FREE Food Part 2

If you've read my post entitled "Oh look, it's FREE" you'll know I mentioned that I seem to continually be getting gifts of food.

This past week I opened my e-mail to find a gift of one FREE bagel per day for an entire MONTH from Panera Bread.

A WHOLE MONTH of FREE BAGELS???!!!!!!!

At first I thought this was something they were giving everyone.

Part of me also wondered if it was some kind of trick, but no.  

It's real and it's not given to everyone apparently, only a few.  

I went in this week and got free bagels for my co-workers and my son among others.  

Of course one day I purchased a non-fat latte so, yes, I know they're just trying to give me incentive to come and spend money on other things but I have only made that one purchase thus far.

Of note, I haven't yet eaten a bagel myself.  I've given all the ones I've gotten away.

Fortunately bagels aren't a huge temptation for me but other things in Panera...

let's just say I avoid eye contact with the souffles the way you would an ex-boyfriend(I'm totally laughing at that one).  

It's really crazy, isn't it, that when you're not looking for something there it is in your face.

I'm allergic to cats to the point of having an asthma attack when I'm around them and it's like cats just know who's avoiding them and they tend to gravitate towards me.  

But, in all things I try to learn.  

Right before I joined WW I remember thinking "Oh gosh I can't join right now because 4th of July is coming up and our family does a big party.  Oh and then it's so and so's birthday, then the fall(I love fall food!), then Halloween, Thanksgiving and Chistmas...."

The truth is that there always has been and always will be an occasion and there will always be temptation.  

At home I try to control that by not keeping junk food in my house but in a family whose get-togethers revolve around food there is always temptation.  

Looking back over the past year I realize however, that I've navigated a lot of potentially scary situations.   

I've eaten some junk but my "bad days" are much less heinous than they used to be and I know my body loves me for it.

I know that because I physically feel different.

Dealing with heart burn, feeling heavy and fatigued are no longer part of my reality and I love that.

It's also just great to know I'm respecting and taking care of my body the way I should and that I'm modeling that kind of self-respect for my son.  

I also think eating that junk only 20% of the time, as I do with WW, has been a big part of what has kept me on track.  

I don't feel like a victim.  

I don't have to be one of the multitudes who wear their victim-hood like a badge of honor saying "I can't eat that".

I can eat it.  I just plan for it.

And when I do choose to have it I relish it.

I enjoy my food more now than I did.  

And that, is something to celebrate.