Small Steps to Health

Stop Talking about Food as if You are Still a Child

January 31st, 2008 by asithi · No Comments

Tagged Emotional Eating, Healthy Eating, Motivation

As emotionally balanced adults, some of us never came out of the childhood stage with regards to food. As responsible adults, we learn that all actions have consequences. When we were children, we think for the present moment. The food taste good, we put it your mouth.

Stop talking about food as if you are a child.
Most of us feel deprive when we trying to loose weight because we attach emotions to food with baby talk.

• ‘It’s my favorite.’
• ‘It’s my treat.’
• ‘It’s not fair that I cannot have this bowl of ice cream.’ — This one is my line. Ice cream is my Achilles Heel.
• ‘It’s my reward, I lost 5 pounds!’
• ‘I need comfort.’

Stop attaching these childish emotions to food. If we are still talking like a whining child, we will eat for immediate gratification like a child. At least when I was a child, my mother will put a stop to this unacceptable behavior, but as an adult I can keep going down that path until I do something about it. As a responsible adult, we should at least think about the negative consequences of eating all junk food.  Try to see how many times this week you catch yourself using some version of the bulleted words (favorite, treat, not fair, reward, comfort) on food. It is probably a lot more often than you think.

Stop resenting that you have to work to keep your body healthy.
Everything that I treasure in my life — my husband, my family, my friends, and my career – have taken discipline, patience, and focus. And yet, I hope that there is some magic pill or diet plan that will turn my large baggy sweats to a beautiful ball gown. Hello fairy godmother, are you out there? I need you now.

I cannot expect a healthy body without putting in the sweat equity and being selective of what I put in my mouth. That is a fact. I can throw all the tantrums I want, protest and vow that I can have it both ways (inside my head of course, I would not throw tantrums in public anymore), but in the end I must learn to accept that I need to work my body. I am still coming to terms with this.

When you treat your body badly, the abuse will eventually show up. Instant gratification with food is like charging more than you can afford on your credit card. The monthly payments might not be high, but the interest is steep and it is going to take a long time to pay it off if you keep your head in the sand. This is not to say that you can never have your favorite food, just not all the time. And when you do eat it as a mature adult, you are consciously aware that you are charging on your health credit card. What will you do to bring that negative balance to zero?

Until next time and thanks for stopping by.

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