There is a saying that some eat to live and others live to eat. I used to fall into the later category. I lived to eat. It was the greatest pleasure on earth. Some say I have always been a "picky" eater as there are several foods I do not care for at all. I always thought of myself as someone that ate anything that did not eat me first. (My dietician is the one that says I am a picky eater.) Never have thought of myself as such.

Of course, it is much healthier to fall into the category of eating to live as those usually choose food to fuel the body and provide nutrition.

I happen to LOVE the taste of many foods and could easily succumb to temptation. Knowing this about myself, I do not bring food into my house that I should avoid or limit. To further limit my temptation, I avoid a lot of social activities that involve food.

I am so proud of so many of you that have the will power to resist temptation. My resistance can only go so far so my hat is off to each of you that can remain strong in the face of food temptations.

I do pretty good in most situations but I just find it easier to avoid the situation than fight the temptation. I take the "easy" way out. If it is not near me, I can't eat it. Desserts are not a problem for me but oh, look out for the starches, like potatoes. Or the casseroles. Those are my big weaknesses.

At home, I can have some plain steamed cauliflower, steamed broccoli, etc. Away from home, it isn't plain cauliflower, it is cauliflower au gratin with a cream sauce and cheese, or a broccoli casserole with ingredients that make it taste so good, but so bad for me to eat.

This post makes me sound like I am ALWAYS good. WRONG !!! I do have my little "cheats" now and then but I do try to keep them to a minimum. My Thanksgiving meal will usually consist of baking a turkey with NO seasoning at all, and a vegetable. The vegetable is where I may "cheat". Example,... instead of just boiled eggplant, I will make baked eggplant which has onions sautéed in butter, the boiled eggplant, and bread crumbs. Occasionally use boiled shrimp in it, too. Then I bake it in the oven and have destroyed my perfectly healthy vegetable and morphed it into something that tastes wonderful but has not only added calories, but the bread crumbs are a real NO NO.

It is a good thing that I don't "cook" too often. That keeps me to my steamed veggies and not veggies with added ingredients. I use the "excuse" that it is after all a holiday. THAT is when I indulge in veggies that are not just plain and healthy.