The Dangers of Nutella

Last week, Dad, Lucy and I decided it was time for a week of laying in the sun, so headed off to Corfu, because of how the holiday fell Lucy and I have missed a couple of weeks of Weight Watchers. We uttered the immortal phrase “well we wont be bad whilst we’re away” however unfortunately Lucy and I both need the fear of physically being weighed, so sadly things didn’t quite go to plan.

Me facing my weigh day fear!

  The food in the hotel was nice, but it was an all-inclusive buffet and I think these are so tricky when you’re on a diet. In fact as much as I love them, I would ban buffets! I’ve read all the tips, fill your plate full of salad, avoid the fried stuff, don’t stand near it etc. etc. The first couple of days I did really well, although there weren’t a lot of truly healthy options, apparently in Corfu, all salad and vegetables must be drenched in oil. So the first couple of days I started by filling my plate full of cucumber and tomatoes, which appeared to be the only au-naturel salad and then adding on pieces of meat and fish. For desert, I avoided anything chocolaty and ate A LOT of watermelon!

  But then it starts, the bits of cucumber became a bit less and all of a sudden I found myself adding to my plate tiny bits of pizza and a few chips. Desert became watermelon and a tiny bit of something that could have been cheesecake. It was a slippery slope!

  Weirdly I manage to behave myself with breakfast buffets, sticking to mushrooms on toast and fruit. (2 thumbs way high for me!) And then it was like the Evil god of buffets, thought to himself (I’m assuming the Evil god of buffets is a chap) thought I know lets see if we can shove her off the wagon a bit further, because one morning there appeared a huge bowl of Nutella.

  I don’t know what it is with Nutella, but it’s like some kind of magic substance where I’m concerned, I cannot resist it! It’s even reached the point, where I avoid the supermarket aisles where it lives, because I cannot trust myself not to buy a big jar of it and eat it all with a spoon the very second I walk through the door! (I know this is me telling the world about some of my most attractive habits) Sensing that picking the huge bowl of Nutella up and taking it to the breakfast table for me to devour with a spoon over a cup of coffee, would be somewhat frowned upon by the other guests and staff, I restricted myself to a tablespoon (maybe 2) to spread on toast! I even started to think, maybe when I get home I can buy a jar and just have a teaspoon on toast every morning. I can totally do that, however deep down I know that wouldn’t happen. I might manage a day maybe 2, but then as I’m sat watching “Celebrity Big Brother” or “Question Time” (*delete where applicable) I’ll hear the call of the Nutella from the cupboard and before you know it, it will be all over my face and in my hair (yes I’m that classy!)

Me as a baby covered in Gingerbread,  Nutella has the same effect on "adult" Katie

  The good news is after a week of naughtiness (food wise, there was no one nice enough to flirt with) I now feel so fed up of horrid bad food, that this morning  I have reverted to a healthy way of eating – toast (minus the Nutella) for breakfast, 0 point vegetable soup for lunch and fruit snacks throughout the day. Already I feel loads better! I’m off shopping later and I will be avoiding the jams and spread aisle so no Nutella accidentally “falls” into my trolley.

  I think one bit of advice I would give to anyone on a Slinky mission is that if there’s one food you can’t resist then don’t buy it. Why put yourself through it? Since being on my Slinky mission, I’ve founds loads of new foods that I enjoy just as much as the old crap I used to eat. I intend to write a cookbook on things you can do with a butternut squash, mango is like the Haribo of the fruit world, because it’s a little bit fizzy and a flake is only 2 points, so I can still eat chocolate.

   It’s true what they say, dogs really do become like their owners (or vice versa) because just as Cyril responds to structure and needs the occasional treat and a lot of walking to keep him on the straight and narrow so do I! I need the fear of being weighed, just like Cyril, if left to my own devices I would go slightly bonkers, although in fairness, I wouldn’t dig up the garden or chew my bed. So this next week my focus is on shifting my holiday weight and preparing for the countdown to Christmas. I got Lucy to take a picture of me in my swimsuit and at Christmas I’ll take another and compare and contrast; now if that doesn’t give me the fear nothing will! I promise whatever happens at Christmas I will share those photos - eek!