Us Versus Them, You Versus You.

As a society we love dieting and we love food.  Multimillion dollar companies thrive on the mentality of Us Versus Them.  At your workplace. are you surrounded by Lean Cuisines and fast food?  Is the conversation about the newest diet or the latest dollar menu item? 

Our society loves to compete.  We often do so with our physical look and our place in society.  Through diet we can be what we want to be physically, but I challenge that we do not have the will power as a country to sustain this fight much past lunch.

A typical day started off with either a cup of coffee or a yogurt and a fruit--the commercials always show lean women eating this, it must work.  By mid morning, you are starving, but commit to make it a few more hours.  Lunch arrives and the appropriately portioned microwave meal and a diet soda round off the hour while you sit and judge the weaker population who has given in to their craving.  You are winning, just like the commercial said you would, and so is that company--what a great team.

Just two hours later you have lost the fight and 1.00 in the vending machine for your favorite snack, the other team is now in the lead.  You want the sugar and you are fighting sleep, plus it tastes so much better and it is only a small bag with no trans fat. 

The whistle sounds and you are headed home.  You are again starving and there are too many options available to sway you beyond the realm of self control.  Plus, the kids and the spouse are not willing to short change their tummies for the sake of the fight.  You indulge in a salad (with so much dressing it equals a fast food small fry), because salads are what the "skinny" people eat and they are so plain without Ranch.  At dinner's end, you snack on the left over mac n' cheese, and before you know it you are head first in the bowl of ice cream.  Why?  Because since you lost the battle today to the cookies from the machine in the hallway, you might as well give it up and start again tomorrow.  The commercials are again filling you with self confidence and tomorrow is a new day!

Deprivation for the sake of weight loss is not effective.  Fighting the good fight in public only to relapse at home is not effective.  Gaining control of your emotions and understanding how food and your body can actually be friends may very well be your ticket to a size smaller with a brownie on the side.

Inspired by this article.