The "T" Word - Tempted? Think About It!

We are faced with temptations all the time.  Maybe you're tempted after waking up late, rushing to work and passing by the golden arches (although, I can honestly say this is no longer a temptation for me).  Maybe you feel hunger pains with the flashing "Hot Donuts" sign when passing by Krispy Kreme.  Perhaps your employer provides a Papa John's Pizza lunch for all the employees and Papa John's just happens to be your favorite pizza, not that I have any experience in this department.  LOL  (Yes, today my employer provided Papa John's Pizza for all the employees in the building - was a very nice gesture.)

Temptations are going to be there, daily.  We have to make a conscious decision on what we want more, those five or ten minutes of instant gratification on a substance that will be gone in a matter of a few hours OR the health, well-being and ENERGY provided by making wise choices; eating healthy and exercising.  Some days, these decisions are much more difficult than others.

I've had a few tactics that have really helped me not cave in to these temptations.  One that seems to really help me is visualizing the composition of the foods I'm eating.  If the food is something like pizza, I visualize the glucose making up the simple carbohydrates of the crust and sauce, the amino acids in the proteins and high amount of lipids in the cheese.  I imagine how my body will process the macromolecules and imagine how much of it will immediately be stored as glycogen in my liver, muscles and yes, body fat.  Believe it or not, this really works.  I don't think it's necessarily the science that works for me, but just the fact that I'm THINKING about it. 

For years I allowed food to control me.  I did not practice self control, I did not consciously think about what I was putting in my body.  Rather, much mindless eating took place, many meals were nearly inhaled without ever giving a second thought to what what I was eating, what it was doing to my body and what other options were available.  I did it because it's what I knew, it was easy, it was comforting, it was just. . .there.

Fast forward to now - I'M IN CONTROL!  I can choose to take something, or leave it.  Oh what a liberating feeling! 

By the way, I did not give in to the temptation of the Papa.