It's set up to trap you and catch you and keep you coming back for more, i.e. the grocery store. The layout is designed to force you to travel from one end to the other and all pathways in between. With well-organized displays, endcaps of GOTCHA items that you didn't know you needed and fragrant smells wafting from the bakery, it is important to focus on your mission. You are going in to get out without succumbing to GOTCHA.
A few rules to remember:
1) Eat a snack before you go to the store. No standing in the aisles hungry.
2) Chew gum or drink bottled water in the store so that samples are less likely.
3) Shop the perimeter of the store and stick to the list.
4) The list is made up of weeknight dinners that can provide leftovers for lunches.
5) Do not go down any aisle that you can't be trusted in.
6) Remember, once it is in your cart, you have given yourself permission to eat it, all of it.
7) Don't look at candy bars, high fat and high sugar items in the checkout lane. Read a magazine.
8) Avoid busy times like Saturday (sample day) or after work when everyone is stressed and hungry.
With the holiday season coming right up, there will be lots of trips to the grocery store. Arm yourself with this knowledge so that you can stick to your plan and let the shopping trip be one less stressor during such a busy time.
Lastly, if the store really is too much to take, you can dial up your groceries and avoid the whole hassle. Whatever makes following the plan easier, your life less complicated, and your time better spent will be worth it. Now that's a game you can win.
And remember: people breathe, cough, etc. on samples and GOTCHA foods are FULL OF CHEMICALS that we humans DO NOT WANT!
ReplyDelete