" For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land. " Song of Solomon

December 18, 2007

Connect The Dots


This time of year with the tempting array of foods it is difficult to stay in control. If we don't allow ourselves some goodies we feel deprived. So often, we decide we will eat "a little". Before we know it, as often is the case, we find ourselves in a full blown binge.

I've been there. And until I realized what was happening I was not able to overcome this and found myself repeatedly in the same scenario. Determined to figure out why I would do something that I knew I'd soon regret, I examined my thinking---what was I thinking? This is what I discovered about myself: there was a disconnect going on in my head.

You see, while I was eating the forbidden food, I was experiencing pleasure. But that was only part of the picture. Thinking that pleasure would be the end result of my eating was my error. My thought process only took me this far: eating=pleasure. The big picture, the reality, is that the true end result of my eating could also be regret, followed by guilt, disappointment in myself, possible weight gain, and that terrible out of control feeling. You see-- eating can equal pleasure, but only when it is proportionate to our need. When we eat past that point we leave pleasure behind and head into the pain zone.

Once I connected the dots from the beginning point of eating, continuing through the pleasure point and on to the true end point, it was then I was able to deal in reality and in doing so make a conscious decision based on the true outcome. The true result of binge eating is not pleasure. Any pleasure will only be momentary ... fleeting. Initially it will be sweet, but in the end, bitter like gall.

Having connected the dots I reprogrammed my thinking. Anytime I was tempted to binge I would repeat this statement to my self, often aloud :

"IT'S NOT WORTH IT....NO MATTER HOW GOOD IT TASTES TODAY TOMORROW YOU'LL BE TASTING REGRET!"

I posted this warning where I could see it every waking hour. I'd ask myself when considering a food: "Is it worth it? Expressed as an equation it would look like this: "eating= x, with x being the unknown. Depending on my intake eating could equal pleasure...or it could equal pain.

Looking past the immediate, momentary pleasure , seeking to determine the true consequences of my eating , I was able to make better decisions. Finally, I was connecting the dots.

Postscript
When it comes to bingeing or staying in control we are much like the alcoholic or any addict. While there are things we can do that can aid and minimize the damage (an alcoholic will avoid bars, call a friend, go to an AA meeting...we can refrain from skipping meals, get a good balance of macro nutrients, avoid problem foods etc.), the bottom line is that we must deal in reality, and that means we must examine the true consequences of our actions...will it be worth it tomorrow? next week, next month, next year? Are we really willing to pay the TRUE price for our indulgences? We can't honestly answer that if we are oblivious to or in denial about the true cost, the real consequences of our choices.
"....there have been many times when I have shed bitter tears, when if I had understood the situation better, I would have celebrated my good luck instead."

DISCLAIMER

I am not a doctor and all information, suggestions, etc are my personal opinion only.