Addiction and Moderation: carrot cake, salami, more

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It is no secret that I would 'kill' for a good carrot cake. I still remember the carrot cake a lady in Memphis, Tennessee, use to make for me for my birthday that you needed two hands to carry it and was s-o-o-o-o-o good! See the carrot cake above? A friend bought it for me--so, of course, he is a friend for life--and I decided I would have a small slice, freeze the rest and have some later during the week. The decision lasted for 2 hours when I took it out of the freezer and ate it all. It is easier for me to eat 2-3 cookies and throw or give the rest away than to eat 2-3 and stop eating. It is even easier for me to NOT open the package and eat none. Whether I bring home a pint, a quart or half a gallon of ice cream I know I will eat it all before I go to bed. I once had a friend tell me I was supposed to let the piece of chocolate candy rest and melt on the back of my tongue. I am still laughing at that of advice/information year later. I've always liked sweets but after I stopped drinking alcohol I became a sugar addict which isn't easy to handle when you want to keep your weight down so in a sense I have learned some moderation regarding them. I don't bring ice cream home but I will have a scoop of vanilla ice cream after dinner in a restaurant, even when I know that it will cost more than buying that half a gallon in the store. As much as I love carrot cake I will only have a CAKE 2-3 times a year but like the ice cream, I will order it (not both) after dinner for dessert in a restaurant. The other day Allen and I went to JMarks restaurant here in Fort Lauderdale and they were out of ice cream (!!!) and when he went over the list of desserts he said the magic words, carrot cake. It was a large piece, it tasted good and Allen had the same coming to $15.90 for both pieces! (See the cake picture up on top? That cost less! ARGH!! Moderation is expensive!!) Don't get me wrong as I love many things besides sweets. I don't have leftovers nor do I share food, (Why do you think I prefer being single?), and I don't remember the last time I took a doggy bag home. I love pizza, hot burning my tongue, cold from the fridge, frozen kinds, bad, any kind! I don't care for coconut but I won't turn down a Mounds bar or a slice, or two, of coconut cake. I use to get a pound, or two, of salami and/or bologna, a loaf of bread, cheese, onions, mustard, mayonnaise and just make sandwich after sandwich til everything was gone. I could go on and on but whether I like(d) a food or not I would eat it---all! Well, there was one exception as I will never forget my first taste and the taste of Oyster Plant! Never say never but I will never eat that again. I have a cupboard full of boxes of pasta, containers of cooking chicken stock, packages of rice, Jambalaya mix, jars of salsa, mushrooms, cans of soups, vegetables, jars of Planter's Peanuts, salt-free pretzels, low-calorie bags of popcorn, etc., and all are safe as long as they stay in the cupboard and I don't open them. Maybe you can get a pound box of linguini to serve 8, as it says on the box, but it will serve me with sauce and other 'things' in it. On the other hand, anything in the fridge is game for me to eat at any time. Okay it is mainly healthy or 'diet' food: fruits, bottled water, potatoes to be baked, a plate of dinner for tonight and one tomorrow, bread, cheese, rice cakes, onions, condiments, defrosted frozen foods, fresh fruits, salad and fixings, orange juice, tart cherry juice (for gout attacks) and NOT a pizza, carrot cake or any size of container of ice cream. I've always said that it is easier to lose weight than keep it off and the statistics back that up but whether it is an addiction or having to learn modification it is worth the fight!