I had a lightbulb moment a few years back that provided a monumental sense of inner peace. It went something like this…
Of course we crave cookies and french fries. Our desire for sugar, salt and fat is the reason that humans still exist.
Let me explain…
None of us would be alive today if some of our ancestors weren’t really good at gaining weight and hanging on to those pounds during times of drought, famine and harsh weather. Truth is, humans who were unable to do this simply vanished from the gene pool.
Today we’re faced with an abundance of processed foods filled with sugar, salt and fat. This creates a bit of a mismatch between our instincts and our environment.
We like to beat ourselves up for craving so-called “bad” foods. In our minds, we replay the following sentences over and over…
- Why can’t I stop thinking about food?
- What’s wrong with me?
- I’m broken.
- I’m obsessed.
- I’ll never lose weight.
- I’m disgusting.
- I’m a failure.
- I’m a food addict.
- I’m bad.
Sound familiar?
Try this – think of someone you love with all your heart. Go ahead and create a mental image of that person. Now imagine telling that person they are disgusting, broken and bad – day in and day out for years. Can you see how beating yourself up on a daily basis may not be the best path to a healthy and happy life?
It’s time to move beyond self-judgement and guilt. It’s time to treat ourselves with compassion and understanding.
Does this mean it’s okay to go and scarf down an entire pepperoni pizza? Of course not.
But, once we stop resisting the truth about ourselves, we can stop the suffering caused by inflicting words of self-hate for a hardwired craving that allowed our ancestors to reproduce. We can stop the negative self-talk and begin to practice forgiveness, compassion and gratitude.
Sugar, salt and fat were not widely available for most of human history. We live in remarkable times surrounded by remarkable amounts of cheap food. It’s why willpower doesn’t work. It’s pretty tough to overcome a survival instinct.
The next time you begin to beat yourself up for eating the cookie, practice compassion instead. I can almost guarantee it will be easier, not harder to step away from the cookies.