Observation #42 Not Eating Bad but Not Eating Good

I had a lot of bad habits. Eating before bedtime. Buying a chocolate bar at the checkout. Going for seconds, thirds and sometimes fourths. Making the move from the single bags of chips to the big bag. In fact, in a cruel ironic instance, I ate a whole bag of Sweet Chili Heat Doritos while watching an episode of Biggest Loser.

With Operation 180, I have curtailed this behaviour. I no longer eat at night. It is tough to watch a movie with the little lady without some M&Ms or popcorn but I know this has made a huge difference. I just remember the food would sit in my guts without any chance to be burnt off. I was also eating Tums like candy. I would get heartburn as I lied in bed. I actually preferred Gaviscon. When you eat it, it foams up in your mouth. I would often secretly pretend I had rabies and let the foam seep out the sides of my mouth. I digress. I have substituted checkout chocolate bars with a lottery ticket or magazine. I figure if I make millions I can eat whatever I want and pay some doctor to keep me skinny. I have stopped being a buzzard. No more picking off my kids’ plates. I have limited myself to one helping. I have also tried to switch from crispy to grilled at fast food places. Not groundbreaking but steps in the right direction. I would say that I have really done my best to eliminate the bad.

The one piece that is missing is adding the good. I may be eating less bad things but I am not eating more good things. These are the things that I am working towards: no more fast food, more (or some) fruits and vegetables, more fish and seafood and a full switch to whole-grain/wheat products (bagels, bread and rice). If I was a stronger person I would make a real commitment to eating healthy. Eating locally produced goods, not eating anything with more than five ingredients and consuming little or no processed food or drink would be the ultimate. I think this a lofty goal that is really tough with a young family. Even if it is an ideal, moving towards it will be awesome for myself and the people in my life. More good along with less bad is where I am trying to get.