Whats Up With Self Sabotage?
Does this sound familiar?
How many times have we started a
new diet with the very best of
intentions? We know we picked a
good program, we’re excited, we’ve
stocked up on the essentials. We
might even manage to do well for a
few days.
Then the shoe falls. Our resolve
wanders. We almost look for an excuse to cheat. You ask yourself,
Why?
You know full well that 14 strong
days as free of temptation as
possible will garner you the best
chance of weight loss success.
Good plan! So, what do you
instead? You make a date to meet
your pals at the local hangout, you
know, the one with the free Happy
Hour buffet and 25 cent; beers. You
rationalize you, deserve it. You
convince yourself that your friends
will bolster you with. Lastly, you
promise yourself to stick to 1, okay
2 max, Michelob Lights.
Yeah that was the promise, but it didn't quite turn out that way. Yet
again.
It’s not like we need to someone to
hold our hand into temptation! It
surely doesn’t help that there’s a McDonald's, Burger King and/or
Pizza Hut on every corner. Calling
at us like an epic siren, we turn into
the drive thru like Pavlov’s dogs.
Our low crab brain tells us to order
a bunless cheeseburger or grilled
chicken salad, meanwhile we spurt out Big Mac and Diet Coke. Of
course Diet Coke! Hey, we’re on a
diet!
Why do we do it? Why do we set
ourselves up? Seemingly, almost on
purpose?
Personally, I think it’s akin to the
emotional reasons we eat, whether
we’re actually hungry or not. The
next time you’re standing in front of
the fridge, door swung wide open,
staring in a blank trance as if some
magical 0 cal 0 carb delicious
delight will suddenly appear. Take
comfort in knowing that your
dieting sisters and brothers are
joining you world over.
Self examination is the key. What’s
going on inside your brain? What
are we furiously trying to bury
under the wrong foods and poor
choices? What on earth are we
afraid of? Worried that we can’t
blame personal failures on our fat anymore? Scared about sudden
attention and flirting from the
opposite sex?
Zillions of books have been written
on the subject and I’m far from an
expert, but I have spent the better
portion of my adult life pondering
this puzzle. Therapy is probably the
most obvious answer, but we don’t
have time and I’m certainly
unqualified! Behavior modification
techniques would be beneficial, as
are online support groups.
For my buck, the most bang is journalist. Yes, men, even you.
You’ve heard confession is good
for the soul. Well, it’s absolutely
true.
The Weigh For now, committing feelings and
insecurities, whether to paper or
bandwidth, can help.
Go ahead, discover yourself
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