the 'free' day
a few years back, my husband and i and some close friends all did the 'body for life' diet together. in it, you eat and work out in a very specific way for 6 days, and then you have a free day. after our first week, they came over and we ordered pizza and made a pan of brownies. before the evening was over, we each were in a different bathroom with a bellyache and a smell, 'celebrating' our 'free'day. we called it the free day blues.
the biggest loser book also advocates a free day or free meal once a week or so. so, the last two weeks i have had a 'free' meal. this is supposed to, in my understanding, sort of hit re-set on your body. it's as if, after a week of restricted calories, your body might think there's a famine and go into conservation mode. the free day/meal lets your body know you still live in the land of plenty and it's okay to burn all the calories you've been storing away for years.
here's the problem: i have a food addiction. i am a slave to my appetite. and every free day, i'm going back to slavery. i'm not just choosing a few select foods that i've been missing in particular. i'm choosing an occasion (like a birthday party) where i know i'll have trouble controlling what i eat, and deciding, i'm not even going to try. i'm going to eat the world. that's my plan. so i go and eat like an actual fool, and when it's over, maybe i still haven't had the kind of food i really was missing or wanting. i took in an extra DAY'S worth of calories, but i'm not satisfied.
so i need to rethink what a free day is. i need to think about what 'free' is. free means i'm not in bondage, not a slave. so, next time i'm due for a free meal, i need a plan - what do i really want to eat. maybe hitting a restaurant or even making something special at home would be better. just not a binge fest. because binging is not free. it's just not. free.
1 comment:
I remember making the transition in my mind about fast food - that a "value meal" was only a value to the few cents it saved my wallet. I was paying dearly for it in pounds and fat and unhealthy things going into my body. Paying in a way which was much worse in the long run. So, I learned to make better choices even when I was on the run and only had time for the drive-thru.
You're doing great! Every small challenge won adds up to a big victory.
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