Good, Good, Good, Good, BAD! It's like Duck Duck Goose only not as fun...grrrr!

I do so well.  Then I screw up!  Sound familiar?  I know I'm not alone.  I know this happens to everyone on similar journeys.  But it's still so frustrating!

I'll stay on plan for days...many days...then BOOM!  I take a flying leap off the wagon!  Sometimes it's emotional or stress-induced.  Sometimes it's a temptation I just couldn't resist.  Sometimes I seriously think I just say "to heck with it all!" and I eat the chocolate bar, forgo the 5 am workout for extra sleep, and chase down my misery with some chips.

It's really quite pathetic.  Because even as I'm opening the 3 Muskateers bar, which I erroneously convince myself is a healthier option than other candy bars as I am a sucker for all advertising campaigns, I know I'll regret eating it.  I know I'll feel guilty.  I know I'll be so angry with myself when I step on the scale and my weight is up or at best, not down.  

But I convince myself that I don't care.  I want chocolate.  I guess sometimes I want that immediate gratification even more than I want my ultimate happiness.  So apparently I value chocolate more than me.   Am I the only one???

The bright side is this...I now stop there.  I have that bad day and then I go back to Good Tara the next.  I guess that's all part of life, right?  I mean sometimes I seriously NEED chocolate, or ice cream, or salt and vinegar chips.  If I deny myself these things forever...not only would I be miserable but so would every person who ever comes in contact with me!

I've been under a lot of stress lately.  A lot!  Exercise helps me tremendously.  Staying with my eating plan does too.  But maybe I need an occasional "the heck with it" day to keep myself grounded.  Maybe we all do.

Here's a yummy, protein-packed recipe that's great for quick breakfasts:

Preheat oven to 350.  Spray muffin tins with cooking spray.  Fill 2/3 full with scrambled eggs, liquid egg whites, veggies, and a sprinkle of reduced fat cheese.  You could also add crumbled turkey sausage, chopped turkey bacon, or even line the tin with the bacon and add a whole egg!

Bake for about 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Each egg muffin is approximately 1 ppv if veggie and 1.5 ppv if it has meat.  The bacon wrapped whole egg version would be 2.5 ppv.

Allow them to cool and portion it baggies to grab from the fridge, heat up or add to a whole grain English muffin!  Yummmmm!

And another favorite, protein-packed goodie...

Chocolate Banana Smoothie:

In a blender, mix 1 ripened banana, 3/4 cup on unsweetened almond milk, 1/2 cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt, 2 T of unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 t vanilla extract, 1 T Splenda or sugar (optional), and 15 ice cubes.

Enjoy!!! 2 ppv!!!!  Like a Frosty, without the guilt...

But if you're having a "the heck with it day", tell the guilt to shut it's mouth.  We all have bad days...just aim for more good ones!!