diet techniques from a failed dieter

Holy crap, I love being at home.

I now have more than one friend who grew up with a nutritionist mom.  And classic Asian mothers are super vigilant about health and weight, especially with daughters.

I grew up with neither of these.  I grew up on McD's, instant ramen, frozen dinners, family-sized Cool Ranch Doritos, and ... rice.  I'm not sure if it was learned or innate, but "voraciously" is the only way I know how to eat.

So anyways.  Being at home means snacks, salty and sweet, on every visible surface.  It also means any minuscule progress I make towards a lifestyle change while living alone goes out the window.

Roast duck and twice cooked pork for breakfast?  Dumplings and ice cream sandwiches after a lunch of fries and burger?  Binge eating at 2am?  Yes, yup, absolutely.

So my only way of ensuring I don't mindlessly polish off whatever empty calories are put in front of me is to just not purchase it.  No snack foods (except pretzels and unpopped popcorn).  No peanut butter.  No bread.  Now no cheese.

Taking that one extra step of convenience out of the routine is the best way to keep me in check because what is more limiting than my time and motivation?  Peanut butter was the first of the homemade staples.  My favorite thing being browsing the nut butter aisle with all their new and intriguing combinations and going home to recreate and/or revamp.

Honey pretzel peanut butter

and not pictured coconut milk and cranberry peanut butter

and cumin, turmeric, and cayenne peanut butter as inspired by Yum Butter.  On buckwheat pancakes with apple butter from Porchlight Products.

So far so good.  I can still shove myself into all of my pants.  But let me get back to you after my lazy week at home.