If we are what we eat then I am a dark chocolate-dipped espresso bean that’s been rolled in a buttery toffee for some extra crunch. Sounds good, but it doesn’t look good in jeans. 

Confronting the bad eating habits that I have incorporated into everyday life has been a challenge this past week as I journal my caloric intake for the weight loss challenge.

Not only have I been hungry at times since I reduced the amount of food I am eating at each sitting, I have had a headache for days and I think it’s because I am simply not eating as many sugary snacks and drinks. 

My issues are not just with sugar. I have, to be clear, been doing just about everything wrong.

Large portions? Yes.

Eating late at night? Check.

Not enough water, mini meals and healthy snacks? Yep. 

Fatty, fried and salty foods? Most definitely.

Sugar in the morning, sugar at night? Oh yeah.

While keeping a food journal and committing to record the state of my eating habits has been eye-opening, I cannot pretend to be surprised. I didn’t gain weight by eating spinach salads spritzed with low-fat red wine vinaigrette.

What’s missing from the journal, though, is what I would have been eating if I had not been participating in this challenge.

Let’s just put it this way: there was a moment one afternoon last week when I was tired, frustrated and hungry so I offered my co-workers $4 for one Reese’s Cup or Hershey Kiss. My reasoning was that if I only had one embargoed chocolate treat then I would only eat one, as opposed to the two or more I could get for less money from the snack machine.

Luckily no one took me up on my offer. In fact, someone offered me grapes instead.

My moment of 3 p.m. weakness aside, I have made some changes in the past week that I hope to not only keep but build upon for better habits moving forward. Counting calories has resulted in me getting back to basics with meals and being forced to make healthier decisions when I am out of the house.

I spent a typical Saturday running errands around town and made a point to eat lunch before I left home and to return to the house for dinner instead of eating those two meals out, which is something that I would have done prior to this week.

After Saturday I caution anyone who is watching what they eat on shopping at Whole Foods. Do not enter the store hungry as they have an unlimited number of tasting stations throughout the store and those happy store employees are not handing out samples of whole wheat bread and fat-free cheese. This is exactly the type of pass-by noshing that is impossible to accurately measure, a challenge to record and wouldn’t usually by included in a recap of what one eats throughout the day.

I found myself at Whole Foods this past weekend. Let’s just say that I learned my lesson.

I have won a couple of food battles to date including the Girl Scout cookies that I have not eaten, even though I know my husband has them hidden in plain sight on top of the refrigerator. The significant decrease in sugar intake alone is long overdue, and something that’s important to me since I have a family history of diabetes.

I also have a family history of making bad decisions when it comes to eating well. The aforementioned diabetics liked nothing more than a sweet or salty snack after dinner each night, and that’s a hard tradition to break.