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Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Impulse.



In order to change and transform your life, I believe we must grab hold of the impulse.

That split second decision to get our mind in control of our body.  
I was always so hooked on that immediate high I'd get from indulging in that "bad" food.  
My body would react hours later, feeling awful and bloated.  I'd lack energy to do anything positive or productive so I'd allow those impulses to grab hold once again.  
I remember vividly the way my body would feel after a meal that wasn't nourishing to my body.  A friend of mine sent a text reminding me of those feelings because she too, deals with this impulsive behavior at times.  I think we all have at one time or another?
I also remember having "issues" with going to the bathroom...almost every day.  My body was showing me it wasn't feeling nourished and healthy yet I continued to sabotage myself over and over again, only to end up feeling worse each time.  WHY?
Well if I had the answers, I think I'd be able to conquer the world but all I can do is promise that from learned experiences, it's a battle worth fighting within yourself.  

I can remember being in my bedroom after a meal with friends and I felt SICK.  I'd lay in bed disgusted thinking about the endless baskets of chips and queso I had consumed along with 5-6 tortillas with very little else.  It was sometimes a joke to see who could make themselves sick on the food that night.  What were we thinking?  That's miserable and so unhealthy.
It was like a comfort and each of us could count on one another...through food.  

We make "impulse buys" at the store but can always return it.
If we make our food choices based upon impulse, there's no returning it but we can use it as a learning experience and move forward.  We can engage our minds and think more clearly when it comes to the foods that we choose to eat.  
It's always a choice.  ALWAYS.  

Exercise is WORK.  It's tough and our body feels drained when it's finished.  To me it is no comparison to the rest of our day.  The times where temptations, impulses and emotions wrap into our daily lives.  It's tough to battle brownies in the workroom, homemade fried chicken with family and a weekend pizza and wing party...right?

Honestly, as I attend functions I try to remind myself of how my body feels AFTER the impulsive behavior.  
Do I feel healthy?  Am I full of energy? NO and NO.
So instead I'll pass on those options at the party and make healthy decisions before and after.  
For me it was easy to NOT EAT at parties when I was heavy...this would keep from drawing attention to the chubby girl devouring the appetizers, so I'd self-destruct when I'd walk in the door.  
That seemed to work...deprivation and then over consumption when I'd get home.   

BUT sadly this option is even more dangerous to our health.
A little indulgence is okay and then we balance the rest of our day accordingly.  So I had to wrap my mind around the fact that going to a function where I CHOOSE to not have pizza, only means I'll fuel properly and feel better later.  Where in my past I'd feel sorry for myself for not being "allowed" to have pizza so when I get home I'll eat two bags of chips and some Oreo's.
Our minds are powerful!  SO VERY POWERFUL
Our decisions with our food need to be made by thinking before we act.  Not on impulses.
This is so tough for many of us but overcoming this is possible.

All of this coming from the queen of "just one more bite" so if I can do it, there should be no stopping any of YOU!

Any of you struggle with these impulse food decisions?
How do you overcome?




2 comments:

Elle said...

I agree... our minds are so poweful. GREAT post!

jillconyers said...

I have a food "thing". I don't know that it's impulse though. More along the sad lines of control.