My Mini-Epiphany

Iron_Maiden
Iron_Maiden Posts: 326 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I have a sweet tooth from hell and often convince myself that I deserve this cake/cookie/entire box of Little Debbies :-( because I've "earned" it. The list of justifications are convincing & lengthy: I had a bad day. I had a good day. I got a promotion. It's Friday! It's Tuesday. I'm stressed. I'm happy. I'm hungry. I'm PMSing. I'm done PMSing. Anyway, you get the idea. SO - I've decided that this will no longer work for me! If I choose to eat a sweet every once in a while - that's my business but i will not justify it to myself as something I've earned.

I will limit these sweets and tell myself that I DESERVE to limit them because what I truly DESERVE is to be a hottie mamma who rocks her skinny jeans and turns heads wherever she goes! So TAKE THAT Little Debbies!

Any epiphanies you'd like to share since you've been on your fitness journeyt?

-Thanks for listening. xo
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Replies

  • browneyez27
    browneyez27 Posts: 31 Member
    hahaha loves it :)
  • shyeban
    shyeban Posts: 121 Member
    Deserve, good and bad are all words I'm attempting to disassociate with what I eat.
    Food is just what we eat, words like that give it power and take it away from us.
  • Iron_Maiden
    Iron_Maiden Posts: 326 Member
    Deserve, good and bad are all words I'm attempting to disassociate with what I eat.
    Food is just what we eat, words like that give it power and take it away from us.

    This makes a lot of sense! I think that's what I'm trying to do - take my power back & tell myself I deserve good health and to feel beautiful again. Thanks!
  • SocWkrBee
    SocWkrBee Posts: 374
    I understand what you mean. I reward myself with food as well. Good day? Have a sticky bun. Bad day? You deserve some pie for that or some ribs.

    I too, had to realize that is not the way to go.

    Now I try to look at it another way. Every time my emotions tell me to eat and I don't that is my reward.
  • Krys_140
    Krys_140 Posts: 648 Member
    Yes! I have done that for years! Stopped recently, after researching rewards for kids (I have a 3 year old, and we are potty training). I noticed a lot of people rewarding with candy or McDonald's. Food rewards start when we are tykes, and I am trying to break the cycle with my daughter.

    We reward with movies, toys, praise, encouragement. I am doing this with myself, too! I reward with rest, manicures, pool time... Never food anymore...

    Congrats on the breakthrough!!!
  • mangobadango
    mangobadango Posts: 294 Member
    The quote that broke me of this habit was "Stop rewarding yourself with food, you aren't a dog."

    It was such a common sense statement but it really broke me of that habit. Although I will still eat a Dove Dark Chocolate square to relax after a long day.
  • Fenomka
    Fenomka Posts: 103 Member
    I TOTALLY have this problem. I used to treat myself, whatever the occasion, or use my PMS/cycle/cramps as an excuse to buy myself ice cream, or chocolate, or whatever.

    I found that for me, disassociating wasn't enough - I had to find something to still treat myself that WASN'T food related because I mean... lets face it - I'm still going to have good days, bad days, fat days, crampy days, GRUMPY days, whatever. and those days still deserve something to take the edge off. so now, instead of food, I treat myself to like... a manicure. or a massage. add a shampoo onto the haircut I already needed (because who doesn't love getting basically a scalp massage, along with the new 'do??) it's almost more satisfying to treat myself with these long lasting things, instead of food, because I can look in the mirror and think not only "dang, I look good!" but also "I so TOTALLY earned that!" and "I feel so much better!"
  • tstawicki
    tstawicki Posts: 61 Member
    I realized that I am a hider of eating sweets and treats. I was always told that I was going to get fat or that it is fattening growing up and that plays on my mind so I would eat a little bit then eat more in hiding so nobody saw me. How bad that is and it's habitual for me.
    Now I am working on myself to log it in my diary and plan for a treat almost daily, and when I do acknowledge it and eat in front of people I give myself permission and that feels so much better than hiding it, then I don't overindulge myself. It's a work in progress!

    OK I confessed it :)
  • JeSuisPrest
    JeSuisPrest Posts: 2,005 Member
    Very similar to your epiphany.....that I deserve to take better care of me!
  • findingme07
    findingme07 Posts: 156 Member
    skinny cow ice cream desserts are awesome and between 100-150 calories. I have one every day to curb my sweet tooth.
  • kellycdowney
    kellycdowney Posts: 18
    Oh my gosh, did you crawl into my pre-healthy living brain? I used every excuse I could to feed my chocolate addiction. Now, I just eat a little chocolate when I have a bad craving and try to reward myself with things that are not food (for example, I bought myself new makeup for my first weight loss reward) and I feel I am way better off for it.
  • jeannelawrie
    jeannelawrie Posts: 53 Member
    The quote that broke me of this habit was "Stop rewarding yourself with food, you aren't a dog."

    I love this!!!!!!
  • spiregrain
    spiregrain Posts: 254 Member
    The quote that broke me of this habit was "Stop rewarding yourself with food, you aren't a dog."

    Hahahaha rad. Well said!
  • onedayillbeamilf
    onedayillbeamilf Posts: 966 Member
    I just finished reading Women Food and God. The beginning of the book I wasn't so sure, but towards the end I was strolling through epiphanyville.
  • LemonBurns
    LemonBurns Posts: 538 Member
    Yes - Ageed. And thanks for this... I needed it today! Since hitting my goal weight, seems I have been rewarding myself a lot. Can't go back can't go back, CANNOT GO BACK!!! Again, thanks for this!
  • Debbiefit45
    Debbiefit45 Posts: 31
    Very well said; and I can relate! As a sugar addict, I always have cravings that I have to deal with. What I have to do is make the choice (no excuses) to walk through the compulsion to eat. Once I get through it, I feel a little stronger. I decided that I workout to stay "fit," not "skinny," and I eat to nourish my body, not to cover & feed my emotions.
    Keep up the good work!
    Debbie
  • myfitnessval
    myfitnessval Posts: 687 Member
    yes! this is awesome! i've been realizing this one too! someone said it best on here when I was just starting. "You're not a dog, don't reward yourself with food." :)
  • jfrog123
    jfrog123 Posts: 432 Member
    I totally agree with this. Last summer it really hit me when we were going through the tournament for my son's little league team. They won, so the coach took them out for pizza. They lost the next game, so the coach bought Dairy Queen Blizzards for everyone. After the last game it was DQ again, to celebrate the end of the season. We have been trying to separate food and rewards in our kids minds ever since. This year at the end of the season the coach told all the kids he would meet them at DQ and buy them ice cream. My son asked if we could skip the ice cream and go to his grandma's house for a swim instead. That made me happy. In the interest of full disclosure, we did have flavor-ice while we were poolside, lol. It was hot!
  • TexasRattlesnake
    TexasRattlesnake Posts: 375 Member
    Great post, and love the comment about not being a dog. My epiphanies I sum up in these two things:

    1) Glory is forever, pain is temporary.
    2) It's not a question of if I can, it's a question of if I will; so I will.
  • FatDaddysMom
    FatDaddysMom Posts: 10 Member
    Thanks I needed to hear this :-)
  • rwatts2165
    rwatts2165 Posts: 18 Member
    Great perspective and quote Eric, thanks for the inspiration!
  • ctooch99
    ctooch99 Posts: 459 Member
    I actually came to an epiphany the other night making another post and it is this: food is fuel

    If our lives are like an awesome trip o the Grand Canyon, would we spend that entire trip agonizing over the gas in the car and would the main part of that trip be spent at the gas stations? No. We would simply recognize the importance of using good fuel, recognize we will need to periodically stop at decent places to get said fuel and that would be as much time as we gave it in our trip.

    I look at food now the same way - in this trip of life we need fuel, I recognize I need that good fuel (good healthy food), I buy and use the right fuel (and enjoy it ) and that is as much time as I am willing to give it anymore.
  • lodeannalo
    lodeannalo Posts: 26 Member
    I am no longer living to eat, but eating to live. Food was the center of my world, but I am slowly figuring things out. It is a process, but I am seeing the light for the first time.
  • msgwife
    msgwife Posts: 3
    My epiphany... seriously just the other day .... If you don't quit you never have to start again ....
  • ctooch99
    ctooch99 Posts: 459 Member
    My epiphany... seriously just the other day .... If you don't quit you never have to start again ....

    That's an awesome one! I like it!
  • barbaracoffing
    barbaracoffing Posts: 117 Member
    I love what you said "Not living to eat, but eating to live". That's the ticket right there. Learning to make choices. It's a lifestyle change. Not a diet. Once you accept that, and go with it, you feel a sense of, I don't know....relief/confidence/control. You rock!
  • Iron_Maiden
    Iron_Maiden Posts: 326 Member
    I TOTALLY have this problem. I used to treat myself, whatever the occasion, or use my PMS/cycle/cramps as an excuse to buy myself ice cream, or chocolate, or whatever.

    I found that for me, disassociating wasn't enough - I had to find something to still treat myself that WASN'T food related because I mean... lets face it - I'm still going to have good days, bad days, fat days, crampy days, GRUMPY days, whatever. and those days still deserve something to take the edge off. so now, instead of food, I treat myself to like... a manicure. or a massage. add a shampoo onto the haircut I already needed (because who doesn't love getting basically a scalp massage, along with the new 'do??) it's almost more satisfying to treat myself with these long lasting things, instead of food, because I can look in the mirror and think not only "dang, I look good!" but also "I so TOTALLY earned that!" and "I feel so much better!"
    [/quote

    This is a great idea. I have yet to set mini-goals for myself and need to map that out! Thanks for sharing!
  • Iron_Maiden
    Iron_Maiden Posts: 326 Member
    I realized that I am a hider of eating sweets and treats. I was always told that I was going to get fat or that it is fattening growing up and that plays on my mind so I would eat a little bit then eat more in hiding so nobody saw me. How bad that is and it's habitual for me.
    Now I am working on myself to log it in my diary and plan for a treat almost daily, and when I do acknowledge it and eat in front of people I give myself permission and that feels so much better than hiding it, then I don't overindulge myself. It's a work in progress!

    OK I confessed it :)

    I've been there too. I'm glad you're realizing it and working through it! Good for you!!! ((hugs))
  • Iron_Maiden
    Iron_Maiden Posts: 326 Member
    Yes - Ageed. And thanks for this... I needed it today! Since hitting my goal weight, seems I have been rewarding myself a lot. Can't go back can't go back, CANNOT GO BACK!!! Again, thanks for this!

    NOOO!!!! Don't go back! Go get a mani-pedi instead! :flowerforyou:
  • Iron_Maiden
    Iron_Maiden Posts: 326 Member
    I totally agree with this. Last summer it really hit me when we were going through the tournament for my son's little league team. They won, so the coach took them out for pizza. They lost the next game, so the coach bought Dairy Queen Blizzards for everyone. After the last game it was DQ again, to celebrate the end of the season. We have been trying to separate food and rewards in our kids minds ever since. This year at the end of the season the coach told all the kids he would meet them at DQ and buy them ice cream. My son asked if we could skip the ice cream and go to his grandma's house for a swim instead. That made me happy. In the interest of full disclosure, we did have flavor-ice while we were poolside, lol. It was hot!

    Wow! What a smart kiddo!! I remember taking my daughter's team out for DQ & pizza too & also rewarding her with M&Ms when potty training. ugh - If I could do it all over again. BUT we exercise together, she is athletic, & she's on MFP now! yay!

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