There is a movie called Ruthless People with Bette Midler. I loved that movie when I first saw it in the 80s. I love Bette Midler. One memorable scenes is when she is being held captive in a basement for ransom. Because she has all the time in her hands, Bette's character decides to workout and eat better. Ultimately, she loses weight and says something to the effect that she has spent a fortune on fat loss spas and products, but being held in a basement for ransom helped her lose the weight.
I will be going away for a few days for professional development. My secondary goal is to be free from the little stressors of home. I hope to exercise and eat right during my three day. I call it a "family sabbatical". I already do well with exercise, but I don't do well with the intake of food.
I've downloaded enough food addiction podcasts to last me the weekend. I listened to one this morning while on the treadmill at 5 a.m. It was 5 minutes, but the most enlightening 5 minutes of my time on this blog. I'm always searching for answers as to why I overeat. I have relayed many of them here, but the ultimate reason is "GUILT". Yes, guilt.
I binged yesterday because I felt guilt over leaving my children for 3 days while I gain some more knowledge on how to do my paying job effectively. Guilt for not doing enough in my paying job. Guilt for not keeping the house up to snuff as a former stay-at-home mother. Guilt for leaving the 3 kids to work a full time, paying job so I can support them financially. Guilt for not calling my mother enough when she is losing her memory. Guilt for being angry with my mother for losing her memory (blaming her) and doing nothing about becoming more socially active and an active participant in her own well being. Guilt for being angry with a husband who works too much (in order to take care of our family). Guilt for overeating. Guilt for not working out enough. Guilt, guilt, guilt, guilt . . . GUILT!
It is debilitating to write that word so many times, so you can imagine "feeling" that word every hour of my day. I am trying to compartmentalize the guilt and resolve those feelings so I can move past them. I can't resolve all the world's problems in my paying job. I can't be the perfect mother for my 3 kids. I can't be the perfect wife. I can't keep a perfect house. I can't be the perfect daughter. Guilt also leads me to fears. I will write about "fears" in the future.
What can I do? I can try my hardest, everyday, to accomplish small tasks that can get me near-perfect; like taking care of myself first so that I may take care of others. This trip will allow me to step back a bit and rejuvinate, so I may come back and be more giving. I am flying to Memphis in the morning and hope to meet a lot of people in my profession. I hope to socialize with many folks at the conference. I want to exercise everyday and walk outdoors. I want to enjoy being in a city that I've never been in. All the while, I will be praying for the flood victims and for receding waters.
What's eating you (guilt, fear, etc)?
My therapist once said to me "set the boundaries and we'll deal with the guilt". I've worked on the boundaries....still working on the guilt.
ReplyDeleteFear and guilt eat me, or I guess I'm eating them.
ReplyDeleteYou've already taken important steps in dealing with the guilt. You've examined it and acknowledged here with this post. I think that's a great step in the right direction. Personally, I think most of us would benefit by looking at our reasons why we over eat.
ReplyDeleteI'm been "skating by" just saying "i love food" but that could be just cop out. I applaud you for looking deep. Enjoy your family sabatical friend.
This book is fantastic! It is divided into 3 categories, Self, Science, and Sweat.In Self, she teaches you how to build a support groups and revamp your negative self image and filter out those individuals in your life that are harmful to your health. She also provides a test to find out what type of 'oxidizer' (the way you burn nutrients) you are which helps you decide your nutrition plan.
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