It's really reassuring to hear that, because in my mind I always think my strategy is still inferior to those people who can ration out their own snacks.
Absolutely! Another couple of grocery shopping tips (from Michael Pollan):
- The Grandmother (or Great-Grandmother) test: don't buy food unless your Great-Grandmother would recognize it. I expand this to a generic hypothetical ancestor from anywhere in the world, as my Great Grandma wouldn't recognize, say, Gochujang sauce, but the idea is simple -- stick to food that has been around for a while.
- Stick to the outside "perimeter" of a grocery store for the most part. This is not a hard and fast rule, but generally the fresh and whole food will be on the walls around the grocery section, with more processed foods in the aisles.
I find it useful to think of those as just different kinds of people.
In high school, a friend of mine had an exchange student. My friend's family were all naturally thin. They were truly surprised that once a package of something sweet was open, the exchange student would return at regular intervals to have some until it was all gone. They weren't being tough or anything; they just didn't experience the cravings.
I am like the exchange student. So as much as possible, I just don't keep that stuff around.
