Butter

I love butter. It loves me too. It loves me so much that it wants to live on my hips. I would eat butter on everything.  Funny thing is that my cholesterol was so good the Dr. told me he would love to trade me. My body makes a lot of HDL and little of the LDL.  I had to give up butter when I finally decided to get serious. I got rid of the white bread but continued to pile the butter on my multi grain breads. How can anyone eat vegtables with out butter my mind was telling me.  I can not have it in the house. I went for a long time without any butter at all then I figured out a way to have a small amount of it now and then. My local grocery store has a big beautiful salad bar. They have rolls and butter you can buy along with your salad. When I decide to have a roll with a meal I now buy my one multi grain roll for me and a sourdough roll for my husband. I then go to the salad bar and get a little container and put in several pats of butter. When I go to pay they weigh my little container of butter but most often they just give it to me for the cost of my roll. It is my way of having something I really love and not going crazy and eating a ton.  So now I can love butter and have it too. I have had to find other ways to make myself stay in control. I do eat my favorite food. Just not the whole box, bag, or carton like I use to.  I have learned that if I have my favorites in the house then it is a lost cause. I tried and tried to control myself but I just couldn't. So...the solution that works for me (yes it is more money) when I get those cravings that we all do. I go and buy ONE. 1 cupcake. 1 cookie. 1 snack size bag of chips. 1 tiny carton of ice cream. If it is something that you can't find in a single serving size then I count out a serving put it in a baggie and have even had my husband hide the rest from me. I also learned that some of those little tiny bags of goodies are more than one serving. So I read labels. It is more money and takes more time. Sometimes I have found that I can talk myself out of it if I have to make the effort to go get it. I have a quote that I keep where I can see it to remind me. I do not know who said it but it reminds me that I need to constantly evaluate myself.  It is: Transformation is a present activity.... I need to work on me every day. I need to show up, put in the work, and fuel my body with healthy foods. But I will also enjoy a little treat now and then.