Homework, food for thought to manage my chimp

I am reading Steve Peters' Chimp paradox and am applying his advice on my sugar free enterprise;
so today I am identifying what will be essential, significan and desirable for me to succeed, as well as the hurdles, the barriers and the pitfalls.

1) Essential:
To list clearly why I am doing this, what are the benefits and why the benefits are superior to what I am sacrificing.
To be clear on what is allowed in my plan and what isn't. For example, fruit is allowed, fruit juice isn't (except for the occasional cocktail), sweets are not allowed, xylitol isn't either, at least not in the first 6 months. I can review this after 6 months, depending on how frustrated I feel not to be able to eat what I bake.
Regular exercise to get that natural high
to reward myself once in a while on the changes I am making
To be told by others that they can see the change in me
To allow myself enough sugar from allowed sources (fruit)

2) Significant:
to plan my meals in advance, to take the time to make the right choices
to plan for the hurdles
To stock up on sugar alternatives: herbal teas, almond milk, oatcakes, fruits, nuts, red pepper, red pepper houmous..
To look after myself (skin regime, clothes, moisturising, make up, hair..)
Watch out for diet boredom, make sure I have variety, even in the fruit I eat.
Do the low GL diet once I am past the first week or so.
To cook something new every week
To go swimming more to learn to accept my body as it is now

3) Desirable
New clothes that fit me and make me feel good

Second aspect: Hurdles, barriers, pitfalls

1) Hurdles
Hurdles will be the 15/05 bakeoff event, the quiz night, Liz' bday party, Virginie visiting.
15/05 bakeoff event: warn everybody and tell them in advance that I will be bringing the food home or to the office
The quiz night: Bring a plate of fresh fruit as a dessert, leave it covered and uncover it at the end..
Liz' party: think about it closer to the date, maybe by then things will have become easier. but if there is dessert there will be other food before so I might be full by then.


2) Barriers (to be removed)
If Ermias ordered dessert it'd be hard to resist: ask him not to order dessert
Friends telling me I must have dessert just this once: just plan to explain to them that this is important to me and I know I need to do this to feel better; if they insist, ask them "if I was trying to stop drinking alcohol as an alcoholic would you try to make me drink?"

3) Pitfalls
Getting drunk and losing all willpower, or losing sight of why I am doing this: I can re-read the list of my reasons to do this, just before going out.
Replace sugar with alcohol: be more aware of it and watch my consumption


If I fail to meet a goal or a target, I will think of what happened, I will re-set my habits and start afresh. the biggest pitfall would be to have sugar once and not to re-set IMMEDIATELY!
My experience has taught me that if I fail once it will take a lot of effort to start again.
I need to remember my successes and failures with cigarettes.

If I am ever tempted to give up on this, then I have to think of how I will feel 6 months or 12 months later: how will I find an effective way of achieving what I want?

Have I prepared this well? I think so, I have read, I have tried it before, I have even started on the low GL diet which is complimentary. Because it is so simple there is no reason why I should fail, I just need to remember why I am doing this.
The beauty of it is that it is not difficult at all to find non sweet foods. Of course I am not that strict that I can't eat a sandwich when there is no choice, so effectively it should be easy. the biggest hurdles will be the family dinners/lunches where there is no fresh fruit salad available. Maybe I can bring it?