I used to work at a place where we were deluged around the holidays with gifts of food from clients. We would get baskets of beautiful fruit and cheeses, large tubs of popcorn and candy, and several tins of roasted, salted, Virginia peanuts. It was the tradition there that the gifts would be opened and shared, so it was a very tempting situation, especially for someone like me. A good friend I worked with never ate the peanuts and one day I asked him about it. He said if he ate one peanut, it would lead to a handful and then another every time he passed by (which is what I had been doing).
I should point out that my friend is in great shape and I had heard him express this same sentiment before. He grew up in a tough neighborhood in NY. He told me about looking out the window of his apartment as a boy and seeing people who were drunk or high hanging out in the courtyard. He felt like the negative forces around him were so strong that if he ever smoked one cigarette, or drank one beer, any tiny crack in the wall would lead to a strong addiction. In fact, he saw that exact fear come to life with many of the friends he grew up with. He is now a successful businessman with four kids of his own. To this day he has never smoked a cigarette or tasted alcohol AND he stays away from the peanuts.
Fortunately, I did not have the same stresses that my friend did growing up. However, maybe that security that I felt led me to be incautious or even cocky that I would not get my hand caught in the trap. It could not happen to me. Whiskers quivering, I reached in to grab just one more peanut. and SNAP!!!
Consumption:
Bran chex and Honey Oats Cheerios cereal in milk
Half a grapefruit
10 almonds
Panini chicken sandwich with cheddar cheese (half the restaurant serving)
Carrots
Cheese string
Steak
Salad
Feta cheese
Roasted potatoes
Milk
1 glass of red wine
Exercise:
None
I should point out that my friend is in great shape and I had heard him express this same sentiment before. He grew up in a tough neighborhood in NY. He told me about looking out the window of his apartment as a boy and seeing people who were drunk or high hanging out in the courtyard. He felt like the negative forces around him were so strong that if he ever smoked one cigarette, or drank one beer, any tiny crack in the wall would lead to a strong addiction. In fact, he saw that exact fear come to life with many of the friends he grew up with. He is now a successful businessman with four kids of his own. To this day he has never smoked a cigarette or tasted alcohol AND he stays away from the peanuts.
Fortunately, I did not have the same stresses that my friend did growing up. However, maybe that security that I felt led me to be incautious or even cocky that I would not get my hand caught in the trap. It could not happen to me. Whiskers quivering, I reached in to grab just one more peanut. and SNAP!!!
Consumption:
Bran chex and Honey Oats Cheerios cereal in milk
Half a grapefruit
10 almonds
Panini chicken sandwich with cheddar cheese (half the restaurant serving)
Carrots
Cheese string
Steak
Salad
Feta cheese
Roasted potatoes
Milk
1 glass of red wine
Exercise:
None
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