Habits Old and New

I think I've kicked my diet Coke habit. It almost snuck up on me, but I've gone about two weeks without a single diet soda of any kind. I haven't really even been tempted lately. It's interesting how habits are broken or instilled, isn't it? I had to really talk myself out of a diet Coke several times over the past month or two, but suddenly I don't think about it much.

I have a coworker who has a habit of picking at her lip. I feel for her because I had that same habit for several years -- after breaking the habit of biting my nails to the quick. I picked at my lip for at least two years, but eventually decided to start wearing lipstick. It's a bit difficult to pick at your lip while wearing lipstick, since you get terribly messy fingers! Now I feel naked without lipstick or colored lip gloss of some type. Anyway, I found a substitute for my habits. Now, how to find a substitute for eating? It would have to be something doable anywhere at any time. Oh wait! I have an idea! Just deal with life -- sit and experience it in all of its painful, wonderful glory.

Okay, I'm being facetious, but I really think I can do this. At several meals lately, I've been okay with just sitting and feeling the feeling of wanting more, but not eating more because I'm no longer hungry. At some meals, the food was so yummy I wanted more, more, more, but wasn't still hungry. I just sat and thought about how I ate all I could at every meal growing up, but no longer have that need. I can eat again whenever I'm hungry, even it it's only two hours after dinner. I'm the grown up now and no one can "catch" me eating when I'm not supposed to. I won't get in trouble for eating something when it's not mealtime.

I have been eating slowly at every meals as I promised I'd do last week. I even ate my several pieces of cake and cookies slowly on Sunday. It's kind of amazing that sometimes I realize I've had enough of something before the dish is empty -- or just realize I don't want something and can just not eat it. We had KFC last week because I had to make cookies for work and cupcakes for C to take to school as a birthday treat, and didn't want to have to cook a meal in addition to all of that baking. I started to eat a chicken breast (sans skin, which has an incredible ick factor IMO) and halfway through I realized, "I don't really want this anymore". My dinner was a chicken breast, some veggies, and an apple. That's all I really wanted. I think I ate dessert later, but I was physically hungry, which made it much more satisfying.