Sweets for the Sweet (Tooth)

Fitness Frailty, thy name is Sugar.  Yes, that innocent little stick of cane that showed up in the hands of those cute little Hawaiian kids on the C&H commercials of my youth.  While it resides as my own personal demon, I have to admit to a love/hate relationship with it. 

I didn't grow up in one of those really healthy households where sugar wasn't allowed.  It was allowed, and it was fun.  Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Boxing Day, Labor Day, President's Day, and Birth Day.  I have to admit, I feel sorry for those kids who never get to indulge themselves to the point of candy coma.  Eating Easter or Halloween goodies until you make yourself sick is a rite of passage. 

Kids today (and parents, for that matter) are much more knowledgeable about healthy lifestyles. Back in the 70's, it just wasn't a focus.  Sure Mrs. Brady was likely to give the small, playful hand slap to Bobby as he reached for his second cupcake, but you can't tell me Alice wasn't baking up a giant treat-fest for the kids' after school snack.  In fact, I don't remember seeing the Brady kids eating anything other than cookies and milk when they got home.  I can't imagine any of them asking Alice for some carrot sticks, unless it was an episode where Marcia was watching her weight so Bill would ask her to the school dance. 

We, on the other hand, didn't learn about nutrition until Health class junior year, and by then the information was likely to fall on deaf ears.  Sure, we knew that we shouldn't be eating hundreds of packages of Gummi Bears meant for StuCo fundraising, but we would not be deterred. At least they were minis, not full-sized.

Fortunately, today's kids are much more tuned in to healthy eating than we Gen X'ers ever were.  During snack time in my classroom I notice many of the kids bringing fresh fruit, veggies, or crackers and cheese.  But they also bring in things that appear to be healthy but aren't, like fruit roll-ups and chocolate covered raisins.  So I may be assuming too much.  I guess the good news is that they know better, and can make their choices from a healthier perspective.  Maybe I knew better too, but claiming ignorance at this point in my life is totally acceptable.

I have found the easiest way to avoid sugary treats is to avoid buying them.  But even when I don't, I still seem to acquire them fairly often.  I blame my career choice.  As teachers, we celebrate every holiday with (you guessed it!) treats.  Even as our holiday party foods have gotten more waistline-friendly, the individual students still bring you the random marshmallow ghost for Halloween and the traditional box of chocolates for Valentine's Day.  Even when I exercise willpower outside the classroom I seem to be inundated with yummies at school.  Don't even get me started on the Teacher's Lounge...

Some of my friends exercise the "one-bite" rule.  I know this, because I have watched them.  They take one bite and throw the rest in the trash.  It's obviously an effective tactic, since the women who use this rule are ridiculously thin.  However, they seem to possess a self-discipline that remains underdeveloped in my world.  I've tried the one-bite rule, and while I won't admit to digging the rest out of the trash can, I have indeed envisioned the poor little woebegone treat sitting all alone in the big, bad, dark receptacle.  I simply can't put another brownie or chocolate-covered strawberry through that particular brand of torture.

Perhaps I should adopt the "one-mile" rule.  For every time I over-sugar, I add a mile to the next day's run. Interesting concept, and it might be worth a try.  Especially since my treat cabinet is not exactly empty right now.  But my mind doesn't exactly work that way.  Instead it presents the rationale of "Hey, I ran (insert mileage here)...guess that means I can eat two donuts instead of one!!"

 And so the Fitness Angel on one shoulder and the Sugar Devil on the other begin their banter, and here I am stuck in the middle of the conflict.  Which stresses me out.  But you know what's great for stress?  Chocolate!!