“HALT, Who Goes There?”

Despite a loss this week, I have to admit it was probably the hardest one I’ve faced so far. Even with a plan in place and a clean house, I struggled.

Each week for me starts on Thursdays. After weigh-in, I hit reset, begin fresh, and share a recap of the week with you all. This time, things went sideways almost immediately—on Friday.

We had an office potluck with a “pool party” theme (which…what do you even bring to that?). Normally, I’m on dessert duty—cookies, cupcakes, brownies—but when I saw the sign-up sheet was already dessert-heavy, I paired up with a colleague to bring hot dogs and all the fixings.

I bought my favorite brand (close enough to 2 oz. for an easy protein count), and my coworker brought buns and condiments. Someone else had fruit salad covered, so I figured I’d have a measured portion of that for my fruit. Someone even signed up for cookies, which I mentally slotted in as my elective—except they showed up with triple chocolate brownies instead, and those just aren’t my thing.

On paper, I was set. But then I made one small decision that completely derailed my mindset: I grabbed a bottle of Diet Coke.

Here’s the thing—Diet Coke was always paired with my worst food choices in the past: McDonald’s, fried chicken, chocolate, you name it. Having one for the first time since starting Program flipped a switch in my brain. Suddenly, all I could think about was pizza, cheeseburgers, mashed potatoes, and cake. The cravings weren’t for one portion, either—they were for all of it, the way I used to binge.

And just like that, I was battling the devil on my shoulder.

By Saturday, I was swimming in the pool alone, lonely and restless, my dogs driving me up a wall with anxiety, and craving anything but vegetables. Sunday, I lost motivation and nearly ordered takeout (the outrageous delivery fee was my saving grace). By Monday, after a sleepless night with the dogs, I was angry, tired, and ready to give up. Tuesday wasn’t better. By Wednesday afternoon—an hour before weigh-in—I was actually bargaining with myself about a “cheat day.” Fast food? Applebee’s? I was hungry to cave.

But I went to weigh-in anyway. And stepping on that scale changed everything. Hearing the number, talking with Dianne, and being reminded of HALT (Hunger, Anger, Anxiety, Loneliness, Tiredness) snapped me out of it. It reminded me why I do this.

So, I went home and made a buffalo burger with a slice of Velveeta on a light English muffin, plus a mishmash of veggies. Not glamorous, definitely not the best dinner I’ve ever made (I do not recommend an English muffin for a burger), but it was enough. It was me choosing differently.

And I learned two things:

1. HALT works, if you actually use it.

2. I cannot drink Diet Coke anymore.

   
   
   
   
   
   

We all have foods or habits that don’t serve us. Sometimes you figure them out right away; sometimes it takes a while. Either way, recognizing them is part of the process.

This also showcases how important it is to go class or go to your private session and weigh in. Without the weekly checks and balances and having to step on that scale, I may not have made the choice I made. That’s why the behavior modification technique is there.

“Weigh-in and attend class once a week.”

This is not a race but a marathon and we each go at our own pace, but we also need to check in at our weekly check point and put a number to our progress and our distance to the next goal.

This week’s loss: 6 pounds

Total loss so far: 23 pounds