Things You Can’t Eat in Moderation [Bloggin’ on the ETC]

One of the nice things about being in my mid-thirties is that I no longer have the wild optimism of my twenties.

Don’t get me wrong, there are many things to be said for a can-do attitude. Really, would anyone attempt a career in the arts if they didn’t start out thinking that doing so would easier than it actually is? In many ways we need an initially full well of confidence in self to power us through the lean years and all the rejection that comes with pursuing art. However, it does feel like I’ve spent much of my thirties unlearning the magical thinking of my twenties. Most especially when is comes to the practical stuff.

For example, I now know I won’t remember an idea “if it’s good enough.” I’m a forgetful person, and I need to write it down.

I missed an important meeting with my FaN colleagues last Saturday, which doubly convinced me that my now two year old practice of checking my calendar every night before I go to bed is not only suggested, but completely necessary.

I won’t exercise spontaneously because it’s suggested and good for me. I totally need to plan that ish out. 

If I don’t put an event in my calendar then it might as well not exist. Same goes for errands added to my ToDo app. I’ve been known to answer my husband’s follow-up queries about things I promised to do with what I feel is the very logical conclusion of, “No, I forgot. You should have made me put it on my ToDo app.” Now he tends to say, “Could you put [mundane task] on your ToDo list.” And if it’s really important, he offers to bring me my phone. This is the very definition of Companionship.

My latest admittance is that while I pride myself on eating good food most of the time, and really bad foods only occasionally, there are certain foods I cannot eat in moderation. Namely candy. More specifically anything of a gummy variety from Haribo to Lifesavers gummies to the Hi-Chews, which inspired this Facebook post last week:

Husband gave me two packages of Hi-Chews before he left for work and told me not to consume them before lunch. Those Hi-Chews are now gone, and I’m not scheduled to eat lunch until 1pm. I blame him completely. Seriously, what did he think would happen?

From what I could remember of the Hi-Chews, one minute they were there, and the next I was fighting off a sugar coma amidst a tiny mountain of individual wrappers. I suspect anyone watching this scene might have been able to apply the words “Tasmanian Devil” to the situation. Though, I quite rightly blamed my husband for the incident, it occurred to me then that I really didn’t have any self-control when it comes to this particular kind of food. I’ll make do with a small slice of cake, one square of chocolate, or half of a greasy hamburger, but there’s no such thing as a package of gummy candy that last more than twenty-four hours in my Gollum-like clutches. And thus, I’ve come to the conclusion that these things either have to be kept out of the house our hidden from me.

How about you? Is there a food you just can’t eat in moderation? Let me know in the comments.