March 15

So, I made it through my first weekend on the Isagenix system. It was not as hard as I had feared. I still had my shake in the morning, foregoing my usual pancake breakfast. Lunch Saturday was hearty but healthy, with leftover chicken with salad for dinner.

I have to admit, I “suffered” a moment of weakness on Sunday morning when I met with my writer’s group in a local deli. Seeing the others chowing down on pastries and sandwiches made me hungry. Or so my brain was trying to convince me. But instead of giving in to the urge, I did a quick mental scan of my body and found I was not in the least bit hungry. I had drunk my shake before I arrived, and I felt full and satisfied. It was a simple conditioned response to seeing my peers eat. I had become “Pavlov’s dog.”

Time to change my relationship with food. Shift it from the emotional to the physical level. Like so many of us, I am an emotional eater, and that almost always spells disaster. Think about it. If you had a close friend who was involved in an abusive relationship, you would do all you could to encourage her to leave her partner and choose a healthier and happier life. Same with food! Time to “break up” with my unhealthy eating habits, and embrace a new love….my health!

Try this next time you are offered a tempting snack, or there is free pizza in the lunch room at work. Your mouth may water, and the pleasure centers in your brain may fire on all circuits, but stop and check in with your gut. Do you really feel hungry? Do you need that greasy pizza weighing you down all afternoon, or the spike-and-crash sugar high calling from that box of donuts? Chances are your stomach is just fine, not too full, not empty or complaining. Pour yourself a big glass of water or tea instead. Then walk away feeling good about yourself for making a choice that promotes your health and happiness.

That’s it for now. Tune in next time and I’ll talk about energy. And Thursday is my one week weigh in, or as I like to think of it, payoff!