I don’t often write about the relationship people have with food, but having just gone through Easter, I felt the timing was right.
Over the past 4 days, I have seen first hand, the lack of control that can occur when it comes to a “festive” time. Yes, you know what I’m referring to, chocolate and hot cross buns.
Firstly, I’m guilty! So don’t take this offensively. The only reason I feel this post is timely is the fact that I don’t have any regret, guilt, shame, embarrassment or negative feelings towards myself for doing so.
Here in lies the problem. Too many people attach this negative emotion to eating heaps of chocolate, drinking too much etc etc. Why? You had the choice. You made a decision. You therefore shouldn’t feel bad for it. I didn’t.
Over the weekend, I ate more chocolate, hot cross buns and other sweets than I would in roughly 3-4 months I reckon. BUT, in saying that, I still trained, I still stuck to a slightly altered version of my diet, and I kept up my other healthy habits I have created that allow me to cruise through a time like Easter without gaining a single gram of bodyweight.
What I see quite often is the people who do nothing but talk about it leading up to it, almost brag about how much chocolate they are going to eat, how much partying, how little sleep, and how much “fun” they are going to have. Yet, come Tuesday morning, these are also the people who are sleeping in, feeling sorry, feeling guilty, and sitting further away from their health goals than they were before Easter rolled around.
Is this you? Good, that means I have hit a chord inside you. Something that is making you keep reading. I’ve become that voice in your head that you didn’t want to listen to. That’s ME!
Now that I have your attention, I want you to know all is not lost. Yes, you went overboard. Yes you indulged too much. Yes you took it too far. But hey, it’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last. So don’t lose motivation now.
A quote I love is this, “You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice” - Bob Marley.
This means that you need to persist regardless of the current state. It gets easier and easier and you will always have those times when you just want to quit, when it gets too hard, but you may find that success is only just around the corner. Now is not the time to stop. Now is the time to move on, get over it, and be better every single day from here on in.
Now, this example refers to Easter, sadly, the misuse of food and nutrition doesn’t stop here. It continues into a lot of other areas of your life. Your relationship with food stems into everyday eating too. How people perceive food and what it does for them plays an even bigger role. If you mistreat yourself and your body by not putting in the time and effort to ensure it’s healthy, then your body will give you several signs, and eventually begin to break down.
People have long forgotten that nutrition and the food we eat is what keeps our body’s running. Meals are almost treated as a nuisance to some people, telling us that they have other important things to be doing with their time.
Convenience food. Take-away shops. Diet meals delivered. All of these things are slowly but surely removing us from our connection with food, where it comes from, how it is grown, and what it does for us.
When was the last time you sat down and appreciated a good meal?
When was the last time you chose a restaurant that only uses a seasonal and/or organic menu?
Eating is about enjoyment, passion, and respecting food. We need to do a lot more of this, and a lot less abusing if we are to go anywhere as a society, and try our best to reverse the negative approach people have with nutrition and dieting.
So, put down your muffin and coffee with 2 sugars, it’s time to grow up and start making your own decisions. The right decisions.
And if 1 more person says to me, “But I don’t really eat many vegetables”, I will slap them! You’re not 3 years old anymore, GROW UP!
Thanks for reading everyone!
Stay healthy,
Liam Crivelli
Owner of Revive Health & Wellbeing Pty. Ltd.
Director of Revive PT Eltham & Revive Luxury Health Retreats
Ph: +61 410 606 455
liam@revivepersonaltraining.com.au