Why I deserve to eat a donut

[ladyinred]

Ha!! Have I got your attention? I've been reading through a few threads and it looks like lots of people are struggling with cheating and falling off the wagon. I got into a bit of trouble at my conference last week, so I'm back on the veggies rung myself. So here's a little game I played with myself yesterday.

First, I thought of all the reasons why I deserve to eat [insert your poison of choice here]. I came up with 4 really good reasons why I should eat the illegal carby food.

Then I thought of all the reasons why I shouldn't eat it. I came up with 29. I wrote them down. Today I thought of a couple others to add to my list. Now whenever I'm faced with temptation I will look at my list to remind myself of why I'm doing this. Some of my reasons were better health, being able to buy nice clothes, finding my jawline again....

Maybe those who are struggling should try something similar. Because honestly, the reasons for eating the crap were really stupid. And the reasons for not eating it were totally valid. Sometimes it helps to see things in black and white.

[Lady_Hawke]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

you are one smart lady!

[ValidRouge]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

LIR, that's fantastic!

You know, for me, I have to ask myself what's more important. If being thin is more important, then I won't eat the donut. If the donut is more important, then I will eat it.

When I ask myself this, I think to myself it's pretty sad when I make a donut more important than anything else in my life.

I spent a week in Denver this month, going around having these arguments in my head. It was rough...and i ended up giving in with a stupid piece of white bread. I look back now and I made that piece of white bread more important than my weight loss.

Now, in the grand scheme of things, some may say that the piece of bread didn't hurt my progress....but here is the reality. If I let it slide in my head. Let it be okay....Then I will rationalize that and do it once a week....then it'll be once a day.

If I do that...the bread just became more important to me than my weight loss. I cannot let that happen.

Okay..i'll step down from my soap box.

[13_jane]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

I do things like that too - I just physically imagine them on my hips or stomach, as thats where they'll end up, and it really puts me off!!! I also think of the clothes I wouldn't be able to fit into if I were to eat the food and that really helps too!

jane x

[Richt]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

Now, in the grand scheme of things, some may say that the piece of bread didn't hurt my progress....but here is the reality. If I let it slide in my head. Let it be okay....Then I will rationalize that and do it once a week....then it'll be once a day.

imho that is spot on, thats exactly how I feel when I am tempted.

[dreamof145]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

I agree. I know me very well. If I eat it once and it doesn't hurt, then I'd be very tempted to keep seeing how long it takes to make a difference.

I think LIR's plan is very good. The only reason I can think of that I'd deserve to eat an illegal high carb food would be for the taste. I could probably list 50 reasons why I shouldn't eat it - the biggest reason being that I'd probably not be able to stop with just once...and before long, I'd be looking at that 285 pound woman in the mirror again!

[jcapulet]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

Great post LIR! I wish I'd remember to write a list of reasons every time I am tempted by illegal foods. It would make things a lot easier!

Last night I figured if I ate the Stove Top stuffing & roasted potatoes I made for hubby, I'd ultimately wear it...so that worked...this time LOL. I drooled at it for quite a while though. If I wrote a list that would have been reason #1 not to eat it!

[prfctlildvl]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

I think you're all wonderful!!!

You all have the will power and when the will power is wavering, you had the ability to rationalize and that is why your are so darn successful and why you are all going to succeed not just in dieting but whatever you want to do in life.

So, kudos to all of you and thank you for being such inspirations!

I also need some type of reinforement so I photo shopped a picture of my head on the body of a lady that weighed about 1,000 lbs and that's what I look at when I need a reason to not eat something.

(Pre-Atkins) when I haven't had the willpower and I've eaten things I shouldn't have I've steadily increased my weight every single year so if I don't do something now, in 20 years I will be that huge woman. That is if I don't die of a heart attack or diabetes first. So the top of my list for not eating something is DEATH. I don't want to have it said in my obituary that I died because I had to have a donut - my life is much more important - if not for me then for my 3 kids that I love dearly. How selfish of me to cut my life short and cheat them out of having their mother in their lives.

[Hudson]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

I think of the analogy of a dam. When I eat right I am standing on top of the dam and there are no leaks, no weak spots, no problems. Eating the sugar/flour/donut/pizza/etc is taking a big swing of a pick axe into my dam. OK, I can fix that - I still have a very solid dam. But wait - why take such a needless chance. What if the water gets to running too fast? What if I can't stop the leak and have to build an entirely new dam?

And my language has changed over the years. My kids would say "daddy, you can't have that". And now I correct them and say:"I can have what I want - I don't want that stuff". It's not really denial of what we want but fundamentally changing what we want.

[ttdriver]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

I think of the analogy of a dam. When I eat right I am standing on top of the dam and there are no leaks, no weak spots, no problems. Eating the sugar/flour/donut/pizza/etc is taking a big swing of a pick axe into my dam. OK, I can fix that - I still have a very solid dam. But wait - why take such a needless chance. What if the water gets to running too fast? What if I can't stop the leak and have to build an entirely new dam?

And my language has changed over the years. My kids would say "daddy, you can't have that". And now I correct them and say:"I can have what I want - I don't want that stuff". It's not really denial of what we want but fundamentally changing what we want.

WOOT WOOT!! ABSOLUTELY!

As a reformed donut-a-holic, there is NO WAY I could handle "just one" .. EVER.

Last weekend, I ran in a 5k race .. the post-race food included all the KRISPY KREMES YOU COULD EAT. Did I have a problem walking past them? NO. Why? Because all I could think of was how miserable I felt all those years when Krispy Kremes were a staple in my diet.

No donuts in nearly 5 years. And feeling better than I ever imagined possible.

Betty

[Laurenfra]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

Great post

[PaulaMM]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

I did something similar to this when I decided to stop smoking 3 weeks ago and it has worked wonders for me.

I think I'll use your suggestion for using the same kind of list for carby things. Really it all boils down to doing what's best for our health, doesn't it.

Great post. There's no telling who was on the verge of cheating and had a change of heart because of this post!

[ValidRouge]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

I did something similar to this when I decided to stop smoking 3 weeks ago and it has worked wonders for me.

I quit smoking in July. And I know I can't EVER EVER take another puff of a cigarette let alone smoke one every now and then as a "treat" or "reward" for not smoking them!! If I do that...I will be a smoker again.

I think the general population can accept that with regards to alcohol and smoking and drugs. But, for the life of me I cannot figure out why they can't relate it to sugar and white flour.

[PaulaMM]

Re: Why I deserve to eat a donut

I quit smoking in July. And I know I can't EVER EVER take another puff of a cigarette let alone smoke one every now and then as a "treat" or "reward" for not smoking them!! If I do that...I will be a smoker again.

I think the general population can accept that with regards to alcohol and smoking and drugs. But, for the life of me I cannot figure out why they can't relate it to sugar and white flour.

Congratulations on quitting! It's quite an acomplishment for you to have quit and lost so much weight. You look absolutely stunning!

I know what you mean about the whole "I deserve this" rationalizing.

"I've been so good lately! I think I'll celebrate with something that will make me feel like crud, risk all my hard work for a moment's enjoyment and possibly relapse all together into a full blown addict!"

I know stuff happens, and everyone has moments of weakness.I could be the poster child for self destructive habits and lack of willpower. I just don't get the whole "I deserve it" mentality behind it.

I hope this doesn't come across as self righteous because that is not at all my intention.

Paula