I read something today that made me smile as I realized the truth in the words:

“I never buy chips.  Every night I open all the cupboards looking for chips.  There aren’t any and I am always disappointed.”

This prompted me to think about how choices and availability help dictate our actions.  How many times have you said to yourself or your child or your significant other, “As soon as that box of cookies, or that bag of chips, or that half gallon of ice cream is gone we’re not going to buy any more?”  And, how many times have you then gone to the market and bought the chips or the cookies or the ice cream for _________...  (you fill in the name).  It’s “not fair” for _________ to suffer because I have no self-control.  Husbands, kids, roommates don’t need the garbage either.  Anyway, who gets to eat it?

I am here to let you know that if there are chips or cookies in the house, I will find them and I will consume some, if not all of them.  Yes, after almost 15 years I should know better, and I DO know better.  Intellectual knowledge and emotional choices are two separate things.  For a few years after surgery (about 5) I could do with a single serving of chips or 1 cookie, but that’s not the case anymore.  They are triggers for me, as are nuts of any kind, breads, crackers, candy bars, and the like.  My will power doesn’t work, nor should I expect it to.

My granddaughter is currently living with us (she’s 25) and wants all of those things in the house.  The only way that can work for me is her breads, crackers, cookies, and chips are in the pantry in the garage.  She buys them, she eats them.  Unfortunately, she shares when they come in to be eaten….

My husband thinks his gluten free cookies are okay for him to have with his coffee in the morning before his breakfast.  He only eats one or two.  This week I began looking around and realized that while bread didn’t find its way into the house, tortillas have, as have tortilla chips, cookies, and almonds. 

This stops right now.  I am not waiting until they are all eaten, I am going through my cupboards and cleaning out anything I don’t want to eat, except for my husband’s gluten free cookies.  He can have 1 bag/box at a time.  He will soon see that he doesn’t need them as well and they’ll disappear for a while.

My granddaughter is out of my control.  She can keep her stuff in the pantry in her own storage container. 

If it is NOT a protein based healthy item, it has no place in my home.  If anyone wants something bad enough they can go out and get it and eat it.  I am telling them gently that my self-control is at a minimum, my carb cravings at a maximum and I need their help to stay healthy.  This conversation has worked before and will work again.  Communication is the key here.

When’s the last time you cleaned out your cupboards and your pantry?