Where Have All The Brownies Gone?

I was so incensed and out of control last night – my husband stole my brownies!

It made me realize once again that deprivation = insanity!

Confession time:

I told you that I don’t believe in deprivation. Well, I also don’t believe in sharing.

In my house I hide brownies. My “source” supplies brownies that are so rich that I cut them into 16 little pieces so that I can savor them whenever I want.

I hide them in the freezer.

Because I am a woman of my word!

I tell my clients:
- eat when “just” hungry – not “starved”
- eat food you LOVE,
(no low fat, sugar free garbage unless you LOVE it!)
- sit and savor food,
- until you are satisfied

I suggest that they have plenty of their favorite foods available to them so they don’t feel deprived.

I am not deprived – until last night!

I came out of my daughter’s room at her bedtime looking for Ginger the Cat.

And - looking forward to my snack.

There he was: my husband casually walking into the living room –

with MY BROWNIE in his grubby hand!
MY BROWNIE!

I went crazy!

The brownie was only ½” square (memorial service scheduled today) but I spotted it from the distance and lept at him.

“I can’t believe that you are eating my brownie!”

“Give it to me! David, really, it’s MY BROWNIE!”

I honestly felt panicked!

My daughter heard the noise and ran to her father’s aid.

“Here, eat the brownie Melia!”

He popped it into her mouth.

I went CRAZY!

“That is MY BROWNIE!” I heard myself yell.

“Great!” I screamed, “She’ll never get to sleep now!” (neither would I)

I was incensed - out of control.

This episode continued for over an hour – in my head anyway.

I brought Melia back to bed (after she danced – no lie – for 15 minutes – on her caffeine and sugar high).

I was never told where the rest of the brownie stash was (still don’t know as of this writing).

But I kept yelling (somewhat – but not entirely in jest) from her bedroom:

“BROWNIE STEALER!”

They both thought that this was hilarious. (I was still frustrated).

What happened?

1. I still don’t know where the d___ brownies are!

2. I was so agitated (true confession) that I ate some other chocolate, took a sleeping pill and went to bed.

3. I am over it (I am heading out as soon as I finish writing this for a new stash – and he won’t find them this time!)

4. I will make sure that he never runs out of Kit Kats again.

5. I didn’t threaten him with “never having marital relations again” (my daughter was in the room after all)

6. Just thinking about this still makes me CRAZY!


DEPRIVATION!

I am not exaggerating when I say that I was:

Panicked
Crazy
Insane
Irrational
“Starved”
Desperate

I could not believe my reaction. (That’s a lie – yes I could!)

So what happened? Aren’t I supposed to be the one in CONTROL?

After all, I am teaching self-love –
(but note: not love for family members who steal)

and losing weight through connection with your beliefs.

WHAT HAPPENED?

I was deprived.

“WHY DIETS DON’T WORK – PART I”

Results of a study of “normal” men – deprived of 50% of their calories:

(Less drastic than many diets)

THEY WENT CRAZY!

Angry
Depressed
Hoarding (sounds like me but give me a break!)
Stealing

BINGEING (big surprise)

The bingeing got worse when the study ended 6 months later.

“They were never the same again.”

(“Good,” one of my clients said “they became just like women.”)

What’s the point?

1. I still have some work to do if I was triggered like that.

Full disclosure:

My WWMM (Wild Wicked Mean Me) brain torments me with:

“How can you teach other women to lose weight when you were triggered?”

I don’t know – but I can. I’ll get back to you on that.



2. As soon as we feel deprived we go BEZERK!
More truth: it was the first time in ages I have felt deprived.
I still have some work to do.

3. You must allow yourself to eat ALL your favorite foods (counter intuitive I know, but I, and my clients do it every day).

4. Diets don’t work (more on this later)

And finally, forgive me for being human (I mean it – but it’s the only way I can be) and still be successful at “living like a normal person” when it comes to food. I can still easily maintain my weight.

Today
Forgive yourself.
Tell your WWMM brain (see above) to shut up.
Eat food you love.

Love yourself (I love you)