I’m not terribly religious and didn’t realize that it was Fat Tuesday until this morning. However, as soon as I realized that tomorrow was Ash Wednesday, my brain did a weird thing – it immediately started thinking about what I would give up for Lent. I think this was a Pavlov-style reaction from my Catholic-school upbringing (I went to Catholic school until college) where giving up something for Lent was practically a requirement.
I haven’t given anything up for Lent in quite awhile but was thinking about it on my morning commute. I’ve given up so much during the course of my weight loss that I’m not sure there’s much left to give up. I don’t do dairy, I don’t do carbs, I don’t do junk food…the list goes on and on and on. My diet is really pretty clean with only the occasional splurge for a slice or two of gourmet pizza (with a big helping of salad) or a skim latte.
But then a little voice in the back of my head started whispering the words “dark chocolate almonds”.
I confess, the one chocolate treat that I allow myself of a near-daily basis is dark chocolate almonds. I love them. They’re still moderately healthy for a daily treat, and I love them. But I might love them TOO much. What started as a fairly controlled daily handful (counted out to ensure portion size) has become reminiscent of previous bingeing habits. I eat more than I bother to count in a day and I reach for them with increasing frequency, grabbing handfuls at a time.
So this Lent, I’m giving up the mindless bingeing. I’ve given up too much in general to completely give the chocolate almonds up entirely, but I am back to counting them out for the day and sticking to it. I’m taking back control!
What positive change are you making for Lent? Let me know!
