Did You Fall Off the Wagon?
It’s one of those phrases that we serial dieters are known for: I fell off the wagon.
The problem is not that you fell off the wagon, the program is that there is a wagon to fall off of.
My question is: what is this wagon and who invented it?
You cannot fall off the wagon if there is no actual wagon to fall off of.
Somewhere along the line, we have decided that there is a “healthy eating” or a “weight loss” wagon that one must follow a strict set of rules in order to hitch a ride on.
The wagon represents our judgements and beliefs around food AND our judgements and beliefs around ourselves and the food choices that we make.
It’s entirely made up.
And yet we are letting this mythical wagon determine the way that we feel about ourselves.
When in reality, wherever there is a wagon, falling off is inevitable because we are changing, growing, evolving beings with changing, growing, evolving physical, mental and emotional beliefs and needs. (In case you missed it, I did a post on this.)
If we are boxing ourselves in with a set of rules and structures, we will ALWAYS eventually “fall off” because those rules and structures will not always serve us.
There is a 2-step process to cure “wagon syndrome”:
1) Radical honesty and rule-breaking
2) Grace
You have to get super honest and ask yourself:
What “wagons” have I built in my life? How am I judging myself in relation to food?
And then GIVE YOURSELF GRACE.
Your rules, your judgements, your line in the sand about what eating habits are good and bad, healthy and unhealthy are all self-imposed and arbitrary. Give yourself grace, drop the judgement and let it go.