Cashier: "I wish I could eat this healthy."
Me: "You can."
Cashier: "I know."
Me: "Well..."
Cashier: "I usually just eat things I can grab fast."
Me (with a puzzled look as she is scanning my raw vegetables): "You can grab these fast."
Cashier: "My 2 month old makes it hard for me."
Me: nothing..just a smile
Well, what was I supposed to say? She had all of her excuses lined up already. Raw veggies, doesn't get much quicker than that. Blaming someone else for your eating habits gives away your power of choice. You are at their mercy, you eat what they tell you to eat, or what they allow you to eat. No wonder she can't eat the way she wants.
Any time you say that someone else 'makes' you do something, or any time you name someone else as a 'reason' why you are doing something or why you cannot do something, you are giving away YOUR power. In your head you are just trying to escape the blame (really the responsibility) for the situation in which you find yourself. Whether you realize it or not, you do not believe you have the power to make the choice. Subsequently, you never WILL make that choice. It is time to realize this and take full responsibility for where you are as well as for where you are going. YOU are the only one that puts food into your mouth. YOU are responsible for your choices and actions, and therefore the results of your actions as well.
More than once I have heard people discussing this diet or that diet and commenting that "anyone can do it". Citing that it isn't restrictive and you can eat anything you want. Hmmmm...yes anyone CAN do that. In fact, most people are doing that NOW. That would be why the majority of the US population is either over weight or obese. More than 66% of our population falls into this category. Here's a hint: if the majority of people are following a certain 'diet', it isn't working. It is making them fat, so step away and do it quickly. The other part of the 'diet anyone can do' mind set that frustrates me is this--why would someone feel that eating healthy is hard, or something that not everyone can do?? That mindset is exactly what is keeping people from eating healthy. Apparently choosing healthy foods is something reserved for only a select few.
Here are two rules for being healthy. Learn them and live them.
1. YOU are responsible for what goes into your mouth, no one else.
2. No, you CANNOT eat whatever you want (no matter what that infomercial tells you).
Pretty simple, right? The sooner you own the fact that YOU are the one that got you where you are now, that YOU are the one that keeps you from getting where you want to go, the sooner YOU can get yourself where you want to be. You are your worst enemy or your best asset, the choice is yours. Damn, there is that word again 'choice'. Own the choice, own the result.
No, you cannot eat whatever you want. Well, ok technically you can, but that will not help you reach your goals. Well, unless your goals are to fall somewhere in between so-so healthy and completely unhealthy. If you are looking for optimal health then it is time that you just face the facts. Eating whatever you want is not the way to go. Look at it like this: everything you ingest becomes a part of you. A part of each and every cell in your body. If your goal is optimal health choose optimal foods. Ahhh, that sneaky word again. Everything comes back to choice. Choice and responsibility. Own them. You CAN eat healthy, you can BE healthy, you CAN reach your goals.
Me: "You can."
Cashier: "I know."
Me: "Well..."
Cashier: "I usually just eat things I can grab fast."
Me (with a puzzled look as she is scanning my raw vegetables): "You can grab these fast."
Cashier: "My 2 month old makes it hard for me."
Me: nothing..just a smile
Well, what was I supposed to say? She had all of her excuses lined up already. Raw veggies, doesn't get much quicker than that. Blaming someone else for your eating habits gives away your power of choice. You are at their mercy, you eat what they tell you to eat, or what they allow you to eat. No wonder she can't eat the way she wants.
Any time you say that someone else 'makes' you do something, or any time you name someone else as a 'reason' why you are doing something or why you cannot do something, you are giving away YOUR power. In your head you are just trying to escape the blame (really the responsibility) for the situation in which you find yourself. Whether you realize it or not, you do not believe you have the power to make the choice. Subsequently, you never WILL make that choice. It is time to realize this and take full responsibility for where you are as well as for where you are going. YOU are the only one that puts food into your mouth. YOU are responsible for your choices and actions, and therefore the results of your actions as well.
More than once I have heard people discussing this diet or that diet and commenting that "anyone can do it". Citing that it isn't restrictive and you can eat anything you want. Hmmmm...yes anyone CAN do that. In fact, most people are doing that NOW. That would be why the majority of the US population is either over weight or obese. More than 66% of our population falls into this category. Here's a hint: if the majority of people are following a certain 'diet', it isn't working. It is making them fat, so step away and do it quickly. The other part of the 'diet anyone can do' mind set that frustrates me is this--why would someone feel that eating healthy is hard, or something that not everyone can do?? That mindset is exactly what is keeping people from eating healthy. Apparently choosing healthy foods is something reserved for only a select few.
Here are two rules for being healthy. Learn them and live them.
1. YOU are responsible for what goes into your mouth, no one else.
2. No, you CANNOT eat whatever you want (no matter what that infomercial tells you).
Pretty simple, right? The sooner you own the fact that YOU are the one that got you where you are now, that YOU are the one that keeps you from getting where you want to go, the sooner YOU can get yourself where you want to be. You are your worst enemy or your best asset, the choice is yours. Damn, there is that word again 'choice'. Own the choice, own the result.
No, you cannot eat whatever you want. Well, ok technically you can, but that will not help you reach your goals. Well, unless your goals are to fall somewhere in between so-so healthy and completely unhealthy. If you are looking for optimal health then it is time that you just face the facts. Eating whatever you want is not the way to go. Look at it like this: everything you ingest becomes a part of you. A part of each and every cell in your body. If your goal is optimal health choose optimal foods. Ahhh, that sneaky word again. Everything comes back to choice. Choice and responsibility. Own them. You CAN eat healthy, you can BE healthy, you CAN reach your goals.
"...everything you ingest becomes a part of you."
ReplyDelete-And I'm a better person after eating that gingerbread muffin this morning. Much sweeter, anyway. Right?
Even more seriously, good post and right on. The whole idea of "personal responsibility" seems to be an idea lost on a lot of people these days. But, once you quit trying to blame others for your own shortcomings/issues/etc, the world really opens up and the potential for amazing things starts to reveal itself.
Check this article out...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thesimpledollar.com/2011/12/13/fast-food-convenience-and-money/
-Brad
Yes Brad, you are sweeter, and definitely more of a muffin : )
ReplyDeleteThree cheers for personal responsibility!!
Great article..one thing i would add to this statement: "... fast food’s carefully calibrated mix of salt and fat is hard for many to resist." would be SUGAR...you would be amazed how much sugar is in that stuff. It is the mix of the salt, fat and sugar that drives people to convenience foods.
Thank you , as always, for your great input!