I could probably give this up forever.
My sweetheart went to the grocery store and bought chip dip. It wasn’t the kind in the plastic tub, it came in a glass jar. I was immediately suspicious. I come from the land of chip dip in a plastic tub. You know, the good stuff. Still, it was chip dip. How bad could it be
Surprisingly bad, it turns out. It had a weird taste to it, and a faintly greyish hue. And no, it wasn’t past its expiration date (I checked). Did I eat it? Some of it, but the rest got washed down the drain without a second thought. It was that bad.
I was just thinking about it and thinking to myself, if I never had that particular type of chip dip again I would be very happy. Then I thought about not ever having ANY chip dip again, and I was significantly less sure of my long-term happiness with that particular scenario. People do it, though. They give up all sorts of things for all sorts of reasons.
The most obvious reason to give up chip dip is that it’s a high-calorie, low nutrition food. It gives no bang for the buck, and only delivers woe. But it’s so darn good! It belongs on the list with chocolate and frappucinos.
Now this is chip dip.
Lots of calories and fat, virtually no nutritional value. These seem to be my favorite kinds of foods. *Sigh*
If I really committed to getting healthy, what would I be willing to give up? What would I cut back on? And for how long? When I cut out sweets, I tend to crave them less and less, until I get to a point where they aren’t really much of a problem. Until I give up and go back to them again, that is. Would I give up the salty snacks? Those are terrible for my blood pressure. I shouldn’t make this poor heart of mine work so hard.
So what could you give up? Or have you already made changes? What’s gone from your life in the name of a healthier you?
BulgingButtons 
May 16, 2015 at 5:14 am
No comments here yet? I feel like I’m always giving things up! In the mid-80s my husband went to Mexico City for a conference. One of the guys he went with had a heart attack while there. Walt (the friend) was only in his early 40s, just a little older than Jim. It was a pretty scary thing, having that happen so far away. When Jim came back we quit buying (on a regular basis) things like Little Debbies snacks and potato chips. When I worked at the bank (until 2009) I salved my stress with stuff from the vending machines, and that was usually the salty crunchy stuff, including chips, but now I rarely eat them. In the last few years we’ve cut back sodium much more to help manage my high blood pressure. Most of that comes from reducing the highly processed foods in our diet. This year I cut the amount of alcohol I drink in half or more. I’m at the point where I can’t give a lot more up without going ascetic, like a friend of mine. She eats no added salt, sugar, or fat, and she’s lactose intolerant, so dairy products are out. She’s vegetarian, so no meat. In general, I would hate her diet, and I’ll never go that far.
May 16, 2015 at 9:39 am
I have a friend with a very restricted diet due to medical issues and she struggles with it. I would hate it. I do need to modify what I eat, but I enjoy food too much.
May 16, 2015 at 6:07 am
I could definitely give up bread and white potatoes! I only really have bread if its in the garlic form – weak at the knees – and as for white potatoes, I’ve converted to sweet. So really, perhaps I already have!!x
https://lexilife95.wordpress.com
May 16, 2015 at 9:41 am
Potatoes would be a tough one for me! Thanks for joining the conversation. 😀
May 16, 2015 at 9:47 am
would be hard for me, too. Potatoes are one of the real pleasures in life!
May 17, 2015 at 7:18 am
I am so thankful that I took a nutrition class this semester as an electivie course, because it really opened up my eyes on dieting and trying to be healthier with what I eat. There is so much misinformation out there not backed by science
We actually didn’t focus too much on weight loss in our course because her goal was to make sure we understand what various aspects of nutrition effect our bodies, and how to create a diet plan that is balanced and serves whatever medical purpose the person needs. One thing my nutritionist told me is that those that force themselves to give up food they love will fail because the diet will feel like a punishment.
May 17, 2015 at 1:38 pm
So far I’ve had the most success with Weight Watchers for that exact reason. You don’t have to cut out anything completely, you just have to account for it.