I urge us all to try to break free from “I can’t because I’ve been bad, naughty, I fell off the wagon, etc.”. We all have different reasons for choosing to eat what we do, day in and day out. I’m not here to discuss the pros and cons of different food plans. But if you are presented with food (cookies, chocolates, etc.) that you choose not to eat, simply say “No Thank You”. The location of the opportunity for snacking does not matter – it can be at work, your friend’s house or your parent’s place.
It can certainly feel like an overwhelming time of year if one is trying to follow a specific food plan. But let’s stop judging ourselves (I really don’t think anyone is judging others) by imposing morality on our decision to say yes or no to any particular food. You were not bad, naughty, or stumbling off a wagon, if you ate a few cookies on any particular day. Similarly, you are not good or virtuous if you choose not to eat those cookies.
This is not an easy habit to break from. I find myself saying these things on occasion, even though I find the utterance of those words, from myself, frustratingly boring.
And if you say confidently “No Thank You”, you don’t have to say why. You don’t owe anyone an explanation.
Similarly, if you say, “Yes Please!”, you don’t have to recite the number of burpees you will need to do as a result. I’m all for exercise, but not as a punishment for choosing certain food. Exercise for the joy of it. Eat for the joy of it (whatever you choose to eat).
If we take the morality out of it, we will find that we make our decisions about what to eat much easier. We free ourselves from the weight of unnecessary judgment, and make room for other feelings – joy, contemplation, satisfaction, love (for ourselves!) – and the freedom to make whatever decision is appropriate for us at the moment.
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