Good people eat all kinds of food.
They’re goodness or holiness isn’t determined by what they eat, how they eat, or how “clean” they eat.
Some people consider eating certain food, or too much food to be cheating as though food choices can be sinful. While they consume food, they’re consumed with guilt. Being bad on a diet should be avoided, but many can’t avoid it. It seems the harder they try, the more they indulge in bad behavior and the worse they feel about what they’ve done. That bad feeling isn’t helpful.
Rigid and restrictive diets are counterproductive. We’re told that the benefit of a restrictive diet plan are:
- minimizes or ends craving
- makes it easier to maintain control
- easy to follow due to its simplicity
What we’re told about restrictive diets seems logical. Indeed, it seems so logical many of us have tried them over and over and over. Each time they end with the same disappointing results and we blame ourselves. If we had the necessary discipline and willpower we would have stuck to the diet and be rewarded with a thin, healthy body and no cravings that would threaten our continued success. The reality is the opposite.
Rigid and restrictive diets are more likely to cause:
- overwhelming cravings
- difficulty maintaining any control whatsoever
- difficult to follow due to its extreme restrictions
- massive case of guilt
- self-recrimination
- self doubt
- and usually weight gain (a little or a lot!)
Now is the time to dump the restrictive diet. Tomorrow is Easter and it’s a celebration of faith. While you’re celebrating faith, celebrate faith in yourself. You can relax your weight loss efforts. It’s okay to eat more than you normally do. It’s okay to eat chocolate eggs and peeps and jelly beans. It’s not sinning; you have no reason to feel guilty.
Tracking what you eat is a good way to maintain a sense of flexible restraint. You are not depriving yourself of enjoying special treats. You’re not counting calories; just write if you bite. It helps you keep things in perspective and apply the brakes.
Happy Easter
Now go get to eating some holiday goodies and don’t feel guilty! Monday you can go back to your normal day-to-day eating and exercising behaviors. You can do it and you will.
