At first I almost panicked at the thought. I am ‘condiment girl’. That is my favorite aisle and I am always on the lookout for some new exotic condiment that will add flavor and interest. I am proud of my collection of difficult to find condiments, harissa, truffle cream, various Thai curries, Chinese slathering sauces, Indian delicacies, unusual mustards, etc.

‘What a waste of money and time’ my well toned rationalizing muscles proclaimed. And then I sat with the idea and it began to take root. I need a new super power.

 I won’t be eating anything for 4 months, and for many months afterward I’ll be on an extremely restricted diet. Many of these items will be old by then. My SO doesn’t cook; she won’t be using these. Wouldn’t it be interesting to see my fridge look like other people’s fridge, mostly empty, clean looking? Not packed with possible flavor enhancers? I went nuclear on the fridge, and it looks wonderful.

You don’t get a refund on the money you spent on food if you gain weight from it.

I threw away everything but the very basics (mustard, mayo, siracha).I threw away everything that my SO wouldn’t use. That way when I begin to eat normal food again I will need to carefully consider what I add back into my life. The fridge looks amazing. It doesn’t feel like my fridge.  This is another example of changing my environment so that it doesn’t provide the cues to overeat. Great.

Then I considered the pantry and cupboards. I went through them like a hurricane and donated 2/3 of a barrel to the local food bank. I even gave my baking stash to my daughter… including the candy eyeballs that I worked so hard to find.

I felt so optimistic; I tried something I never thought was possible this morning….and I learned to like black coffee. Sometimes, you just have to decide to do it.

P.S. My grandson was born a week early last week and I am so grateful that his birth was so much easier that his sister’s.  With only 12 hours of total labor and 1 hour of pushing, no one’s life was in danger. It was a beautiful experience and everyone is home and fine. Now if we can only convince my 2 year old granddaughter that this is a good thing.