There\’s Nothing To It But to \”Do It\”

“Binge Eating,” to me, conjures up images of feasting on a bunch of fat food, and then either digesting it or throwing it up (which, alas, I did a few times when I was really skinny, but I could never get the hang of it, mentally or physically. Thank god).

And that’s it. I’ve only connected the words with the action, not with the impetus to binge or the results of bingeing.

I would broaden the definition of “binge eating” this way:

To eat food that one does not nutritionally need, when one is not hungry, simply because one feels compelled to eat the food presented.

To wit: There’s food on the table. It’s my favorite: California onion dip & fritos. I don’t need it. I just ate lunch. I’m reasonably full. But I’ll take a taste anyway.

Pandora’s box has just been opened.

My fat cells are SCREAMING “More! More! If you like this, you’ll love even MORE of it! Pleeeeease, you neeeeeeed this! You’ve been so good, reward yourself! Reward us! Eeeeat moooooore!”

And I either feel: Shame and remorse, because I will indeed eat a lot more of it; or, Shame and remorse, because even though I didn’t eat any more of it, I feel like crap because food’s got such a hold on me.

I’ve got to forgive myself the obsession with certain foods. If I take a taste, I’ve got to give myself permission to enjoy it, permission to eat no more of it, and permission to feel OK about finally getting some self-discipline together and limiting the “fat” foods I have enjoyed in the past.

‘Cause I gotta realize at some point, avoiding certain foods altogether doesn’t mean I’m altogether avoiding them, if I’m preoccupied with avoiding them. Amen.

Posted on May 20th, 2008 by nike
Filed under: Self Inspiration