Rationalizations
steve0mania
Posts: 3,109 Member
If you really try to be objective and introspective, how much of your "bad-eating" do you rationalize? Do you ever catch yourself rationalizing and change your mind about eating something?
Passover starts tonight. That means that last night, we did our "final" checking of the house to remove anything that is leavened (called chametz) or potentially contains leaven (since Jews don't eat, and don't even own, anything leavened during Passover, and instead eat matzah and similar non-leavened items).
As part of that, I thought to myself, "hmmm, we're supposed to clear the house of chametz items. Beer is chametz. I will help clear the place out by having a beer. Or two."
This was certainly a rationalization that broke one of my current weight-loss strategies: no alcohol during the week.
It seemed like such a great idea at the time, but today I'm up a couple of pounds (from the beers, plus some other "imperfect plan following").
Passover starts tonight. That means that last night, we did our "final" checking of the house to remove anything that is leavened (called chametz) or potentially contains leaven (since Jews don't eat, and don't even own, anything leavened during Passover, and instead eat matzah and similar non-leavened items).
As part of that, I thought to myself, "hmmm, we're supposed to clear the house of chametz items. Beer is chametz. I will help clear the place out by having a beer. Or two."
This was certainly a rationalization that broke one of my current weight-loss strategies: no alcohol during the week.
It seemed like such a great idea at the time, but today I'm up a couple of pounds (from the beers, plus some other "imperfect plan following").
1
Replies
-
I'm in my WW meeting,and one of the ladies here is Jewish, and I shared with her you drinking your beers. We had a good laugh.1
-
"I don't want to stick that whole pan in the fridge, and it's too much trouble to transfer the leftovers to a smaller container, so I'll just eat them."
2 -
Some, but not a great deal on most days. I have noticed a tendency toward "rewarding myself" with food after sustained maintenance at or under goal sometimes. It's not an all-out pig-fest, more of "loosening the belt" a bit for a meal, treat or two.
Sometimes I find myself almost laughing at myself putting the jar of peanut butter or jam back in the fridge with barely enough left in the jar or one last sandwich (still a favorite of mine!). It seems silly but I've had my allotment and save the rest for next time. Other times, I just say 'the hell with it--it's too little to save' and polish it off.0 -
I eat it and then begin to realize or perhaps come to the realization of just how stupid I am about the choice I just made. I've done this several times lately. Why? I don't even ask my self as of late why, I just do it. Rationalization at the point of making the choice probably didn't enter into my thought process or I most likely wouldn't have eaten the morsel of whatever I was stuffing down.
At some point I have to come to the realization that there's a point at which realization and rationalization must hit me right between the eyes. It's got to be a decision that nobody can make or help me make. I have to decide all by myself. Do others care? of course but I'm the only one at the end of the day that is responsible for putting food in my mouth.
Rationalize and Realize sound very similar but obviously take on two different meanings. Perhaps I will take the time to explore how I can institute these into my daily life.0 -
Do you ever catch yourself rationalizing and change your mind about eating something?
Yes. A huge NSV was the first time I dumped something in the trash after paying for it. Buying it was a bad decision. Following that up with eating it would be a second bad decision. But it’s two separate things.2 -
I was thinking about this post some more Steve. But I found myself thinking of this in terms of a mismanaged urge. You didn’t get into the project thinking about beer. You didn’t plan on beer. But, like the office donuts that somebody brought in, there it was.
I’ve done my best to make this link in my head. Urge- Resist. But I have to be aware that it’s happening. Sometimes I’ve given into the urge before I realize I’ve done it.1 -
When I go over my calorie budget, I often try to rationalize it by saying I did more steps, more stairs, more weights, more [insert any random physical activity] during the day.1
-
I’ve done my best to make this link in my head. Urge- Resist. But I have to be aware that it’s happening. Sometimes I’ve given into the urge before I realize I’ve done it.
Yes, I agree that the proximate process is the urge. I guess urge can be managed in a few ways. You suggested the appropriate response: urge-->resist. The "resist" part is much easier when I'm being more strict with myself and have effectively declared certain rules to follow.
Unfortunately, I'm incredibly smart, and often find loopholes in my own rules! That leads to the ineffective urge-->rationalize-->consume.
If only I could get to the urge-->rationalize-->recognize I'm rationalizing-->resist pattern!
1 -
Hope this isn’t too deep in the weeds. Here’s how this plays out for me. I think in terms of treats.
My plan for the day ends now with about 180- 250 calories for after dinner snacking. Aka treats. So I see beer, head says want, then “resist” but how? If I go for the beer, I’m trading my after dinner snacking including the ice cream, a particularly yummy treat. But let’s say I decide that today I’ll go with the beer.
Now the dangerous rationalization is still out there. Come 8-8:30, likely still basking in the glow of beer buzz, I’m going to try to talk myself back into my snacks.
200-300 extra calories, right? So what, right? It’s one day, right?
It’s not the calories, it’s the process. I’m blowing up the process. The existence of the snacks is predicated on planned treats winning out over the urges. If they don’t, I need to stick to the process and close out the treats for today.
One bad day isn’t a reason to ditch a plan. But if I start allowing double treats, and if I’m going to be honest with myself, I’ll need to do an overhaul of my entire approach.
I’ve spent some time looking in the mirror talking aloud to myself. Really.1 -
Yup! "Rationalized" yesterday's 2 slices of cheesecake, a brownie, 6 beers. Hmmm... or just had the effits.0
-
Sometimes I tell myself that it is early in the week - I have time to make it up by Friday's WI.0
-
Yup20
-
# me too0
-
200-300 extra calories, right? So what, right? It’s one day, right?
It’s not the calories, it’s the process. I’m blowing up the process. The existence of the snacks is predicated on planned treats winning out over the urges. If they don’t, I need to stick to the process and close out the treats for today.
I think your point is a good one, and at the same time, regardless of whether we plan for extra treats or we don't, we are all blowing up the process when we bring in extra calories.
Sometimes I do "skimp" on a meal earlier in the day with a plan for a beer later. I don't actually calculate calories for this, but I go by a general sense. So that's a great plan.
Where it blows up is when I have that second beer, and rationalize it by saying something like, "yeah, I skimped earlier and actually planned to have the first beer. Now that I think about it, I vaguely recall exercising earlier in the day too, so I can allow myself a second beer." Of course, that's a post-hoc rationalization, but at the time it seems to make sense.
Of course, the worst rationalization is the "well, I've fallen half-way down the steps, so I might as well throw myself the rest of the way down the steps!"2
