Red Light Foods

Many moons ago, when I went to Weight Watchers meetings in Tallahassee (I think it was 1993...), our Leader talked about "Red Light Foods." These are those foods which, no matter what, you absolutely cannot resist.  For the Leader, his "RLF" was Peanut Buster Parfaits from Dairy Queen. What makes me really remember this is that the Leader had lost over 150 pounds and had maintained it for YEARS; and yet, he still could not be anywhere in the vicinity of a Peanut Buster Parfait, or he would completely cave in and eat not just one, but three!!  And yes, if you're wondering, it made me wonder what a Peanut Buster Parfait tasted like (I have still not had one to this day), but at the same time, I knew that wasn't something I'd ever try, because if this guy who I admired so much, couldn't resist...then I felt quite certain that I would probably crave a Peanut Buster Parfait every single day for the rest of my life, and really - I have enough temptations in my life as it is!!

Last Saturday, Ron and I took the three kids and we went and worked out at our local club.  Afterwards, the girls and I went grocery shopping for the week. As we walked past the deli section of our grocery store, they had just put out new fried chicken.  The smell was intoxicating! Both girls asked if they could get some & have it for lunch, and since I try to be a little more lenient with them on the weekends (I don't want to promote an environment of deprivation), I said "yes," they grabbed a container and we went to check out.  When we got in the car, I made them put the fried chicken in the "far back" of the car - the smell was overwhelming...and I realized that fried chicken is apparently one of my "Red Light Foods," which surprised me, because I'm much more of a sweets-girl than a savory-girl...however, smelling and seeing that chicken made it quite clear: I could not (nor did I want to) be around fried chicken...Once we were home, I made the girls go to the far side of the house to sit and have their chicken...I didn't want it anywhere around me!  I went on to have my regular lunch (I will not bore you with the details...) and was fine.  But it really did serve as a great reminder that although you might be the most disciplined Queen of Willpower that ever existed, you are still going to have "Red Light Foods," and you never know what they might be!

What about you? Do you have anything that you absolutely cannot have in the house, or around you or else you'll just eat it?