The Banquet Effect

A syndrome in eating that is so sneaky and persistent you almost don't know it is happening - and you do not have to be at a banquet for this to happen!

Banquet Effect: (noun) vast amounts of tasty, desirable, ready made, easily available food for an extended amount of time. People eat more food when this situation presents itself. And they keep going back and then you get into grazing.

I am always on the look out for an interloper (naughty food) to invade the kitchen. There are certain items we just don't keep in the cupboard so as not to be tempted.

An innocent ice cream habit got me right into this syndrome and I did not realize it was happening.

Hubby got an ice cream maker and I made sure he understood we would do this once in a rare while.

Well this ice cream hobby seems to be happening every weekend.

He is even doing the lowest sugar amounts possible, tweaking recipes with different fruit combination. The pure banana ice cream was very delish and the sugar was less then half called for. So it was good for us ice cream - an even better reason to partake.

Last weekend I had my half cup portion and that was it - done, finished.

Later that day it was still in the freezer. I was perplexed, why had he not given it away, or hidden it (even in the car) or as a last resort poured down the drain.

There it sat.

I kept coming back into the kitchen to 'check on it'. Making sure it was ok - comfortable - not too cold or too hot.

Went away again and then I realize - I have got to have some of that low sugar banana creamy cold ice cream.

OK, but just a half cup portion. I had a half cup portion. Then a little later another few bites.

Finally I just got the container of creamy banana ice cream and ate it. Wow. It was good though.

That is amazing how that can happen but I realized I had broken one of the strictest rules of eating right:

DON'T KEEP TEMPTING FOODS AROUND AFTER YOU HAVE HAD YOUR SERVING - THAT BECOMES A BANQUET.

I noticed that sort of eating made me more lenient this week. A chocolate square here, three on one day and then it all culminated with Hubby making lower fat/fruit sweetened ice cream this past weekend.

I had some and stopped. It had to stop.

I could feel the weight on me from just the past week. Even though it was not that much at all.

WHEN YOU ARE MENOPAUSAL YOUR BODY PUTS ON POUNDS VERY EASILY AND RELEASES FAT VERY RELUCTANTLY.

I learned that lesson a while back. And ya, my jeans are tight.

Once you notice a pattern of unhealthy eating you have to jump right back into the healthy eating immediately. I could have kept on eating and eating and said "I'll start Monday."
I know that does not happen.

So got back on track and worked out yesterday.

Fitness goals:

water 6 glasses - done
bum buster workout - done (lots of squats and arabesques)
biceps buster workout - done (lots of reps with different weights)
cardio: 25 mins. with HITS and squats added in (double duty workout).


Fitness goals:

Watch out for sugar! Do not let this just haplessly sneak in.

Drink more water 6 glasses

Make a veggie pot - a big pot of veggies to have for snacking...
mmmm I can almost taste those brussels sprouts.

Keep up the biceps buster workout
Some more ab pull ins, pelvic floor pull ups
Some yoga stretching
free form cardio if the opportunity presents itself