small children. My husband is on the road a lot. I have a job where I am sedentary 90% of the day. I work long hours and commute. I don’t work out. I don’t eat right. I weigh the most I’ve weighed in my entire life, with the exception of pregnancies. I don’t feel comfortable in my skin most of the time and definitely don’t feel comfortable in my clothes. I feel tired too often. Do I want to make a change? Of course! But how many times have I tried and failed? After reading this article – and grudgingly admitting to myself how often I indulge in a very bad eating habit – I decided this was one small change I could make. No potato chips for 60 days.

My potato chip addiction is pretty open. Most people who know me know how much I love chips. I eat them every day. But what most people don’t see is how much I really eat them. I come home from work and grab a bag of chips to snack on while supper is cooking. I eat them on long road trips while we’re driving. I eat them while curled up on the couch while reading. Or watching television. Or for breakfast if I’m at work and didn’t bring anything else. Let’s face it – it’s out of control.

So, here we go. I’m making one small change that can hopefully lead to more changes in my life. Better eating habits overall. Better choices – not just for me, but for my family. What kind of eating habits am I teaching my daughters? In my recent health risk assessment, my health age was 38 – I’m five years older than my biological age. I want to change that. I want to feel young and healthy and enjoy my life again. It’s time to put the bag down and start living life right.