Challenges, changes, choices

Originally Posted by Pam Turner on 09/29/11:

How many of you find it easier to stick to your diet during the week, but find the weekends challenging? Is it the other way around? I think depending on family, friends, home life, habits, it can be one way or the other. Maybe you do fine all day and it all falls apart at night when you are wanting to unwind from the day. Night time munching was always my weakness..that and dinner time. I could go all day long and not be the least bit tempted, but dinner time came along and all the sudden I felt a need to be "rewarded" for the long hard day. Reward always meant food...never anything else. Sometimes all you need to do is change your routine or habit to avoid pitfalls. If everyday on the way to work you fell in to the same hole, would you keep going the same way or would you change your route? I'm pretty sure you would find a new way of accomplishing your goal to get to work. It's the same with diet. If you always cave in at the same times or over the same foods, it's not hard to figure out what to avoid. The question is...do you want to avoid it, or do you find an excuse to fail? For most of us when it comes to food, finding an excuse to fail is second nature. We become very good at it. Like any addict we can manipulate our environment, the people in it, and even ourselves to get what we want and then we can pretend we are not responsible. Getting really honest is hard because it means we are giving up our drug of choice. It means we are turning away from childish impulsive behavior and being an adult. You may be a full functioning adult in every other aspect of your life, but for some of us we remain impulsive and childish when it comes to food and instant gratification. It's no reflection on your character. We begin life with the drive to feed whenever, wherever. As we grow up and are given a role model of responsible eating and health we adapt and develop our concept of what food is for. We learn to make choices that are beneficial and only occasionally indulge. When we do we compensate by limiting future food intake or increasing activity. If you were never given that model or if you were actually encouraged to self medicate with food then there was little hope for you not having an eating disorder. However, most of us had more then one bad example set for us in many areas as we grew up. Our parents were just as misguided and stumbling through life as we are. We have to make choices and changes all through life as we discover who we are independent of our past. Like anything else, there comes a time for us to make our own choices about the kind of life we want to live. The past is vapor. It no longer exists and nothing indentures you to it. You are free to untangle the treads of the past that cling to you and make your own reality. Make it a reality where you are a full functioning self actualized adult and you will no longer be looking for ways to fail or sabotage your progress. You will make a goal, clear a path and follow it to your successful outcome.