That's a loaded question, and for most of us, the answer is probably "depends."
We might be totally trusted to do what we say when it comes to getting to work on time, but will happily let ourselves off the hook over exercising or not having a candy bar, regardless of how many times we swore otherwise.
We've all done that --do that--so the question is, why?
There's really only one answer--we do what we really want to. We may know that munching on veggies instead of ice cream is healthier, but we want the ice cream anyway--it gives us what we want in the moment even if we regret it later.
So, what do you do about it? Well, you can either admit you like ice cream and stop saying you won't eat it, because you know you will. At least then you aren't lying to yourself--and making yourself untrustworthy.
If you really wish you didn't want to eat ice cream, you can find a way to change how you think and feel about the situation--what you really want. In short, if you want to be healthy, but you love eating unhealthy foods, something's gotta give. Since we can agree that you really do want to be healthy, the something that needs to change is the way you feel about the food you eat.
Sounds simple, doesn't it? Well, if you can just flip a switch in your brain and instantly make things different, good for you. I had to work for my changes. So, here's what I did (we'll stick with the ice cream example).
- First of all, I told myself that I could have ice cream whenever I wanted to--I'm an adult and it's my choice. I also had to agree that in so doing I was willingly choosing the consequences thereof. If I made the choice, I couldn't say anything like "Oh, I really shouldn't." Nope, just eat and enjoy honestly. And, there would be no whining about how it made me feel fat or bloated later, or yapping about how I wish I hadn't done it. No, if I chose to eat ice cream, I vowed to do it on purpose and with gusto.
- Then I started really thinking about how I felt when I ate ice cream. Yes, it was tasty in the moment, but afterward I really didn't feel that great and I felt guilty and definitely wished I hadn't done it. So, I focused on that feeling--feeling really bad--while I thought about ice cream.
- At the same time, I started noticing how great I felt when I ate fresh veggies and fruits and avoided fried things. I liked the way I felt inside my clothes and inside my mind, and I started really thinking about that while I looked over the choices on a restaurant menu, Chinese buffet or in my grocery cart.
It never was punishment--I wasn't ever depriving myself of anything. I was simply taking the facts and making choices accordingly. And, going through that process, I became really in tune with my body. I noticed that some days I just had to have sweet potatoes. Other days, it was raw broccoli, cauliflower and chicken. Whatever it was that "called to me," I ate it.
And yes, I even had ice cream when it called to me. I never ever felt bad about it either, because I knew if my body said it was okay, it was. And that was the key, I never forced myself to eat anything--or not. I just thought about what would make me feel good and what I would be happy about later.
For me, not only did I learn that I could trust myself to do what I said, I also learned I could trust my body to tell me what it wanted.
If the concept makes sense to you, give it a try. The most important part of it is learning to trust yourself and own your own power. You are the authority in your life and you get to choose what you do!
Choose wisely and live your joy!
Paula Renaye
Paula Renaye is a certified professional coach, motivational speaker and author of The Hardline Self Help Handbook, which has won Four National Book Awards. Read more personal development articles and self-improvement tips and get FREE stuff at http://hardlineselfhelp.com
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