I know I should be sleeping.
Da Murphies (my furkid) and I just drove 15 hours from Tampa to Pittsburgh...and instead of unpacking the numerous bags staring at me or sifting through the piles on piles on piles of mail we have, all I could think about was making sure I got this thought "out there."
Because, you see, 15 hours in the car alone gives you a lot of time to think and ponder and wonder and hypothesize and dream and imagine...and be.
Anyway, here was one of the things I wondered about...
Imagine this scenario...
You go to your mailbox, and you receive an invitation to a neighborhood party for the 4th of July and it reads at the very end "COME HUNGRY!"
How do you approach that day?
Maybe you eat a smaller breakfast and lunch or perhaps you even skip lunch altogether, you know, just to save some extra calories.
Maybe you start thinking about that party for the entire week and realllly "clean up your diet" which means restriction city!
Maybe you decide to get in an extra workout or spend a little more time in the gym each day that week or push yourself just a little harder that morning (seriously, I could wring out my shirt!)
Maybe you even decide you'll just walk to the event too because that'll burn some extra calories.
And then when you get to that party...oh BOY, everything looks DELICIOUS!
AND covered in warm, gooey CHEESE.
But, did you look at that dessert table?! OMG all your favorites...chocolate covered strawberries (it's fruit, right?), Mrs. Smith's special chocolate chip cookies, fudgy brownies (how are they still warm?!)...
Not to mention the cocktail table...every type of drink imaginable! You can't just drink wine when you could have a margarita (or 3)!!
1 plate, 2 plates, 3 plates...before you even comprehend what happened your pants are suuuuuper uncomfortable and you feel like you may burst.
But that buffalo dip was to die for...so maybe just 1 more plate.
Ok, keep that thought in your head.
Now, I want you to think about the scenario of what they, our culture/society...I don't know, whoever "they" are...say you need to do to lose weight.
Restrict & cut calories and workout more....right?
Maybe you eat a smaller breakfast and lunch or perhaps you even skip lunch altogether, you know, just to save some extra calories.
Maybe you start thinking about food obsessively and realllly "clean up your diet."
Maybe you decide to get in an extra workout or spend a little more time in the gym each day or push yourself just a little harder than the day before.
Maybe you even decide you'll just walk everywhere because that'll burn some extra calories.
WAIT A SECOND. Didn't I just say that?
So I started thinking about these scenarios because I know a lot of people that tell me "they are so good all week but then binge on the weekend" OR "I'm so good all DAY and then I binge at night."
I imagine it is the same way that majority of people treat a holiday or party feast.
One of the big problems is that they are seeing their choices as a DIET.
UGH, I AM SO OVER DIETS.
Unless it is a lifestyle change...unless eating healthy, and ENOUGH of those health foods, becomes part of who you are and what you believe and what you willingly and happily choose, you will forever be on a diet and you will forever be on the restriction/binge bandwagon.
And you will forever be losing and gaining weight.
This may sound dismal, but I think it needs to be said!
Because sadly, I see way too many people doing it.
AND I see way too many people choosing GOOD healthy food, but restricting it because they constantly hear we need to "eat less" and "eat in moderation" causing this vicious cycle.
Because if you feel restricted even with good choices, you will never be satisfied. Plus, you will probably overgeneralize and think it's the "healthy food" that's not satisfying RATHER THAN the fact that it was not enough of that healthy food.
So there's some food for thought ;) brought to you by road trips.
I'd love to hear what you think! Let me know in the comments!
xo, Kate
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