The Aftermath

Something that I consider a bit of a triumph lately is my newly emerging ability to think beyond the immediate pleasures of eating certain foods to the short term effects they'll have on my body. Long term consequences aren't a great motivator for me. The "you could be diabetic some day" argument doesn't really get me to put down the pudding cup. But when I look at the sweets in my fridge I occasionally find myself thinking "you'll be up all night" or "maybe it's the chocolate that's making you depressed" or "remember, too much sugar makes you itchy." And then it's much easier to simply walk away - or at least swap the junk food for a handful of sweet grapes. The more I am mindful that junk food really does make me feel like junk (that mac'n'cheese coma is not a good thing), the easier it is to choose the foods that I know will make my body feel amazing. And I'm fine with an occasional serving or two of carbs or a cookie now and then - I actually feel better when I have a very limited amount of 'bad stuff' - but really overindulging always leaves me feeling sick. And these days I need all the energy and health I can muster to keep up with my life. It's an ongoing process and sometimes I remember mid-snack - or not at all - and wind up paying for it later on. But I'm leaning, and that's progress, and I'm pleased.