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Escape Their Grasp
The way to conquer your unhealthful dietary habits is to accept them and surrender to them.
So you like chocolate Ding-Dongs? So what? Buy a few boxes, stash them at your house and
at work and eat them whenever you want. Just pay close attention to the physical, mental
and emotional factors that are present when you experience a Ding-Dong craving. Then as
you eat the Ding-Dong, pay close attention to the act of eating it. Eat it slowly and
without distraction and assess how it makes your body feel in the hours afterward. The
experience of eating a Ding-Dong does not end after you inhale the last bite. It is
important to link the after-effects of your unhealthful habits in order to truly assess
whether the experience was worth it.
When you step beyond the Band-Aid approach that deprivation is and surrender to your
cravings, soon your intuitive sense and your natural appetite will tell you that you are
not gaining any pleasure from scarfing that Ding-Dong. Instead of relying on the tenuous
techniques of will power and deprivation to eliminate Ding-Dongs, Fruity Mike & Ikes,
Screaming Yellow Zonkers and the like from your life, you will soon be willfully disposing
of them with no second thoughts, no remorse and no unhealthy obsession with the food.
In fact, as you notice these habits and cravings taking a diminishing role in your life,
promise yourself that you are free to eat this junk food or engage in bad eating habits
whenever you want. When you inevitably step off the right track and indulge in some of
your old vices, you will appreciate the fact that they no longer have a grip on you.
Rid Yourself of Guilt
You will also eliminate feelings of guilt associated with your behavior, which is a
back-handed way of giving yourself permission to engage in the behavior again. For
example, say one evening the stars align and cause you to binge on massive quantities of
junk food, inhaled at record pace while you watch television and talk on the phone.
Afterwards, you of course feel incredibly guilty about your acts. Instead of accepting
that you are an imperfect human, shrugging your shoulders and going on with your life, you
punish yourself with feelings of guilt and remorse.
Once you serve your punishment, you essentially grant permission to repeat the act, feel
guilty again, and perpetuate the cycle. It is much like that letter you really should
write to your grandmother but haven’t found the time. But, you feel guilty about not
writing it—your permission to continue to postpone writing the letter.
Find the Root of Temptation
The best way to overcome an addiction or a temptation is to accept it, succumb to it and
then work on eliminating the cause. Don’t accept feelings of guilt, frustration,
hopelessness or diminished self-esteem. Just accept your behavior, yourself, learn from
your experience and move on.
Once you have conquered your desire for junk food and turned your attention and enjoyment
to healthy, natural foods, make sure you have them at your disposal at all times. When
eating healthy foods is not convenient or possible, your energy levels will dwindle to the
point that your brain sends a powerful message for a quick fix in the form of junk food.
But when you are hungry and nothing but junk is available, accept the fact that you will
eat junk.
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