"Decisions are the Worst"

I think that I need to think about my food decisions in a wholistic way. Not just worrying about what I am going to eat for breakfast or for lunch. Seeing each meal as part of a whole. Part of my whole menu for the day. Part of my whole caloric intake for the week.

Each decision about food is an important one. I shouldn’t be thinking that it won't matter if I just have just this one cookie or just this one box of M&Ms because each little M&M plays into the bigger picture of my diet, my body, my life, my attitude.

One small decision to have a Reese’s Peanut Butter Blast from Sonic can affect how I feel about myself for the rest of the day or even the week.

• It affects how I spend my time because I have to work out longer to make up for it.
• It affects my mood because I feel grumpy and guilty for eating it.
• It affects my activity level because I feel heavier and sluggish and don't want to get out and go running.
• It affects my relationships because when I am sad about my body it makes Brian sad or frustrated and that affects the way we relate to each other.
• I cannot be encouraging or loving to my friends when I am consumed with thoughts about a Peanut Butter Blast going straght to my hips.
• It affects my relationship with God because when I criticise my body I am criticising his workmanship.

In the end, one Peanut Butter Blast adds extra weight to every area of my life.

I want to start seeing each food decision as missed or maximized opportunities.

• When I choose to drink coffee in the morning, it means I am missing an opportunity to drink more water.
• When I choose to eat a large cookie that means I am missing an opportunity to save time later because I will need to burn extra calories that day.
• When I eat extra carbs it means I am missing an opportunity to eat fruits and vegetables.
• When I go running after work it means I am maximizing an opportunity to be healthy and strong.
• When I order a salad instead of a cheeseburger it means I am maximizing an opportunity to get some servings of vegetables in.

I also don’t want to view food as “good” and “bad.” I don’t want to say that yesterday I made a “bad” decision to get a Sonic Reese’s Peanut Butter Blast. Because it wasn’t a bad decision. It tasted good. It was free. It was fun to eat. It just makes life a little harder on the back end b/c of guilt, or needing to work out more, or feeling fat or sloppy as a result of eating that Peanut Butter blast.

I will take responsibility for my decisions and own them. I will be aware of the decisions I am making. I will make a conscious effort to eat food that is better for me. I will do this to be healthier and to feel better about myself. I will not feel guilty or “bad” because of my decisions. I will just keep moving forward and remember that each decision is an important decision. Each decision is a spiritual decision. Each decision counts.