I’ve been rocking the Eat to Live eating. It hasn’t been 100%, I’ve had a few treats here and there. In fact, I’d say I’ve probably only had one or two 100% days since beginning the 1st phase of ETL back on Dec.30. I have been increasing the good stuff though and decreasing the less-healthy stuff. I refuse to call it “bad stuff.” That gives it too much power. It’s not good or bad, it’s just edible. (Can’t call some of it food either…grin…). It’s going really well. My energy levels are really high, my mood has been stable.
I’ve been reading through the struggles of other bloggers who are dealing with new eating habits. It seems pretty common to “white knuckle” it when it comes to refraining from the less-healthy edibles. Sooner or later one loses one’s grip now matter how tightly (white knuckley) one grabs. Willpower doesn’t work. What does work is keeping it simple. Change doesn’t come suddenly for most of us. There are a few freaks (and I mean that in a good way) out there that do best by diving in, changing everything radically, and never looking back. God bless’em. Then there are the rest of us.
We’re busy. We’ve got kids, jobs, lives. We can’t spend our time expending the continuous conscious effort that willpower requires. Even if you don’t think you’re thinking about your diet/body/food issues, you are on some level. That’s how will power works. You’ve got the will (i.e. your conscious) and you’re constantly applying your power.
That’s exhausting!!!
There are a few things that are helping me stay the course. I fix food in advance and have lots of leftovers so I don’t spend tons of time in the kitchen. I keep my meals simple. Fruit and greens for breakfast. Salad and beans for lunch. Salad and a couple of veg dishs for dinner. Rinse. Lather. Repeat. I exercise where I can. The key, is that I’m not thinking about it. You don’t think about your other habits do you? Showering, teeth-brushing, the route you drive to work, etc. You do it every day effortlessly.
I haven’t yet gotten to the point where I’m not expending a lot of effort. I check in with my support group every day. I am looking at recipes for veggie entrees to add to my repertoire because I need to learn simple easy tasty ways to get dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes. Otherwise it’s too easy to listen to my spouse beg for take-out.
I’m gradually spending less time and effort on my eating. And I’m having success. What a change from relying on willpower only to slip up and then get into the whole beating myself up thing.
[...] in opposition to our surroundings requires much conscious effort. And as I’ve said before, willpower is not enough. It takes time to move beyond willpower into the unconscious habitual [...]
[...] is by hanging onto a strict eating and exercise regime with pure white knuckles. Obviously willpower doesn’t work. If it did, I’d have five years of clean living under my [...]