Tell Me I Can’t

Doesn’t she epitomize Claiming Your Power? I found it here: http://www.neopets.com/~Quaneshi

Tell me I can’t and I’ll work harder to prove that I can. It’s just who I am. I’ve found a way to put that rebellious streak to good use: When a food calls to me, candy or potato chips, and I give in and eat too much, I buy another one and put it on the table where I’ll see it all day, every day. Every time I walk through my house I see it and each time I give it the old evil eye and say, “YOU will not win this battle … I will!”

It works. I’ve found that I do better when I know the enemy and I look it right in the eye. I like having it where I can see it because there’s little chance of it sneaking up and surprising me. Some examples from over the years:

• I hung a Dunkin Donut on a pushpin in my studio in the 80’s. I labeled it the ‘First Donut I Didn’t Eat.’ When I left that job two years later the donut was still on the pushpin looking exactly as it had the day I put it up there. Yuck!
• I quit smoking, a two-pack-a-day habit, cold turkey, with a carton of cigarettes on the passenger seat of my car. Totally successful. Fourteen years smoke-free!
• I bought Easter candy on sale, ate several pieces while in a total fog, came out of it and put the rest in a candy dish on my dining room table … dusty now!

I stared the enemy right in the eye and claimed my power! Exhilarating!

(As an aside, I can’t tell you I’d be able to walk by my Mom’s Fried Chicken but since I’m the only one who makes it anymore I’m pretty safe … from buying pastured chicken to preparing it is a long time to get over a craving. Occasionally I go through the process and it tastes a little bit like heaven!)

The moral of the story? Know your enemy; Find your fighter’s stance; Claim your power!

It’s important to learn the difference between foods you love and foods that trigger actual binges. You win against food addictions one battle at a time. As you learn and eliminate the foods that trigger binges and cravings the enemy army becomes smaller and weaker while you become stronger both physically and psychologically.

Once you know the enemy you can make conscious choices to eat the foods you love. I find that just knowing a specific food has the capacity to cause massive cravings keeps me clear of it 99% of the time. I also know that when I choose to eat it I need to be on top of my game to prevent a landslide of unhealthy eating.

If you have trouble finding your fighter’s stance or discerning the difference between trigger foods and foods you love, consider hiring a Certified Health Coach. I respect each individual as uniquely designed and recognize that what works for one person isn’t necessarily the answer for the next. I will create a Treasure Map to Better Health during your FREE LifeChanger™ Session. Visit my website at www.healthworkskc.com/contact for more information.