Excuses, Excuses

I know eating healthy isn't the easiest thing to do.  Want to know why that is?  It's because that's what we are supposed to do.  Honestly.  We are supposed to eat our vegetables. We are supposed to stay away from those cookies that Jan brought into work for everyone to share.  We are supposed to watch how much we eat.  And on and on it goes.  We are so worried about the right thing to do that the "wrong" food becomes all too attractive to us.  And that my friends, is sssooo dangerous.  Why?  Well, because the next thing you know you are on a binge.  You are making excuses; convincing yourself that it is okay to stuff your face.

But we all know how we feel when we are done:  guilty, self loathing, and disappointed.  Sure, you might feel good while you are eating that bad food, and there is a scientific reason why.  While you binge eat or indulge in that bad food, your brain releases dopamine:  the "reward system" of the brain.  Your brain is telling you that you are being rewarded at the time--and believe it or not, dopamine is also released when someone is getting a drug fix.  So, you are not only binge eating, you are technically riding on a high.  That explains why when you are done, you feel guilty--it's because your high is over and you've sobered up.

The best way to avoid this:  stop making excuses.  Did you know that there is a holiday in every single month except for August?  January has New Years Day, February has Valentines Day, March has St. Patrick's Day, April has Easter, May has Mother's Day and Memorial Day, June has Father's Day, July has the 4th of July, August (nothin'), September has Labor Day, October has Halloween, November has Thanksgiving, and December has Christmas.  That don't even include all the birthdays, bridal showers, baby showers, family reunions, family vacations, concerts, BBQ's, weddings, and sporting events that you attend throughout the year.  Now think, is there a single one of those holidays where you don't go out to dinner, bring a bunch of bad food to share, drink alcohol, or indulge in the food you love?   I don't know about you, but I find it easier to indulge when I a celebrating something.  I find myself saying "Well, it's the Fourth of July, so it's okay if I have a brat" or "It's Amy's Birthday, so it would be rude if I didn't have a piece of cake"  and my favorite "Everyone eats like this over Christmas, I will just workout extra hard tomorrow."  Sound familiar?  I thought so, because we all do it.  I find that this makes me unhappy all year, because there is always an excuse to eat like crap.

There is something to be said for this.  Maybe this is why people find it hard to find happiness.  It is so difficult to be proud of yourself when there is always an excuse to be made.  There is always something to celebrate...and we celebrate by stuffing our faces only to be unhappy later about it.  Is that celebrating?  I don't think so.

So, the next time you find yourself making an excuse, think about it.  Remember how unhappy you will be later if you indulge.  Instead, walk away.  Be happy that you don't have to make an excuse.  You will be so proud of yourself for being strong.  Remember, if you are celebrating something, you don't have to do so by eating the house.  Find other things to do like play a board game, tell stories in the living room (not the kitchen where all the food is displayed), watch a movie (without the buttery popcorn), etc.  You will have so much more fun celebrating this way!  As a result, you won't have the dopamine telling you how happy you are.  You will be truly excited, which is the best feeling of all.