A Useful Traffic Sign

RED Light!  GREEN Light!  Do you remember that childhood game?  Even as children, we learned what action to take at a red or green light.

I think I told you that 100 years ago, I worked for a national weight loss company who used these universal symbols to teach about “good food” and “bad food.”  I’ve actually tweaked the concept so that it is useful to ME.  Read on…

I’ll show you what my red light list looks like: stove popped popcorn, Wheat Thin Stix, original little Fritos, AJ’s dips, interesting bread and French fries.  These are all foods that I could and would eat and eat and eat some more, if I let myself.  My body would accommodate as long as my brain looked the other way.  (Nuts and peanut butter used to be here, but no more.  I’ll blog about that later.)

There's a whole other category of foods that could easily make it on my red light list if it weren’t for that small voice in my head reminding me of the physical consequences of indulging.  Thankfully, I have learned to connect the dots between what I eat and how I feel.  So these are on my yellow light list.  (Proceed with caution!)  This list includes red wine, (I love red wine, but only one glass---experience has taught me that even a sip out of glass #2 makes my head pound.  SO not worth it.)  It includes all forms of my beloved Mexican food, which thankfully makes me so full so fast that I can't overeat.  Also on this list would be the “sweets” category that I only want every so often, because I don’t like that yucky aftertaste sugar leaves in my mouth.

My green light list, as you might imagine, has all things healthy and wholesome and good. Beans (legumes) TOP this list for me: full of protein, fiber, carbs and they are delicious with salsa!  J 

Now make your lists.  Sit and think about this for a while.  Mentally go through a couple of days’ worth from your food journal.  What color list did you eat the most from?  What were you feeling afterward, both physically AND mentally?  What foods could you practice portion control with?  Why?  Conversely, which ones do you say, "I've already eaten this much...may as well finish off the box?"  What have you eaten that made you think, “I got this!  I can do healthy.”  Do you need to put restaurant food on your red light list because you can’t separate the value from the cost? Are you in tune enough to listen when your body gives you feedback about your choices? 

With your red light list in hand, take a look in your pantry and refrigerator.  GET RID of those foods that you know are “triggers” for you.  (Dry cereal.  I wish I had a dime for every client that can't be in the same zip code as a box of dry cereal.)  Why oh why would you torture yourself?  From your yellow light list, take a lesson in cause and effect.   Be grateful that you have accepted you really ARE what you eat, and moderately enjoy these foods.  Stock up with green light foods and make them your basis for meals.  

Learn this go-round.  This time things are different.  This time, you're figuring out how to eat for the rest of your healthy life.  You got this!