There is a series of videos available on the net titled, "I Used To Be Fat". They are from an MTV program in which overweight teens who have just graduated from high school are given trainers who put them through a grueling summer of exercise and diet (although we don't really know much about the diet except they cut out junk food and eat what looks like a low calorie low carb diet).
One of the young women goes off the diet and eats hot dogs and fries and soda pop. She makes the comment--I worked so hard I felt I deserved it. Where does this attitude come from? Maybe it is from a reward system that well meaning parents everywhere (I've done it myself) use---you were so good I'll give you a cookie. Or--you got a great report card, let's go out for ice cream sundaes. Junk food is somehow equated with success and reward.
Why do we think of food as a reward? Why when we are doing so well with diet and exercise do we think we deserve a reward of something we know will sabotage our efforts to achieve good health? There are plenty of other little rewards we can enjoy that don't involve eating.
This segment of the show opened my eyes. Yesterday the family got together to celebrate Easter. I brought my own food but there was a whole lot of tasty food to eat that I normally wouldn't have in my house. I was tempted to say--every day I stick to my way of eating, so I deserve a little treat. But I should really be asking myself-- do I deserve diabetes? do I deserve heart disease? do I deserve to gain back the weight I worked so hard to lose? No. I deserve nourishing food and good health.
Didi P.S. Overeaters Anonymous has a saying--"A bite means a binge". Maybe there are some who can take a little taste and stop at that. Unfortunately I am not one of them. Complete abstinence from unhealthful food is the only thing that works for me.
