I am now 28 months in to my weight loss and successful maintenance of 100# gone. Yet, I found myself once again being tripped up while on a recent grocery shopping trip. With store list in hand from my already pre-planned menu, bar code scanning app on my phone, and of course my face mask and hand sanitizer, off I went.

I skipped the alcohol and chip isles, skirted around the bakery department, and I only walked through the baking isle because I had to follow the one way arrows which are now on the grocery store floor.

All was well it seemed. I did not go off list and succumb to any clever food marketing traps, or so I thought. I did go down the ice cream isle to pick up some ice cream bars for my husband and look for some kind of low calorie ice cream treat for myself. It ended up to be some rather large ice cream bars labeled sugar free. Even though I know better, I just grabbed them, tossed them in my cart and off I went. I was ready to be done shopping and wanted out of the grocery store.

To make matters worse, I even scanned the bar code on the label when I got home but somehow still decided they would even fit into my meal plan. Turns out, one of these sugar free ice cream bars totaled up to be over one third of my allotted points for the day. And, no, this was not a good choice for me. It put me smack dab on a slippery slope of poor health decisions for a whole day. I fell for the product marketing and packaging hook, line, and sinker. Of course, no one actually forced me to eat any ice cream. That was me making a bad decision. Turns out the sugar free ice cream bars were loaded with fat and calories as so many sugar free products are. They may have been sugar free but they were no one’s part of a healthy eating pattern.

Today I am again focusing on clean, healthy eating. If I actually want ice cream, there are better choices.

So, I guess my point is, be mindful of marketing traps when you are navigating your way through the maze at the grocery store. Pre-plan and take the time to look at the food labels. Never shop hungry and don’t shop when you are in a hurry. Your shopping trip sets you up for the week ahead.

If you do mess up at the grocery store don’t beat yourself up. Be kind to yourself.. Do yourself a favor and throw the item out! Here is a little tidbit I heard from my Wellness Works Coach one time that has helped me over and over again “It’s better in the waste than on the waist!”

Happy Mother’s Day to all. Have an awesome day and thank you for reading my blog post! Stay safe and stay healthy!