Even though I've reduced many of my excesses I am still prone to over indulging for pleasure or recompense. Like just about everyone else I tend to seek escape in worldly pleasures, these days they're fairly tame but can still cause problems. My indulgence at this time of year is FOOD! There's so much around, Christmas is like a glut!
Shortbread for your love handles!
Early January is a funny time of year, the stores are over stocked with Christmas goodies and Darwin is still mostly devoid of people, due to the annual Christmas Exodus. Basically in this town many of those who live here come from elsewhere. A lot of people head back to whence they came to spend Christmas with their family. Retreating South, 'going home' for Christmas! I reckon Darwin is a pretty cool place to live in at this time of year. It's nice and quiet. It also means that the shops have to reduce the price of all that Christmas stock, which presents me with more temptation than I can bear!
By nature I tend to function a bit like a 'Hunter gatherer', well more of a scavenger actually. I plan my personal meals around what I can scrounge for the lowest price if not for free! Family meals are more organized but we do tend to rely on marked down food from the supermarket, we get by pretty well like that actually. It's more of a lifestyle choice than a necessity for me really, living frugally has allowed me to work 4 days a week and doesn't create too many problems... Unless I actually get more than I need!
Through the year we tend to eat a lot of potatoes, rice, noodles, vegetables and not too much meat (not counting last month's unprecedented amounts of ice-cream!). I can usually counterbalance any dietary excesses by doing extra miles on the bike or riding harder... or missing lunch at work... (I hate missing out on lunch!)
I love food but can get away with eating fairly large serves of normal food so long as I work it off on the bike. The problem at this time of year there is so much cheap food and this month I am only riding to work twice a week! I've been scoffing down cheap fruit mince pies three at a time and so much lovely shortbread that I can feel the butter oozing through my veins! It's disgusting and they keep marking the prices down, cheaper and cheaper! Today we got half a dozen three dollar packets of the shortbread for 49 cents each! At the rate I've been eating this stuff it's possible I'll die from a heart attach or an aneurism on my way back to the shop for more shortbread while stuffing another mince pie in my gob!
Moving Lard Cart
It's time for a reality check! Last night I as I slipped into my chair at the computer I felt my belly resting on the desk! A loose roll of fat rolled over the edge of the table and wobbled as I sat down! Not a good sign! I can no longer rely on physical activity and a limited budget to maintain reasonable health... I'm going to have to practice... moderation.... and possibly stop eating after my first second fruit mince pie... ARGH!
I find the thought of being mindful of my weight appalling! What kind of life am I living that I cant expect to burn off any excess energy simply as a matter of course during my daily activities? Have I become some sedentary suburban slob? (Well yes technically I have been living like this for many years but I refuse to be classified in that way or to concede defeat!)
Now that we've got this new Cargobike our family is facing another dilemma, although we are getting exercise riding to the shop, we actually have carrying capacity for so much more junk food!
I may be saved... they're selling 5kg bags of Basmati rice for just $6! I can remain true to my scavenger nature and actually get some reasonable food back into my diet!
Happy New Year.
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