Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Why Did God Make French Fries Taste So Good and Red Beets Taste So Bad?

Today is technically Day 14 of Operation: Kill Cancer. I say "technically" because  I have sort of fallen off the wagon the last week. Ever since the juice fast, I have been slacking off. Not horribly. I haven't been binging on donuts and vodka or anything, but I haven't been juicing, journaling, walking. I have a tendency to do this. I love making a "plan". A to-do list. A schedule. I get myself pumped up. I get myself all organized. Get all my tools and resources together. And then, if I actually start the plan, I fizzle out pretty quickly. 

I am not gonna let myself off the hook that easy this time though. Just because I slacked off doesn't mean I have to abandon the whole effort. Right? I will just regroup, recommit and continue as best I can. I have decided that I do not have to be perfect at it. That is too stressful and no fun.

In all honesty, I have juiced the last two mornings and the last two mornings I have felt better than I have in a week. It makes a difference. I wonder why it is so hard to take that first step...to do the thing that we know makes us feel better?? Where does this mindset come from? Like...I know that eating a quarter-pounder with fries and a coke will make me feel fat and bloated and disgusted with myself...but, it probably wouldn't take much arm-twisting for me to give in and eat that (oh sweet juicy burger and greasy fries and sugar-laden soft drink...how I love thee). But, it took me a week to juice some greens even though I knew it would make me feel less fat and bloated and overall just better? 

I know that exercise makes me feel better and lighter and happier...yet I can't take that first step out the door. The other day...all I wanted to do was lay in the bed, go back to sleep, cocoon and hibernate and shut the world out. I finally forced myself to do a short easy qigong exercise and bam! I was energized (which was the point of the whole exercise)! But, WHY do I have to FORCE myself to do things that I know will make me feel better?? Can someone please explain this phenomenon to me?

I think...based on conversations with friends and family...this is a normal way to be. Even devout fitness fanatics have trouble taking that first step out the door. But, it doesn't really make sense to me...why we are programmed to want the "bad" stuff and to be lazy when our bodies and minds thrive so much more when we eat the "good" stuff and move our bodies. Why did God make french fries taste so good and red beets taste so bad?

If anyone has the answers to these questions or can provide me with the "secret" to getting off my lazy bum and making the healthy lifestyle changes that I know will help  me thrive...please share. Share! 

I will be waiting for your answer from under my warm comfy covers while watching trashy TV and dreaming about french fries.

1 comment:

  1. OMG! You hit the nail on the head...hence the reason I have not seen a gym in a month! Truth is, it all boils down to those little sayings that jump around in the back of our minds (probably put there by our parents).."Anything worth having is worth working for".."No pain,no gain"...."nothing good in life ever comes easy"..Really sucks though, first to admit our parents actually may have known what they were talking about and second, we do actually have to make the hard choices. In my case, I have decided to wait until after the holidays(ha! to make it easier!) Will I never learn!

    Good luck! Katrina

    ReplyDelete