Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch & Other Good-But-Bad-For-You Things in Life

I didn't plan it this way, but I find it interesting that within minutes, I found myself thinking about two of the areas of life I'm "working on" right now. Yesterday was a bust as far as starting an eating journal, and today might be as well, but it's still very forefront in my mind. I was taking my mid-day break, went to the bank, stopped at the grocery for some seltzer water and a pint of ben & jerry's; and was heading back to work. I passed by Fashion Bug with window signs advertizing a 40% off sale and I was tempted, but they have much better sales from time to time that are worth holding out for. It wasn't until a minute or so later that I remembered I can't go there anyway because I'm participating in Wardrobe Refashion and therefore I'm not buying new clothes for two months!

So I'm still driving back to work, one red light later, and I find myself contemplating whether to stop at Dunkin Donuts for an iced coffee or not. Now remember, I've got a liter of my favorite seltzer water (ruby red grapefruit!!!) and a pint of Ben & Jerry's Coffee Heathbar Crunch sitting next to me. Do I really need an iced coffee?

I resisted temptation and headed straight for work. I'm proud of myself in the sense that I didn't spend money on clothes and food I didn't need, but had I succumed to temptation, would it have been an emotional response? I simply don't know.

Over the last week, I've thought a lot about this. I know that there are certainly times that I eat and shop due to emotions, but a lot of times I think I just eat because it's habit. I have a pint of ice cream almost every afternoon (yes, a whole pint...don't judge me!) .

Or I shop or eat because it's there. I go to the department store on break for shampoo or something and walk past a rack of fantastic jeans and I find myself in line with the jeans, three tops and a skirt.

Or simply because it's enjoyable. Well, the shopping part isn't the highlight of my day, but wearing the new clothes for the first time makes me feel awesome and eating is certainly a pleasurable experience. It's a treat.

That's what was calling my attention today at Dunkin Donuts. It would have been a pleasurable treat. Maybe it's because we didn't have fast food in Seward, Alaska when I was growing up in the 70's or maybe because we didn't have snacks because we were pretty poor. I don't know. I'm not sure if it matters or not.

What I am sure of is that even though it's pleasurable, doesn't make it good for you. Unlike the old adolescent-minded saying: "how can it be bad if it feels so good, man?"

So I didn't check out the sale at Fashion Bug and I didn't get an iced coffee, but as I sit here on my lunch break, I've finished half of my chicken salad sandwich and am making good headway on the Coffee Heath Bar Crunch ice cream!

Two out of three ain't bad!