One of the most helpful tools…
ByOne of the most helpful tools I’ve used during my Distraction Diet journey has been recording what I eat each meal. It really helps me stay present to what and how much I’m eating, and it reminds me of my goal to be healthy. It’s not difficult to do, and it doesn’t take any time to jot down what I’m eating right before or just after I eat.
However, I’ve learned that when I choose to eat unwisely, the temptation is overwhelming at times to not write anything down. As a matter of fact, there have been several weeks this winter when I’ve not recorded what I’ve eaten, and the scale shows me that I’ve added back pounds as a result. Now, I know better, of course. The reality is that not writing down what I eat allows me to hide from myself and my good intentions. It’s embarrassing to admit, honestly, that I could be acting so immaturely and so counter to my own healthy intentions.
Seriously, I know that simply writing down what I eat helps me stay on track, but I’m resisting using that easy support. What’s that about? Well, it’s not logical and it looks like self-sabotage. I don’t feel like I’m trying to sabotage myself, but that’s clearly what’s happened. So, there’s a part of me who has a clear intention and knows how to support my intention with the simple action of writing down what I eat. I’ve found that system quite insightful, and it’s even been fun to experience how writing has helped me.
Then there’s a part of me who hates any feeling of being restrained or managed, and she doesn’t want to be reminded of long-term goals or anything beyond the present moment. She just wants what she wants right now, and she doesn’t want to think about consequences. She feels like a younger voice. Writing down what I eat feels boring or just plain punitive when that part of me is at the forefront. This part of me is headstrong, stubborn, and perhaps unintentionally self-destructive. She appears when I’ve been too stringent or judgmental of myself, and she serves as a counterbalance of sorts. Really, she’s a powerful signal that I’m out of balance. Unfortunately, she can throw me out of balance in another direction very easily.
Does this sound familiar? If you’ve ever experienced anything like this, welcome to the club. But don’t give up hope just because this has happened to you. In my case, I didn’t notice what was going on for a bit, so my inattention was also part of the problem. Then, when I did notice, I fell back into my judgmental self, internally beating myself up for this misstep. Also not useful, but again, that’s my old pattern and it hasn’t just disappeared, of course. It’s too deeply entrenched still. However, what I now know to do after I notice a system has fallen out is to be kind with myself rather than piling on harsh thoughts. Then get really curious what’s been going on with me that the system fell out in the first place. In my case, the holiday temptations and stresses were greater than I realized, and I hadn’t built in enough nurturing and fun things that would help me stay on an even keel.
With this exploration and understanding, I can choose what I want to do to get back to feeling nurtured and balanced. Then I find I want to put my system of recording what I eat back in place, but maybe with some adjustments so I’m engaged around it again. I like the healthy, fit person I’ve become, and I can still have fun, eat well, and appreciate that a misstep is just that. It’s not the end of the world. I love the healthy way I’ve chosen to eat, and I love how I physically feel when I eat mostly fresh, non-processed foods.
I’ll listen to that part of me who was feeling too restrained and explore making some changes so she can feel satisfied, too. I actually appreciate that she shook me up a bit. I learned that I must pay attention to my feelings and general life balance. I also learned that I hate how I feel after eating processed foods and how good I consistently feel when I follow my healthy eating habits. That bit of experiential evidence is powerfully supportive.
