Too close for comfort

My willpower is a function of proximity. That was underscored yesterday as I saw the volume in the bag of trail mix on my desk shrink considerably over the course of a few hours.

I have learned over the past couple of years that it helps to have a mid-morning and mid-afternoon snack to keep from overeating at lunch and dinner. The strategy of eating smaller amounts at more frequent intervals has helped keep off the weight that I fought to lose before my daughter's wedding almost three years ago.

Usually my snacks are a protein or granola bar and a piece of fruit. Earlier this week I reasoned it would be easier to have the trail mix handy and not have to remember each morning to grab that day's snacks on my way out the door to work. Bad idea.

A serving of the trail mix is one-quarter cup. At that rate, it should have lasted a couple of weeks, but yesterday afternoon it was almost gone. My hand kept diving into the bag as I worked, reaching my mouth before I had a chance to think about it.

Some of my coworkers regularly keep candy and huge snack jars on their desks and never gain a pound. I can usually walk right by free muffins and chocolates at the coffee station, but put something tasty at arm's length on my desk and all my resolve disappears. As with anything else, a key to success is knowing what triggers your downfall.