Food for Thought: September 28th

My Own Body

My body is where I live. Its size and shape is a matter between my Higher Power and me. No one else is responsible for my body. In the past, I may have permitted other people to influence what I ate and how much I weighed, but I now take full responsibility.

Other people may think that I am too fat or too thin, but that is their problem, not mine. I am learning what my body needs in order to operate at peak efficiency. I am learning to avoid the foods, which I do not handle well. What and how much I eat depends on my own preference and the requirements of my metabolism.

My body is a gift to me from my Higher Power. Maintaining it in the best possible condition is my response to God's gift. No one else can tell me how best to maintain my body, since no one else is living in it or receives its inner signals. If I honestly interpret the signals, which come from my body, I will stay abstinent and healthy.

Thank You for my body.

From Food for Thought: Daily Meditations for Overeaters by Elisabeth L. ©1980, 1992 by Hazelden Foundation.

My Certified Health Coach Website

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Turning Your Accomplices Into Allies, Blog 9/3/12

We all have people in our lives who want to make us happy, even when their actions are not in our best interest.  We can call these people Accomplices. 

In order to facilitate a lifestyle change of this magnitude, we should figure out how to turn these well-meaning Accomplices into Allies. 

Sometimes our friends or members of our family urge us to eat food that is not part of our plan. If we allow ourselves to be manipulated into eating something to please someone else, we are in danger of losing a very important part of our lives: getting healthy.   Anyone who tries to make us feel uncomfortable because of our quest  is acting as an enemy, rather than a friend.

To some people close to us, an explanation of our food plan may be helpful. Repeated discussions, however, are usually unnecessary and unproductive. We alone are responsible for what we put into our mouths. If those around us cannot or will not understand, then that is their problem, not ours.

When confronted with food, which we know is harmful to us, the simplest response is a firm "No, thank you." When we ourselves are determined to reach our goals, no one else, whether friend or enemy, can prevent us from following our plan.

Your loved ones who live with you need to step UP and help you stay the course with your journey, rather than hindering your progress by bringing you boxes of chocolates or making reservations at fancy French restaurants. If we have to scrape all that marvelous sauce off of the coq au vin, leaving a dry chicken breast on the Limoges china, what’s the point in paying $35 for it?  

Similarly, if the credit card is being charged $100 and you’re refusing to eat the beautiful pastry sitting in front of you, you may wind up feeling GUILTED into eating it.

“It is better to keep a friend from falling than to help him up”

~Sit down with your loved ones for a heart-to-heart talk. Tell them you need their assistance, because you are on a quest to change your life; to get healthy & to be there for them for many years to come.

~Ask them NOT to bring in pizza for a while.  Pizza is one of those foods with SUCH an incredible aroma, you’ll wind up having to leave the house in order to stay OP.  Some temptations are just TOO MUCH. 

~Ask your loved ones to eat their pizza OUT for the first few months of your program, so you won’t have to go through a bottle of Fabreze to get rid of the lingering smell throughout the house.

~Ask them to bring in single serving sizes of junk foods, like candy bars for instance, so you aren’t tempted to eat ‘just one’ out of a bag of miniatures. 

~Most people are happy to help us, but they have to know we NEED their help!  Share yourself with your loved ones, letting them know exactly what YOU need to stay focused. If you don’t tell them, and expect them to read your mind, you may wind up off plan & seriously annoyed with your lack of commitment.

~Keep saying No Thank You EVERY time your loved one offers you ‘just ONE bite’ of whatever he’s eating.  If you say OK, even ONCE, he won’t believe you’re seriously committed to making a permanent change.  And he’ll KEEP asking you.  And, chances are, you’ll KEEP saying OK.  Once we break the strict on-plan mindset, it gets A LOT easier to KEEP breaking it.

“A friend is someone who helps you up when you're down, and if they can't, they lie down beside you and listen.”

~Talk to your eating buddies about your new goals to develop healthy habits. Not to make them painfully aware of THEIR bad eating habits, but to get them on board & pulling FOR your success.  Yes Mary, I’d love to meet you for coffee, but lunch at The Cheesecake Factory is just too much for me to bear right now. Maybe in a few months I’ll be STRONGER, but right now, I’m feeling like a bit of a marshmallow.”  Who wouldn’t empathize with you when you’re using that language?

~If your husband brings you a box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day, don’t feel required to EAT them! Tell him Thanks, but chocolates are NOT part of your healthy eating habits but flowers have NO calories! Proceed to either flush those nuggets down the disposal, or walk them next door to your neighbor.  You love HIM, but you’re not willing to compromise YOUR program for anyONE or anyTHING.  Hubby may lick his wounds for a while, but hey, he wasn’t really paying attention if he bought you chocolates to begin with.

~If your toddler is insisting you ‘share’ her lunch of chicken nuggets & fries, pretend you are eating.  Cut up your food and push it around the plate, bringing the fork up to your mouth several times w/o actually eating anything. The exception to the Ally rule is where toddlers are concerned. It’s a lot easier to make believe you’re sharing their lunch than it is to explain your new eating program!!!!  If your child is older and able TO understand, then elicit his help, by all means.

~Explain to your children the necessity of getting healthy.  You’re setting a GREAT example for them by eating wholesome foods, and you’re teaching THEM the difference between spinach & kale.

“Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Just walk beside me and be my friend.”

~Albert Camus