self control

One question we ask our selves often is, “What will keep me in the game?”

That’s because we are in this for life, so it is important to us that we make choices that we will be happy with not just now, not just in the future, but both now and the future.

Now and the future.

Those are two words that could never be used together before our Peace with Food days. That’s because it was always one extreme or the other.

On our binging days our focus was on the now.

On our dieting days our focus was on the future.

And never the two shall meet.

Then came Peace with Food. We learned to look at our life not just in the context of our present, but also in the context of our future. We were able to tie them together, making the wisest choice, resulting in us having peace.

Here’s an example of what that looks like:

No more passing up a holiday meal because of a goal to get to a certain weight somewhere out in the future.
No more foregoing the self-control and discipline today that will impact our health and well-being in the future.

The two act as boundary lines like the lines on the highway. All you have to do is keep it between the lines.

We now frame all our decisions on the now and the future. What will give us peace now? What will give us peace in the future? That’s what will keep us in the game.

Posse Discussion:

In the last 17 days we have discussed peace with food, body image and the scale. Out of these three topics, what 1 thing have you learned about yourself that will keep you in the game in regards to living with peace?

Click Here for Day 18!

Reason #4: Peace with Food relies on skills, diets on willpower.

What does a professional athlete, accountant, concert pianist, and a plumber all have in common?

One word: skill.

They have learned a set of skills and honed them to become successful in their area of expertise. And how exactly did they hone these skills? They spent considerable time practicing.

There is no way to get around it. If you want to be skilled at something, you have to practice. And living at Peace with Food is no different. If you want to be successful in maintaining your optimal weight, living a life you love, and doing it with peace it will require skills, not willpower.

It’s funny how unskilled we were in this area of Peace with Food when we first began. Back when we started on this journey, our peace was probably a 1 or 2 on a scale of 5. But now, after practicing continually we would have to say that our peace in this area is an 4 or 4.5. And it is all because we pursued skills and not willpower.

What’s so bad about willpower? Well, it’s not that it’s bad, per se. It’s just not the optimal tool for the job. Unlike skills, which bring success, willpower is fickle. Here today gone tomorrow. Any one who has any dieting under their belt has most likely experienced the ebb and flow of willpower. It seems like when you need it most it is MIA.

Unlike willpower, skills will help you live at Peace with Food for life, not just for 16 days, 23 days, or whatever the length of your newest diet (if even that). When you acquire skills such as self-control, making wise choices, and “resetting” right after a mess-up, you will get a much bigger bang for your buck than some temporary surge of willpower.

So, instead of mustering up the willpower to try harder, consider developing skills that will ensure your victory. What skill would help you make a quantum leap in the area of Peace with Food? Start there. As your skill level goes up, so will your success!