7 Days On

It's been 7 days & I seem to be on this time. I've had about 200 false starts but since I had to quit pioneering (due to the car accidents of children!) I seem to be able to handle being on program and I'm doing really well. I'm feeling better and I'm not having ANY cravings, which is always GREAT! Having the stress of pushing myself over the past few months has made me understand my clients that say "this is SOOOOO hard!". I would hear them & think - this is the easiest program I've ever done! But now I understand - it's not the program that's hard, it's the denying yourself comfort food when you are already pushed to your limit. Something has to give and most of us aren't going to give up our "duty" to others so we give up on taking care of ourselves. But when we're not able to give ourselves what we need (a 1/2 hour of silence, a nap mid-day, a night out alone with a spouse, a weekend with friends) then we turn to food to cope. Food would give me the "strength" needed to continue pushing myself. Obviously, it's all a lose-lose proposition. If we are pushing ourselves that hard, we aren't giving in the right spirit either. I don't know the solution though. Our society and our attitudes is to push and when we see people "taking care of themselves" we often judge and say, "Well why can't they (fill in the blank)? They don't have to work. OR They don't have kids. OR They make enough money to do that." I hate that I felt it was pioneering or lose weight - but the truth is - it was. Not gain weight, but I just couldn't LOSE weight and make those daily sacrifices. So it's good that I went through the experience so I better understand my clients' struggle.