"What's Dragging You Down?" Challenge

[Cleave]

What's Dragging You Down?

You eat clean with lots of veggies and meats and fish but your diet is still not right. If you want to drop those last few pounds or just clean things up to bust a plateau you've got to throw out the trash and look for the hidden calories and chemicals that are dragging you down.

What is you vice?
Redbull?
Mountain Dew?
Candy Bars?
French fries?
Beer?

About 6 months ago I stopped drinking diet Cokes. It was easier than I thought. I feel better and I'm saving money. I used to drink 4 or 5 a day. I know I add too much salt to my food too so I'm challenging myself to abstain from adding any salt and look for the hidden salt in prepared food. I think I can drop 5 pounds just by reducing my sodium intake.

So what is your Achilles heal? Figure out what's dragging you down and get rid of it. Post what your working on in this thread and we'll give you the support you need to give up what's dragging you down.

Cleave

[pagangoddess]

What's Dragging You Down?

So what is your Achilles heal? Figure out what's dragging you down and get rid of it. Post what your working on in this thread and we'll give you the support you need to give up what's dragging you down.

Cleave

*I have an over active sweet tooth. Especially dark chocolate or peanut butter/chocolate combination.

*The local coffee shop has the best mocha. They use dark chocolate in it so it's not too sweet and a perfect compliment to the esspresso.

*And last but not least diet coke.

I recently committed myself to going junk free for 30 days. So I have had no chocolate, coffee or diet coke for 5 days now. My goal in doing this is to take control of it rather than it controlling me.

As James (Atypical) said "it's just stuff on a plate." Kind of puts it in perspective.

[bhughesiii]

Chocolate is my killer, I can sometimes go a week or two with out it, but then I get in a slump sort of day and I have to hit up the convenience store for a candy bar and that sticks with me for about a week. I am going to try for an entire month without chocolate.

[bhughesiii]

*I have an over active sweet tooth. Especially dark chocolate or peanut butter/chocolate combination.

PB & chocolate is my combination of choice!

[Cleave]

If I can get rid of salt then I'm sure you guys can punt the chocolate. I'm no expert but I think dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure and is a potent anti-oxidant?

Why don't you give up the candy bars and keep some dark chocolate around as a backup just in case.

So far so good today. I had a salad for lunch topped with leftover steak from last night. I added a little olive oil and apple cider vinegar but skipped the additional salt.

[bhughesiii]

If I can get rid of salt then I'm sure you guys can punt the chocolate. I'm no expert but I think dark chocolate helps lower blood pressure and is a potent anti-oxidant?

Why don't you give up the candy bars and keep some dark chocolate around as a backup just in case.

So far so good today. I had a salad for lunch topped with leftover steak from last night. I added a little olive oil and apple cider vinegar but skipped the additional salt.

I thought about that, when I was doing Weight Watchers, I found these Hershey's dark chocolate sticks.. 60cals and one would satisfy my cravings.. Might have to find those again.

[pagangoddess]

Why don't you give up the candy bars and keep some dark chocolate around as a backup just in case.

Because if it's in the house I'll eat it. It's best for me to leave it at the store. The more effort it takes for me to get my hands on it the better. It gives me time to really think about whether I want it or not.

[maroon]

Beer.

I love it. Only drink a couple of times a week, and I very rarely get smashed. But it's still not that healthy.

[bhughesiii]

If we are gonna talk alcohol, then I have to admit Slivovica has become my new addiction, thankfully I don't drink that often so it is not hindering me.

[Mouse]

So far so good today. I had a salad for lunch topped with leftover steak from last night. I added a little olive oil and apple cider vinegar but skipped the additional salt.

Good work on lowering the salt Cleave.

I'm not sure what "leftover steak" is - never had that in my house

[Kathy]

Diet Coke...What is it about diet coke?? I could drink 12 of these a day but limit myself to 3 and even that is not all that good for you.

Also, diet snapple, teddy grahams, oyster crackers and chocolate. I solved the teddy grahams and oyster crackers problem by not buying them anymore. Kids keep asking what happened to those snacks I will rip into the chocolate chips I keep on hand for baking if I am desperate - so ridiculous!!

Good job on getting rid of the salt, Cleave. That is my hub's addiction and I know it is tough to kick!

[Love_Deadlifts]

Energy drinks, beer, etc...

[LizzyLifts]

in a word....sodium

in the form of added salt or soy sauce...it's a sneaky thing too, cause it seems to creep into everything i eat. My husband has borderline high blood pressure so he's all over me to cut back. We're aware, but for me, i rationalize that a little here and there won't hurt...but it adds up.

i'll take the challenge and start with cutting out any kind of sodium added to my plate....sigh.

[herf]

Since I restarted the AD, I would have said any carb laden food that is laying around the house. But since I cut out all sugar, I would have to say I still drink about 2 8oz mugs of coffee per day. 3-4 cans of diet soda a day. Quite a bit of Arizona diet green tea. And lastly, very little water. To me cutting carbs was either all or nothing. I have to go cold turkey or it just does not work. I could not just have 1 piece of pizza, it turned into half the damn pizza haha.
Salt or chocolate is now no problem. Never really like salt, so I'm lucky there.

[DaveT]

Alcohol!
Red wine - once the bottle is open, it's guaranteed to be finished. It's impossible for me to have one glass without wanting a 2nd, and by the time I've had the second, well half the bottle's gone (I use big glasses), so I might as well finish it. Also it doesn't taste as good if you leave it for too long. I limit myself to a bottle a week, normally on a Friday night - post work week wind down. I used to drink 3 or 4 bottles a week.
On Saturdays I go trail running with the Taichung Hash House Harriers and this invariably entails drinking a few beers afterwards. If I'm not careful 2 or 3 beers turns into 7..8..or more - my tipping point is 4. I have to make the decision not to have a 4th beer, then I'm ok. If I have the 4th, I stop caring anymore and just start guzzling them down!