Case study of a really bad habit

I used to have a breakfast sandwich every morning as soon as I got to work - sausage, egg, and cheese. The works. Delicious. And usually, I would grab a 20-oz bottle of Mountain Dew to chase it.

I was so hooked on this particular "breakfast of champions" that my mouth would start watering almost as soon as I got in the car to head to work. Even if I wasn't at all hungry - or was going to be late for a meeting - I would still take the time to walk down to the cafeteria.

In the past, I had managed to give up the habit for short periods of time. But I mourned the loss and still felt the craving. Sometimes, I would try limiting myself to one per week. Or perhaps drinking juice. Or leaving out the meat. Always, I eventually slipped back to having one on an almost-daily basis.

Two things helped me give up the habit - I hope - for good.



The first week of VTrim™ class, we were told to "eat normally" and keep track of everything we ate. Not surprisingly, as soon as I saw the effect this breakfast had on my calorie intake, I knew I had to stop.

But I already knew that. The critical point came when I figured out why I was compelled to ingest this dastardly diet destroyer every morning.

I realized that I was unconsciously using food as a reward. It was a hard thing to get up, get the kids fed and off to school, and then go to work. But I knew a tasty sandwich was waiting for me once I got there. I was rewarding myself for the effort of getting to work.

What a revelation! Once I realized that my cravings were all about that, it made it much easier to suppress them. I wrote an ode of sorts, to the "evil evil breakfast sandwich", which began "I know it's so bad for me, but it tastes so good." Then I said good-bye, and I haven't touched one or even craved one for over six months.

Eventually, I found a much better reward for getting up each morning - weighing myself!

- Sue