Archive for Mind Set

Discipline Always Wins

It’s Halloween time and patient family members love to bring candy to the ICU, and a family did today.

As soon as the candy was open  and placed at the nursing station, people began grabbing handfuls of it. There were miniature Kit Kat’s, Almond Joys, Mr. Good Bars, Reeses Pieces… you name it, we had it. I grabbed the bag and started to read the nutritional facts out loud.

Why? People often eat food without knowing any thing about what they’re consuming. It didn’t stop everyone from eating the candy, but it did cause some of them to pick items that had less calories and less fat grams.

Now I bet you’re wondering if I had any…. and of course I didn’t! I’m shocked that you would even think such a thing.  One of my co-workers asked, “How did you become so discipline?  Where does your will power come from?” The first thing that came to mind was, I really didn’t have a desire for the candy. Of course I like candy, but when I don’t have a desire for something I don’t eat it just because it’s available or free.  Sometimes I think  that’s the case for many  women when it comes to  making healthy food choices and eating. For me, the desire has to be there. I then start with 2 questions.

• What am I really desiring
• And why I am I desiring this?

A desire is a strong appetite for something. That something can be food, love, sex, knowledge, power or control.  Some desires need to be controlled and monitored to make sure they don’t become an addiction. Just because you want something doesn’t mean that desire should be fulfilled. To manage and control your desires you must  have disciple. Disciple is something that is developed over time. You have to ask yourself, “Will eating this get me closer to my health and fitness goals?”, “What will be my benefit in having this?” Have you ever eaten something and felt bad after eating?  What’s the first thing you said? “I shouldn’t have eaten that”. Do you know why you said that? Most of the time you really didn’t want it, but your body did.

When I was training my body to be disciplined,  I often recall how I felt after I  had eaten something that I knew I didn’t need. If I felt bad, or had the feeling of regret I would make a mental note and think about why I ate it. So when the next time that desire arose I wouldn’t give in to it.

In order to loose weight and consume less calories you have to find that will power  and not allow you body to talk to you.  Your body will talk to you and so does food.  Stay focused and resist that urge. Just  know once you  win over the first temptation you’ll be proud of yourself and the next one will be that much easier. Then all of a sudden  people will be asking YOU, “How did you become so disciplined?”

Mind Over Matter

Being healthy is only one decision away.  As easy as it is to say yes it’s easier to say no. When you really decide that your health is more important than that piece of cake, you will say no. Now don’t get me wrong saying no to food is not as easy as typing the “N-O”, but with practice it gets easier.

The first decision is to determine who’s in control – You or the food?

Food is for nourishment, but the wrong relationship with food will lead to over eating and obesity. Once you finally make up in your mind that you’re in control of what you eat, you will become more health conscious on the food choices.

Take it one day at a time. Change and renewing of the mind takes some getting use too, but can be done the more you become aware of the types of foods you’re eating.

So I ask again who is in control – You or the food?