"I deserve this because . . . " x post

How many of us recognize ourselves in this thinking"

"I deserve to eat this ice cream because . . ."

 - I followed my eating plan strictly today and need a reward

 - I had a lousy day at work and need just a little "me" comfort

 - my husband has been crabbing at me about what I eat and brings cookies in the house so I will show him who is in charge of what I eat

 - my dog threw up on the carpet and I had to clean it up

 - Everyone else was eating lots of the ice cream so I should have just a little

 - tomorrow I am going to hit the gym hard so this will inspire me to work harder

 - I have lost over 100 lbs and this is part of transitioning to "normal" eating

 - I hate my skinny sister in law and she eats gobs of it and I am gonna eat some too

 - I eat, therefore I am

 - its there so it needs to be eaten before it goes bad

 - One little bite won't hurt anything

 - I am stressed out and need to relax

 - Its National Eat Ice Cream Day

 - i need to regain a pound or two because my husband thinks I'm too thin

 - There needs to be more peace and harmony in the world

These rationalizations go on and on. Actually we should think of them as "irrationalizations" because in fact they are all not good reasons for eating off program.

So maybe next time you find yourself thinking "I deserve to eat this because  . . . " , try instead thinking "I deserve to have good heath and weight loss success because I am worthy of it so I really don't need this food item and I will look for some healthy protein instead because I deserve it."  And also remind yourself that stress or bad behavior of other people or even unfortunate coincidences are not resolved by eating and the only person punished or injured is you if you eat for these reasons.

Yeah, its all easier said than done and I have eating things I shouldn't for even more ridiculous reasons but am working to reverse this thinking. Who else has played the "irrationalization" game?

Diane

I still do it from time to time - especially about working out. I've never framed it in terms of "deserving" it, but I tell myself I've earned it. I had to work on this a lot because when I was really stressed out at work, I used to tell myself if I worked for an hour, I could go get a candy bar and energy drink so I could work for another hour. I gained A LOT of weight because of this cycle so that was one of the first things I had to work on before surgery.

Food is not a reward, period. I've come to terms with this, even though it still pops up once in a while.

Thanks for posting this....Great way to keep me on my toes and remember why I had this surgery in the first place.....I had some disturbing news today and sometimes right when you think your on the edge and you will eat something you know you shouldn't there is a hand that reaches out and pulls you in.

Just today I started to say this to myself:

i need to regain a pound or two because my husband thinks I'm too thin

Then I thought about it, and decided that he's just going to have to love me tiny.  I have worked too hard to regain anything.  I love your post and can totally relate to it. 

My biggest downfall comes when I have lost below my maintenance goal and I start to think that I "deserve" to eat a bit more.  The thought of great ribs begins to haunt me, then I give in, eat more than I should for more days than I can afford, and gain a bit too much back.  Then I tighten the reigns and lose the excess weight, but I usually go a bit too far and the whole cycle starts again.  It would be so much smarter to just do the right thing all the time and stop the madness.  I am still a work in progress.  Thank you Diane for this post.

Boy do I know those voices well!  Right now the voices aren't too intense, but I have heard more of them whispering in the background lately, and at times they've been getting louder.  So far, I've been able to tell them to shut up and they have or at least have quieted down.  But I know the voices are still there, waiting until my guard is down.  Most of the time, I just take it a day at a time, but some days, it's a minute or even a second at a time.  That's when I head to the faucet or the Keurig, as I can't eat and drink at the same time or my stomach rebels big time.  Hmm...I have been trying to up my fluids to closer to 100 oz a day lately, but I wonder if my success in that area is also because of those d**m voices?!

 EVERY SINGLE DAY, I struggle with this. I keep Brandilyns words close to my heart "rationalization is like masturbation, you are only screwing yourself" (and it makes me giggle). 

I think the thing that is hardest for me to fight is not thinking at all, just 100% reptilian brain saying "give me those survival calories now" in whatever non-language.  All the thinking I do is how to shut that mumbling lizard up. 

My disease (obesity) is not going to go away just because I had surgery.  I wish wish wi**** did, but wishing doesn't make it so.  I have reached goal and love my new life and will pick that devil gecko up by the neck and show it who's boss.  I have no illusion that it will be okay to listen to it when it whispers, "hey, baby, it's National Eat Ice Cream Day."

I once ate junk food to celebrate that the contestant I liked on Wheel of Fortune won.

Yep anything for a food fest. And of course all bad things are consoled with food in addition to all celebrations. and boring days...  and stressful days....
diane