7/2/2017 0 Comments Crimes Against NutritionA friend of mine approached me on Memorial Day this year and wanted to ask a few questions about how I handle my nutrition. “For example,” she said, “it’s a holiday and I am going to be surrounded by all kinds of foods I want, but shouldn’t eat. It’s really hard to resist that temptation.” She’s absolutely right. After all of the years that I have been watching the way I eat, there are still certain things that are difficult to say “no” to when they are directly in front of me. “So what do you do in those situations?” she asked.
I have a few thoughts on this, some of which you may not expect. Just to be clear, I may have a lot of experience in terms of losing and maintaining weight, but I am certainly no stranger to crimes against nutrition, and if there were a fine for them, I would be sitting in the corner of a dingy prison cell for not being able to pay for mine. Here’s why... 1. I allow myself to commit myself to commit crimes against nutrition; sometimes it feels good to be bad. All of you who are reading this are human beings (I think), and being human comes with inevitable imperfection. And let’s face it, sometimes we desire to do those things that make us imperfect. For example, as much as I know that alcohol is bad for me, I still enjoy a glass of wine (or two) each night. If there is a sign that tells me not to touch something, I am probably going to touch it. I don’t even blink an eye when I jaywalk (I know...I am a terrible person). There are LOTS of temptations for humans to resist, but I think it’s safe to say that the source of most of those temptations is food. I do not advocate for finding an excuse to break your dieting laws on a daily basis, but on some occasions, it is acceptable. At least once each year while I am visiting family, my mom will offer to make homemade Lebanese food: grape leaves, garlic sauce, kibbeh... mmmmmmmmm. I’m sorry, but if I have the rare opportunity to have my favorite food made with the love and care of my mother’s hand, I’m taking it. And I won’t regret it. 2. Sometimes I premeditate my crimes, and even though this may be frowned upon in the court of law, I consider it a better strategy. Last year, I married my husband. About 4 months prior to our wedding date, we booked our honeymoon in St. Maarten. There was no way I was going to sit in front of my phone for that entire week and record everything I ate. Nor was I going to pass up the opportunity to try foods that were unique to the area. So, on the day we booked our trip, I dedicated myself to strictly following my nutrition plan without faltering. For those 4 months, I was a nutrition nazi. As a result, I had no qualms about sitting on the beach with my piña coladas, eating real Caribbean food, and, best of all, enjoying authentic French pastries and coffees each morning on the French side of the island. 3. When I commit my crimes, I plead guilty and endure the consequences because I know that they do not have to appear on my permanent record. I have the choice to “rehabilitate” myself in light of my crimes. Using the example of my honeymoon once more, you might imagine what the result of eating so poorly for a week was: I gained weight. I knew that would happen. I expected it. When I returned from my trip and stepped on the scale, I’ll admit to having a mild meltdown. Just as quickly, though, I sucked it up and returned to the same nutrition plan I had used prior to my honeymoon. Within just a few days, I was shedding those pounds that I had gained. I could have made the choice to dwell on those few pounds, but what good would that have done? To err is human, to forgive, divine, right? Perhaps you gave into some of your food temptations. So what? Pick up the pieces, make a plan to fix it, forgive yourself, and move on. 4. Throughout the course of my “criminal activity,” I typically learn a few lessons about the way that my body reacts to my hedonistic behaviors. As a teacher, I tend to value lessons learned even more so sometimes than goals met. Again, looking at the example of my honeymoon, I know that a week of debauchery will result in some negative side effects, despite the fact that I was so strict for many weeks prior. As a result, when preparing for vacation this year, I was again strict in my diet plan. However, throughout the week, I made “good” choices. I did not necessarily restrict my dietary habits to what I might eat on a regular basis, but I was conscious of maintaining a good balance. For example, at one restaurant I ordered a combo platter that came with steak and shrimp. I requested for the shrimp to be grilled, and I set aside the fries once I was done with the meat. Was it the healthiest meal ever? No, but I ate the healthier part of the meal and sacrificed the most unhealthy part. I left the restaurant feeling both satisfied and unrestricted in the choices that I made for myself. I would venture to say that I stay within the dietary restrictions I set forth for myself about 90% of the time. However, I feel no guilt for the other 10% of my life during which I actively choose to participate in crimes against nutrition. But if I am so dedicated to being healthy, how could I possibly feel no guilt for this? Because when I am on my deathbed in several years, I also want to be able to say that I lived my life to the fullest. Although some might disagree, part of doing this thing called life is enjoying particular cuisines that may not fall within the confines of your daily eating habits. This might include eating foods unique to an area to which you have never traveled; it may mean not feeling anxiety attached to a regimented diet while on vacation; hell, it may just mean allowing yourself to enjoy that cheeseburger on Memorial Day. Regardless of the the reason for your crimes, you alone are the judge and jury choosing your sentence. If you feel the need to “be bad,” do it--in moderation. And if your sentence includes digressions from your goals, accept them, do a little “community service” by cleaning the junk food out of your pantry, and move on with your life.
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