April 30th, 2018 A Freaky Thing If You Ask Me

April 30th, 2018 A Freaky Thing If You Ask Me

Today: I maintained the integrity of my maintenance calorie budget, I remained refined sugar-free, I met my daily water goal, and I stayed well connected with good support.

It was a long and at times stressful day. I reached for the rails of my plan and made it through one more day! Had I not reached for my rails, I could have ended up face first in a take-out pizza. You see...

A new convenience store opened a half-mile from my apartment. It's a place that is widely acclaimed for their takeout pizza. Their radio commercial makes it the main focus--and that's a great idea, I mean, I understand broadcast marketing after being in this business for thirty years. The radio commercials don't bother me. Even today, my voice is on Dominos commercials around here--it's my job! I know, I know--it does seem strange if you know me really really well. But most people don't and a radio commercial isn't about me, it's about the product. I've had several conversations in the last few days with people mentioning this new amazing source for pizza. Apparently, that is more powerful to me--hearing over and over how good it is from people I know personally--and knowing full well it isn't on my food plan--not today and not any of my tomorrows if I plan to remain well. And that works for me.

I'll trade all the take-out pizza in the world for the benefits of maintaining a daily plan practice that supports a healthy body weight. I'm getting the best end of the deal. And occasionally, I still eat pizza--the requirement is: It must fit within my food plan. And usually, that means I make it at home.

Tonight, I made pita pizzas for dinner with Joseph's flax-oat bran-whole wheat pitas, refined sugar-free tomato basil, lean ground beef, red onions, and shredded mozzarella. It was fantastic!!!

A Casey's General Store opened a 1/2 mile from my apartment. Apparently, they're known for their pizza. After hearing how great it is from multiple people and knowing their ingredients aren't on my food plan, I decided to make my own! I'm known for "on-my-plan" Pita Pizzas! Yum! pic.twitter.com/8vC4byFd07

— Sean Anderson (@SeanAAnderson) May 1, 2018

What's interesting is this: When I sat down to write tonight's blog, I went back in time a year to April 30th, 2017, just to see what I was up to one year ago today. What did I find??? A post that goes in-depth on my personal pizza issues.

Excerpt from April 30th, 2017:
I had fun with dinner tonight. I made pita pizzas. Let me be clear--pizza, like the kind from a pizza place, is certainly on my list of trigger foods. I do not, under any circumstances, eat take-out pizza, not because there's something wrong with it--rather, it's my brain--If I eat a slice, my brain wants 8 more. That's how I'm wired. It just is. And that's precisely why I must make my plan important each day--otherwise, I know what happens--I've lived what happens when I don't make a daily plan important.

Is it the refined sugar in the crust and sauce? Is it the prominence of take-out pizza in hundreds of binges from my past? Maybe all of those combined. Pizza from a "pizza place" isn't my food and it will not be my food for as long as I live with continued recovery. That's just me. Maybe you can do it and be perfectly fine. I know myself well enough to know, I can't.

But for whatever reason, when I take the time, consideration, and care in making certain all ingredients are refined sugar-free, and I take the time to meticulously chop and weigh, to the gram and ounce, each ingredient, then I log it all in MyFitnessPal--it changes it for me. Now, instead of my brain categorizing it as an "indulgence," it's simply categorized as an on-plan dinner--weighed, measured, logged, refined sugar-free--and enjoyed.

Kind of a freaky thing if you ask me. Maybe I should make every April 30th Pita Pizza Day for my food plan. The last two have worked out well.

Thank you for reading and your continued support,
Strength,
Sean