You remember when last we met (actually time before last) we talked about my first visit to Diana, my nutritionist from Doherty Nutrition, here in Dallas. She had offered me a few helpful insights and heard a lot about my eating habits which are both disturbing and normal. I went back to see Diana last week, but before I get into what we discussed, I want to share some things as a result of our last talk.

My shame-inducing, secret pantry eating and addictive after-dinner snacking issues are apparently not limited to me alone. Several of you admitted your own binge-eating, clandestine-snacking, over-indulgent moments. And I love that you trust me enough to share. Although all your stories made me want to eat that food whether cake or Easter candy or potato chips, so thanks a bunch for that.

The best confession by far came from my sweet friend, the “Delightful” Lee who is my doppelganger-of-food. She was recently laid up after a fall and her son and his family came to help her at the house, with two half-gallons of Blue Bell in tow, one vanilla and one chocolate. They ate a couple of scoops out of each container and left them with Lee. Faced with two-nearly-full containers of ice cream, she was forced to make a decision–eat them right now or let them rot in the freezer. So, the answer was clear and over the course of a week, she at them both, pretty much for every meal.

Then her son called. He was coming back over to check on Lee. So she did what any of us would have done — she replaced the two half-gallons, one vanilla and one chocolate — and ate a few scoops out of each one to replicate their condition when her son left the week prior. Then when he helped himself to some ice cream, Lee’s indiscretion would not be discovered. Phew!

Only he came and went and didn’t eat ANY ice cream. So she ate the rest of both containers over the course of the next week.

She really had no choice.

The other thing I wanted to discuss is a revelation I had regarding good and bad (or nutritious and non-nutritious) foods. I told Diana and their intern, Rachel, that I looked at foods the way I do heroes in a romance novel. On the left, standing against a window, sunlight behind him, glinting off his amazingly white teeth, is Dudley Do Right of the Canadian Mounted Police, the epitome of goodness, virtue, responsibility, and everything from the Boy Scout oath. To the right, slouching arrogantly in the doorway, sporting a scuffed leather jacket, tousled hair and devilish, come-hither smirk, is Han Solo the rogue pilot from Star Wars, who continues to take my breath away.

Dudley is broccoli, grilled chicken, kale, hearty grains, and maybe a big glass of 2% milk. Han is French onion dip, kettle corn, a Jake’s Special burger, and a Margarita, frozen, with salt. You want to spend some quality time with Han, no doubt, and you can get in a lot of trouble with him, but he’s not great for a steady diet. Dudley isn’t exciting, but he’s good for you and he’s the one you want to marry and settle down with.

Choose wisely.

Diana and I also talked a lot about managing blood sugar which is my particular issue and choosing the right kind of carbs. Portions and proportions of foods. Things we should already know: half the plate should be non-starchy veggies, one-quarter carbs with fiber (grains, fruits and sweet potatoes), one-quarter lean protein. Foods with added sugar are the non-nutritious ones that I should be limiting. Everything in moderation, remember?

More to come as we get into particulars. Next week we’ll talk more about fats also.

I can’t recommend enough seeing someone like Diana to get help with your eating issues. I’m seeing results already. I’ve lost about 3 lbs. just eating three meals a day (instead of loading all my food into the evening and beyond) and being mindful of what kind of food choices I’m making.

And I got the treadmill in place so I can use it for the first time since 2018 when we remodeled.

I promised you a recipe, but forgot about it last week. So here you are:

Smashed Potatoes (instead of Loaded Baked Potatoes)

One bag of small red-skinned potatoes, enough for 3 per person

Preheat oven to 400

Boil the potatoes in very salty water until just starting to soften, drain and dry on paper towels

Spray sheet pan with Pam

Place potatoes on pan about two inches apart

Mash each one with a potato masher until broken and kind-of flattened

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for about ten minutes until edges are brown.

These are from The Pioneer Woman (she calls them Crash Hot Potatoes), and I have been serving them to guests for a couple years. They are a little fancy and require no butter or other accoutrement (unless you want.) But they are delicious and a lot fewer calories than a baked potato with butter, sour cream, bacon and cheese.

They are the Dudley Do Right of potatoes.