We all want to eat healthy. We know that we really are what we eat.
So why in heaven’s name do we break our own “rules” and eat unhealthy so much of the time?
My theory: We subconsciously believe that our “rules” are meant to be broken. And if you please, we actually look forward to breaking our rules and “pigging out” just to prove to ourselves that no one, including ourselves, can dictate what we should eat.
Here’s a scenario: I wake up at night and head for the TV (spell that TV AND kitchen). True, I threw away the cookies behind the cans of olives, the chocolate syrup, and those M&Ms in the closet. But heck, I’m a creative guy, so who needs those sweets — when there are slices of white bread, eggs and margarine to make French toast — and sugar and cinnamon to make cinnamon sugar to sprinkle on the French toast. And heck, why not pop some extra buttered popcorn that the neighbor‘s kid sold us to raise money for his scout troop?
STOP RIGHT NOW.
What about the “rules” for healthy eating that I “promised” myself?
Don’t I have the willpower to throw away that French toast and popcorn?
Don’t I realize that I’m only hurting myself by eating all that junk?
Don’t I realize that I can stop eating junk any time I want?
YES! I DO have the willpower. I DO realize I’m hurting myself, and that I CAN stop eating junk food if I want to.
But I’ll be darned if anyone (ESPECIALLY ME) can boss me around, and get me to do what he/she wants.
The New Challenge: As soon as the THOUGHT of “pigging out” hits, I must do only two simple things. (1) I must pull out ALL of the junk food in the house and pile it on the kitchen table, and (2) I must tell myself, in no uncertain terms, that I must eat ALL that junk food in one sitting.
My guess: Now, in dictating to myself what I should eat — namely, ALL the junk food — I can save face and say “No. I’ll just return when there’s not so much junk food around — which will probably be never.
Let’s try it tonight. Don’t forget those cookies you stashed behind the big can of flour.
Mr. Ebsen may be contacted at robertebsen@hotmail.com
