Snacking on the train ride home

It took all the will power I had make it through Union Station today without faltering.

Descending the first flight of stairs from Adams Street I first confronted Mrs. Fields. Oh that lovely entrepreneur is really quite wicked! The comforting aroma of warm cookies was ever-present at that particular spot. I knew precisely where those delicious but deadly treats were but I turned to look just the same. And when I did I saw a display case loaded with white chocolate macadamia nut cookies and the chocolate chocolate chip cookies and the sugar cookies.

"Keep walking" I said to myself while I battled the irrational fear that I might never again have the chance to sink my teeth into a warm, moist and chocolatey cookie. I made it! I've made past the cookie shop!

But wait! Oh no! It's McDonald's! I love McDonald's! I ate a McDonald's hamburger the day I arrived in America some 37 years ago and my fat cells have been kept stuffed ever since.

At McD's its the big color pictures of cheesy, beefy $1 burgers that attack my senses. "Oh man, what a deal!" I think to myself, "For $3.33 I can get full on 3 McDoubles!"

No!! I willed my legs to keep turning over, on foot in front of the other, and down the stairs. I made a deal with myself right then and there: "go down to the train level and if the train isn't at the gate then the McDoubles are mine!"

The train wasn't on track 9 where it was expected, but by now the temptation had waned. Phew! I made it through Union Station without stuffing myself with sugars, salt, fat and carbs. Damn, that was hard!

Once I got on the train my mind wandered to dinner! Where can we go for dinner tonight?

That's when I knew I had to pull out the protein bar. Mmmmmmm. Chewy. Sweet. Yum! It's amazing how absolutely appetizing and delicious a protein bar tastes when you're genuinely, truly hungry.

Peace. Finally, I had peace. No more fixating over food. I could finally think more objectively about dinner and not need to constantly fight off the urge to stop at every McD's, Burger King and Wendy's between my train station and my house (I'm not joking - it's an ongoing dialogue in my head)!

Eating healthy is tough and then cutting back calories to lose weight makes it even worse!

Patience! There will be a time and a place for the cookies and the burgers. They are not banished forever. They're just on hold until I drop 25 pounds.