Self Sabotage
 

Help!!! I do really well and then I'm too weak to say no, or somewhere in my head there is "justification" for making poor choices. I need to stay away from fast food. When we're on the road every afternoon for an hour and half, my kids (teenagers) want something to eat. I usually stop by and get a cheeseburger or something. Today it was KFC. I wasn't even hungry. But the thought of the smell and how it would taste overruled the logical side of me. I acted on impulse. A Go-Cup. 2 chicken strips, some potato wedges, 550 calories later...a LOT of guilt.

I need suggestions on how to overcome impulse behavior. Has anyone dealt with this? How did you become successful?

I could bring snacks from home. That would be logical. But in the busy-ness of the day, I seem to overlook those things and the next thing I know I'm flying out the door.

aaaargh! so frustrated with myself. :mad: Any suggestions would be welcome.

Can you find things on the McD's menu or the KFC's menu that are good enough to satisfy without having the calorie counts you mentioned? Whatever choices you make, if you can fit that into the calorie limit for the day, you can still be OK on your diet.

When you're on the road with the teenagers, and you stop for fast food, that makes sense. They're not on diets!

However, there's another ritual that you can establish yourself. You could pack some food for them that they would still like and NOT stop for fast food. I'm not talking 'snacks,' I'm talking 'picnic.' If it seems like you never get around to making up the 'basket,' just buy the stuff ready-made for awhile until it starts to bother you that it's more expensive than you could make yourself.

Even if they complain, give them some playing cards, make sure they have books to read, make sure they have music (must have for teenagers) and let them eat what you have packed in a cooler. Make sure there are some treats in there, too, along with sandwiches, but just one or two beverages. Make sure your bathroom break is at the start - maybe they can make it through the whole trip without too many stops. Make the drive as pleasant as you can manage and you'll make good time, too, without stops along the way.

Hi Jenai - The only advice I can come up with is to plan ahead. You know what they say "Failing to plan is planning to fail!". Plan to pass up temptation, plan healthy snacks and pack them up well in advance before you're rushing out the door. Also, don't be too hard on yourself. We all have moments of weakness. Don't let those moments derail you! Think about your goals, leave the moment of weakness behind and keep moving forward.

Hi Jenai (I LOVE the name by the way!!)

I am not a huge fast food junkie, but I have been known to want it occasionally.
KFC is so freaking addicting! and I could throw a stone at one from my house.

The way I bypass temptation, is to realize how hard I worked at the gym in the morning, and to picture the scale the next day........ and it WILL be up (sodium in fast food is extreme)!! KFC is a heart attack in a box (or bag, or cup).

I guess the bottom line to me is, I am worth being healthy for! I have plans and dreams for the future and fast food and junk food are not a part of it.

I eat 3 times a day, no more and no less, and those meals are at home. What anyone else decides in between times has no consequence for me, because my choice was made a couple of months ago, when I decided to do this. I don't control anyone elses choices but my own

Have a good day today :)

Kathy, there have been some times when the fast food does fit into my calories for the day (and no matter what I always log fast food whether I want to or not), and just the sodium hits me hard. I know I really need to pack snacks for our afternoon road trips everyday. Sometimes it's hard to figure out what they would want and will eat. I ask them what they want and they say, "I don't know." I want to shake them and tell them I don't know either, I'm not a mind reader! lol I think every mom has gone through that.

Debbie, thank you for the quote! It's a good one. I'm going to start making plans for sure because I definitely don't want to fail!

Bea, your words hit home. You are so right and if I think about my success from my hard work so far, I certainly don't want to mess that up with a bad choice.

Thank you all for being so encouraging and for your words of wisdom!!!