Crumb Cake: A Slippery Slope

Photo by Kirsten Drew on Unsplash

A worthy treat, but…

During our week at the beach I have access to two different varieties of crumb cake (one of my favorite things) that are nowhere to be found in Alexandria, Virginia, and I probably had it more than half of the days we were there. 

I have shared that for me, sweets, and gaining control around them was a struggle that lasted long beyond my achieving weight loss success.  Ultimately, what I did not like was the feeling that every time I ate a cookie, or had cake, I had trouble stopping.  It was the powerlessness that troubled me.

Do I feel powerless around the crumb cake?  Sometimes.  Do I enjoy eating it anyway?  Every time.

So what is the problem - and why am I sharing this?  The problem is that by week’s end I am craving ALL the sweets.  A place I used to LIVE in full time, but now only VISIT.  At home, I routinely limit my sweets on a day to day basis because those cravings are powerful to resist, and lead me to poor choices.  

I have the crumb cake while in Avalon because it is a treat, and I look forward to it.  I am all for treats because they add richness and enjoyment to life.  How do I define a treat?  Something you enjoy occasionally.  If you have chocolate every day, calling it a treat is inaccurate.  If you have it every day, it is part of your program.  There is no problem with that as long as your language and thinking around it are clear.  

Understanding myself better after all these years, and after many years of eating said crumb cake, I know that when I get back I have to reel in the sugar ASAP or the situation will get away from me.  The sugar cravings stay with me for a number of days, but then pass, and I am back to my set point living without the cravings.  Is it hard to hit that reset?  Yes.  Is it easier than going back to the daily battles I had with myself, feeling powerless and out of control?  Yes.  

All my good habits and years of maintenance do not mean anything if I do not remain consistently self aware and thoughtful about what I am eating.  Backsliding is very sneaky and easy to miss if you are not vigilant.  So much of long term success is not about the calories, but about managing our thoughts around food and our relationship to it.   

Enjoy your treats as we get to the end of summer.  Pay attention to the words in your head and how you feel, before, during and after eating a treat. Act accordingly.  

Stay powerful this week.