Well, the answer is I use dijon mustard on the bread and have layers of cukes and peppers to add some moisture but the truth is more simple: it doesn't matter if it's dry, I don't eat mayonnaise.
Mayonnaise is one of the things that I simply don't eat any longer and never think about eating. I remember a trip to Germany years ago where my DH and I discovered open market stands where you could buy fresh french fries with a side of mayo to dip them into. And so we did. Lots of times. I loved mayo - on anything. But, somewhere along the road of this journey, it met the axe.
I think of my recovery from obesity the way recovering alcoholics think about drinking - just don't do it - abstinence is critical. As a result, many foods and I have parted company. If you've read my earliest posts, you'll know they didn't all leave at the same time. I'm still dropping things at the side of the road - 2 months ago it was diet pop that got the boot. A mainstay of my fluid intake since the introduction of aspartame, I haven't touched the stuff for more than 2 months and don't plan to ever drink it again.
Lots of people say this approach can't work - that you HAVE to have foods you love as treats to keep balance - no one can live without cake. I know that a small piece of cake on Monday isn't going to ruin my life but the imbalance in my endocrine system is going to be felt for at least 48 hours and Tuesday afternoon will find me cruising the kitchen looking for another sweet treat. I've experienced this many times and believe that my "Just Say No" approach is the one reason I am seldom hungry and have few, if any, cravings.
But, you can't drop things all at once. It's taken my 4 1/2 years to streamline my diet to the 95% healthy one I have now. It took 2 years to get rid of deep fried foods - eliminating offenders one at a time, replacing things with low fat alternatives then pitching them too. That's been the approach since day one - reduce, substitute, remove. And then say no.
So, what's GONE? My colleagues were shocked to find that mayonnaise and I were no longer on speaking terms and were keen to hear about my self imposed dietary restrictions. I was having trouble listing them, so I decided to do it here for my own benefit:
- cream - I used to use 18% in my coffee - I reduced it several times before getting to black 2 years ago
- sugar - substituted with Splenda for a year or so then stopped using it - in everything. Yes, you can eat cereal without anything sweet in it - I've done so for 3 years
- potato chips - previously my absolute favorite snack - a 200g bag just for me please. There was no way to reduce the volume I ate so I tried low fat baked varieties - meh. Now I don't touch them at all and haven't thought about them for over a year
- white flour - it's EVERYWHERE!! Took 2 years to eliminate it - first through substitution of whole wheat where possible - now, the bread I eat (rarely) is 75% grain, pasta is whole grain, I don't eat processed foods so I don't worry about where it's hidden - I stay away from the stuff like a recovering cocaine addict stays away from her white powder of choice
- butter, margarine, mayonnaise - gone
- chocolate - unless it's a rare square of Lindt 85% dark - I don't bother thinking about it and haven't for 2 years
- chewy candy wine gums, jujubes, gummy bears - no matter what percentage of "real juice" they're made of - they're sugar and I don't need them
- juice - not counting the ounce or two of sugar free cranberry in my cosmo, I no longer drink it and don't miss it. I used to get up thirsty in the middle of the night so I'd stumble to the fridge and drink 8 oz of Orange Juice in a single gulp. That stopped 4 years ago - now I keep a water glass beside my bed.
- baked goods - in eliminating cookies, cakes and pies from my diet, I've discovered a surprising truth - unless it's home made of the finest ingredients, it just doesn't taste that great. In self defence, I don't bake and haven't for 6 months.
- syrup, jam, canned fruit - I canned my own peaches, raspberries and cherries for years. Stopped in 2007 - don't touch the stuff, too much sugar.
- take out - once upon a time, DH and I ate KFC EVERY Friday night. Haven't touched the stuff in 2 years although I'd be lying if I said the scent of it didn't make me want to eat a bucket on my own! I no longer eat any fast food - not even soup at Timmie's (makes me feel ill afterwards). If stuck without food near a Food Court, I'll get an undressed Greek salad with a chicken souvlaki spear at the ubiquitous Greek place.
- pop - my most recent break up - who'd have thought a 25 year relationship could be over so fast? 2 months and counting
- ketchup and relish - replaced with dijon and olive tapenade 2 years ago. A very grown up taste!
- bacon, salami, pepperettes - food I grew up on! Decided to eliminate them a year ago much to DHs dismay!
And so on.
What's stayed? Wine (red or white) and ales - especially dark brews like Guinness. Licorice - daily - I'm seriously addicted to real, black licorice. These are probably the only "empty calories" left in my day to day diet. I added skim milk lattes a few years ago (I drink my daily coffee black) - triple shot grandes - 2 decaf/1 regular - heaven in a cup. I also eat a dried raspberry, cherry and blueberry blend with a serving of almonds - dried fruit are high in sugars but these compensate with anti-oxidant properties and other nutritive benefits. Red meat - couldn't survive without steak. Robust cheeses - the kind that puts hair on your chest. Hummus,tzatziki and peanut butter - sometimes right from a spoon but more often with baby carrots. Every vegetable known to mankind. Every form of mustard. Any variety of fresh fruit - no questions asked. Grains morning, noon and night.
It's a full diet that fills me up, powers me down the road and restores me while I sleep. This, after all, is what I need and want from food. I don't miss what's gone but am happy, now, to have revisited the reasons I sent them packing.
