Virtue or vice?

Whilst my temperament is moderate (except when pressed),  in some areas of my life I can be terribly extreme.  My recent wail over how I was ever going to tackle my weight for good when all I did was think about food, has been followed since Birthday Week with an altogether hideously virtuous new persona.  This isn't that new, I've been partway here before, but the all-embracing character of the shift is slightly disturbing.

Not only have chocolate and crisps been thoroughly spurned (ugh mouthfuls of sugar and fat), but having teetered on the edge of Chickpea* style eating, I have now fallen completely into the abyss.  My nose, which was curling at the sight of ready prepared, pre-processed meals already, now sniffs at any short cut including buying a jacket-potato at work (what's in that filling?).

From Costco I got all the basics on the cheap (including 40 cans of tinned tomatoes, vat of olive oil, mountain of pasta and rice) but am spending more on the fresh stuff (my veg box delivery and the bargain bucket in the supermarket for  on-it's-sell-by-date-nice free-range meat/fish which goes in my freezer). Work lunches are usually a creation made from left overs (a delicious chicken and leek risotto today made of course, with my own stock)

I am clearly not a trend setter here - with recent focus on what we eat from an environmental/welfare point of view, as well as rising food costs, it's a fashionable subject, but when the Guardian focused on how to cut your food bills on Saturday, I only picked up two tips (grow my own rocket and make my own houmous) such is the vigour with which I have become an early adopter.  It's also interesting to note the U turn from "too busy to get the mud off fresh veg, gimme pre-prepared and sliced please" (pre-Australia) to horror at such profligate idiocy.

What is interesting though is how virtue breeds virtue.  What came first I am not sure, but early nights and eschewing trashy TV have made me less tired and able to do more during my evenings (like cook), doing some big gardening projects which I never thought I could tackle, has given me energy and confidence.  Altogether with good food, exercise and good living I am in one of those virtuous circles. 

The sad thing is that I know myself , and one or two evenings off the waggon, getting tired again and I end up quickly falling into a hole, unable to scrabble my way out again you could equally find me in a month's time sadly stuffing a bag of chips into my gob.

* note this refers to my friend Chickpea - she of the knitted yoghourts, rather than the pulse itself.

19.5.08 13:35