Do you see the possible temptation here?
Oreos. On the counter.
On February 10th, my mom celebrated her birthday; in heaven. I cried a little on my way to work, praying that God had thrown my mom and much deserved birthday party but thankfully was distracted with a lengthy to-do list once I got to the office. When I got home that evening, I walked into the kitchen and saw the blue package on the counter.
Oreo’s were my mom’s favorite. Carlos, the sweet guy that he was, bought a package for us in memory of mom and her birthday.
Carlos and I both had a couple that evening and then, I sealed the package and did my best to divert my attention away from the temptation. I did fairly well that Saturday and again Sunday. I had a couple each day. And then Monday hit. I found myself grabbing one every time I walked by the package.
So I stuck them in the freezer. Out of sight, out of mind. It worked. I still had a couple each day but nothing binge-like at all. In fact, I was pretty proud of myself.
On Friday, 7 days later, I realized I still had oreos left. A package of oreos had been in our house for A WHOLE WEEK. I didn’t eat the whole thing in 5 days. Or 3 days. Or 1 day. I did it.
I finished the package this past weekend, eating a couple more each day and while it isn’t on my shopping list to replace the package of oreros, I now know I can do it. I may fall often in my healthiness journey but I’ve come a long way.
I celebrated mom’s birthday for a whole week,
a few oreos at a time.
Happy birthday, mom!
Healthiness is not about being perfect – it is about recognizing the growth day after day and celebrating the small victories.
{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
That is ao awesome Jen!! I love when you share about your mom. Just the little snippets that come through now and then that are part of the fabric of your life. It helps me to not feel so awkward about my situation with how I feel about my own mother and the anniversary of her passing & her birthday. Of course, my situation was one more of abuse & intermitent emotional torture, but there were snippets that shine through in my memory bank of loving times. The anniversary of my mother & her father’s deaths (they died 1 year and 12 hours apart) was February 15th. And so I found myself having my share of a very unhealthy combo of peanut butter and brown sugar on wheat bread. Mom used to make those for me when I was a kid. I don’t know about you, but I always find that it is the anticipation leading up to the day that is harder for me to deal with rather than the actual day itself.
Anyway… I am so happy for you that this year you were able to celebrate your mother’s birthday for a whole week!! That is awesome and I am sure a great honor for her
Thanks so much, again, for sharing!
I totally know what you mean about the days leading up to the actual day. Hope you made it through okay!
Hi Jen,
I am going to buy some Oreos in honor of your mom. Even thought I am a diabetic I can have a couple.. I know you miss her but she is one of the best mom’s.. I am proud of you for who you are. Carlos is such a good guy.. But you already know that..
Hugs Girlie
I dont ever advocate eating Oreos…but in this case…I think it’s OK.
I think about you and your mom often. I hope she did get her party. ((hug))
Elle ~ beautiful expression and thoughts…I’m right there with ya!! The more I lose weight, the more I seem to be willing to come out of my shell & do things with/for others
It really is amazing how much better my life seems to get overall for me then ~ and there’s another reason to stay motivated!
Smiles & hugs from Minneapolis
Runa
Oreos must be everyone’s favorite cookie! I just had some terrific oreo cupcakes last weekend made by one of my gfs.
Happy Birthday Week to your mom!
That is an accomplishment! I find myself getting better about those things, too. It used to be that if I had something “bad” in the house, I’d eat it all as quickly as I could (in one or two sittings) to get it out of the house so that it wouldn’t tempt me. What kind of thinking is that?!
It feels great when we know that we can “handle” having something around and that it didn’t take control of us.
What a wonderful way to celebrate and honor your mom.
Happy Birthday to your mother!
She had good taste; oreos are one of my favorites too!
You’ve got a sweet man there
Happy Birthday to your mom! It sounds like you made it through this bittersweet day very well… congratulations on beating the Oreos! I have had 2 bags of tortilla chips in my cupboard that some friends left after the super bowl and every day I don’t touch them is like a mini superbowl that I am the mvp of, ha ha. I know I can’t open them and just have a little bit like you did with the oreos yet, but maybe some day. For now I’ll stick with smugly glancing at them every time I walk past. I would’ve thrown them away but I’m taking them to a party next week.
Happy birthday to your mother as well.
I love the week-long Oreo celebration and well done on eking them out for that long!
Deb
Good for you, Jen! I know that these birthdays/anniversaries are extremely tough, but glad to hear that you made it through AND took care of yourself!
Your hubby-to-be really does sound like a sweetheart!
I stumbled upon your page today thanks to msn’s fitbie. I cried for you while reading this. My mom passed away suddenly in October 2010. As the only child, still single at the age of 29, I found myself moving back home to help my dad. Working out has been a huge part of how I’ve coped with my situation. I’m trying to work on my diet, but it’s a challenge. I’m glad you were able to survive your mom’s birthday AND were able to celebrate her a little at a time throughout the week. That’s amazing!