Wait ... I didn't REALLY want that!

Have you ever fallen victim to the "allure of food?" If you struggle with your weight, I'm sure that you have - those delectables that you just can't keep your hands off can often seem too appealing to pass up. But what about when you're on track, trying to make good food choices - can we still get fooled by an outwardly glamorous, healthy sounding menu item?

Earlier today, I decided to eat lunch at my favorite grilled chicken place. Towards the end of my order, the cashier asked if I would like a whole wheat pita. Now, I usually pass on the regular pita. Today was different. "Ooh!" I thought to myself, "whole wheat huh? Sounds healthy and delicious." Famous last words.

What was I thinking? I know better than that. Your average whole wheat pita is only marginally healthier than your average white flour pita - slightly higher fiber, barely lower calories. And I know that whether I eat the pita or not doesn't really effect my satisfaction with my lunch. Those were empty calories that I jumped on because of two words that sometimes aren't easy for the calorie-conscious to pass up: whole wheat. I didn't REALLY want that pita, but, for some reason, I still said yes anyway!

One of the things that I love about maintaining my weight loss is that I'm constantly reminded of my fallibility. Just when I think I've mastered the whole "weight thing," something like a whole wheat pita reminds me that my ongoing vigilance is key to my ongoing success.

So this is what it boils down to: only when we are consistently present and aware in our decision making can we consistently make sound choices about what goes in our mouth!