Food and Memories

When I was 17 I went to Tennessee for the summer to visit my mom's side of the family. I was my first trip anywhere all by myself. While I was there I was gonna get to spend some time with my cousin who I called aunt Tammy. It was the first time I got to meet her husband and her new daughter. I had a blast there and they decided to take my cousin Eric and I to Six Flags. I really enjoyed all my time with Tammy and Rod but what stood out in my mind about my new cousin was how he talked about food. Rod got really excited about taking me to restaurants. He had all sorts of places he wanted me to go. We had to go to The Varsity when we went to Atlanta which I have to say was the worst restaurant, but the only place he took me that I didn't like. And then after Six flags he took us to a restaurant called Mic's (I think). He made me try my first chili cheese fries which I just knew I was gonna hate but I absolutely LOVED. There were other places too, but I always thought it was kinda funny how excited he got about food.
All this to say, I am about to go home for Christmas and if you talked to my husband about the things I want to do when I get home it is mostly about eating. I get to eat good Chinese food, Mexican food, coffee, scones, cinnamon rolls, fudge, wassail, and Christmas dinner the way it was when I was a kid. I could not be more excited. But it makes me realize that food is the hardest addiction to quit I guess you could say. I mean you have to eat you can't just quit eating. And memories can be tied up in food. For me Christmas means grandma's dinner rolls, mom's cinnamon rolls, turkey, fruit salad, suet pudding (even though I don't eat it), sparkling cider, and Christmas candy. Now it also means other things that I love but food is a big part of it. Thanksgiving is the same way. And going to Oregon means Jimmy Chan's, El Eradero, Sorbonot's coffee, Safeway's bagels and Barley Brown's. I do think about the fun things you do during all these things but food comes first to my mind. Normally I don't dwell on this but this visit I am because weight loss has become so important to me. And it actually it is not so much weight loss as I just want to be HEALTHY. I want to teach my kids by example how to be healthy.
So I need to start associating various events in my life with activities rather than food. So here's what I should think more about. I am going to Oregon which means snowmobiling, skiing, sledding. If I was going in the summer it would mean hiking, swimming, and camping. Christmas means going carolling, looking at lights, candlelight service at church, and spending time with family. Obviously I can still indulge myself in some of my favorite treats, but in small portions not gorging myself. And maybe if I can take the focus off of what food I get to eat and look at the things I get to do then maybe living healthy won't be so hard to do.