Okay, I've shared a lot with you so far that I guess one more confession won't matter.  Let me warn you, this is not pretty and it's not something I'm proud of.  I'm....a bunnyholic.  And every Easter it happens.Actually, it's not Easter that's a problem. 

Perhaps other overweight people have these kind of traditions.  Does this sound familiar?  It's after Easter and stores like HEB and Walgreens begin discounting their Easter Bunnies and other Easter Chocolate.  The only thing better than the sweet satisfaction on snapping off a pair of chocolate bunny ears in your mouth is knowing that you paid 1/2 price for it.  And Lord help me when Walgreens drops it's prices to 75% off. 

It all started after we had just moved to San Antonio.  Holidays are hard and sometimes the after effects can last days.  I was feeling the Easter holiday blues that year so I hopped (no pun intended) into the car and headed to Woolworth (remember Woolworth) at 281 and Bitters.  As the sliding glass doors opened, I saw the heavenly floor display directly in front of me.  It was full of unbought Easter Candy and it was all 1/2 off.  Bunnies (filled and hollow), Cadbury Eggs, Peeps, you name it and they had it...all at 1/2 off!

I started out small.  Just a couple bunnies and a box of Cadbury eggs.  I could handle it! The next day, I went back.  There was still plenty on bunny booty left on the shelf.  I got more this time.  I used the excuse that I would buy the candy for family members.  Ha!  They only saw a small portion of what I had bought. 

It became a daily ritual. Then one day Easter candy was 90% off.   Ten cents on the dollar for Easter candy?  What is a bunnyholic supposed to do?  And I did.  I loaded our freezer with so much Easter Chocolate that it looked like an Arctic Petting Zoo full of bunnies, eggs, and chicks. 

And each year it became a pilgrimage. Some people go to the Holy Land on a Pilgrimage.  My Holy Land was Woolworth, or Walgreens, or Eckert.  And I waited till after Easter to make it the trip.  I did learn to share, though.  I also learned you can justify buying more if you tell yourself you're buying it to share with someone else.

Well, that brings us to this year and another Milty milestone.  As I walked the aisles of HEB, last night I noticed it, baskets of 1/2 price candy.  My Pavlovian response (besides drooling and creating a cleanup issue on aisle 7) was to walk toward the baskets.  And I did! 

But I stopped.  I'm not going to say that it was easy to walk away.  I could have easily bought some candy for my co-workers (and saved a little just for myself...you know just for the effort. But I didn't.

So why am I writing this?  I'm not trying to be as self-congratulatory as you might think.  I know from talking to everyone that each of us has something that we have given up during this challenging time period.  I'm hoping my story might make you feel a little less unique when facing down a bowl of ice cream (unless Heather is dishing it out), candy, ribs, and don't even get me started on Chinese buffets. 

By the way, did you know that experts say that it takes 21 days of continuously doing an activity to make it a habit?  Congrats!  By now we've added some wonderful eating and exercise habits to your lifestyle. 

Thanks for letting me share.

Milt