How Getting Radically Truthful Delivers Massive Wins

Aren’t these calories beautiful? Yep, that’s how they lure us.

Hello Everyone,

If you haven’t yet read Aunt Bea, just shoot me an email: Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get her right to you! ♥

Pearl One

Not proud, but when we travel, I spend us right out of our budget. I think, oh it’s all in fun, or I’ll deal with the expense later. And, but we’re making memories!

I once bought a pricey shirt in a boutique that when the vacation-glow disappeared all I had was a stupid shirt that didn’t fit and I couldn’t return.

And that’s how I travel-con myself.

My point, you and I are awesome at the food-con: We’re in Maui! Of course I want a second pina colada!! Life’s hard, peanut M&Ms sound perfect. And what’s the harm in a third of slice of pizza?

We tell ourselves that “this time” will be fine.

This time is never fine.

How to get “clean of the con.”

The long and short of it is that if we continue to food-con ourselves, losing weight can still happen, but maintaining the loss? Next to impossible.

So, given that you and I are masterpieces in progress, let’s get real about our cons slowly. First, keep it close to your heart that (other than conception) truly amazing plans don’t happen overnight. (These last words are more for me; I get caught up in wanting something this minute, this day, this week all the bleeping time.)

Teasing out how and where we food-con ourselves is vital. I recommend learning more about yourself and your favorite food-cons through journal-writing. Be creative and have fun with the following:

• Food-wise how do I con myself in a typical day? A typical weekend? A typical month?
• What’s something(s) good that I get from the con? (This question is key.)
• Could the con be merely a bad habit at this point in my life?
• How do I keep myself stuck because of the con?
• Why is slowly moving into the truth about the con off-putting?
• What would my life be like without the con?

In my case, overeating had everything to do with needing to zone-out. As a kid I had to stay vigilant moment by moment. It was exhausting.

So, shoveling in calories while I was reading or watching a show was the ultimate in relaxation. Decades later my life didn’t involve being on guard anymore, but the overeating habit stuck.

Being over 50 means we’re wiser. We know what works and what’s a con. Getting utterly truthful with ourselves is of course seriously hard.

But the best things always are. ♥

Pearl Two

I’ve been trying to figure out how to say this without sounding like a jerk, but when I was losing weight I said these words to myself daily: do not get smug, I am not smug. I’m never smug.

I didn’t want to lose 30 and feel like, Look at me! I’m so cool, losing weight is a breeze. Somehow I knew that I had to always, always, always remember that losing – and maintaining – was so incredibly difficult, and getting smug was merely the beginning of a downfall. ♥

Pearl Three

This is the space where we talk about using time for a great outcome. Today’s question: What’s the hardest time of your day to stay on the Smart Eating Path? Get super detailed.

Avoid being too macro as in: afternoons at work are hard, or evenings ruin everything for me.

Be super specific and say: Immediately after dinner, I want something sweet, so at 6:45 p.m. I’m hunting for the Oreos. Or, I’m great until 9 p.m., but then I want ice cream while I’m watching Bridgerton.

The more you drill down on your most difficult moments of your day, the more successful your intervention.

Journal-writing is how we engage our subconscious. And here’s the thing: our subconscious is super intelligent and wants to share her knowledge. Also, she’s thrilled to be invited to the party (she mainly feels ignored). Journal-write to these questions and watch her in action:

• What is the hardest time of day for me to veer from my Smart Eating Plan?
• How can I have compassion for myself re: this difficult time of day? (Ex: I forgo a healthy afternoon snack and am hangry by the time I get home. Of course I’m not doing well after work, I’m running on fumes!)
• What would make it easier for me?
• What do I associate with eating (unplanned) food?
• What is the smallest effort I can make to better deal with my hard moments?
• What is the largest efforts? (Be creative with this one.)
• How can I approach my difficult time frame with strength?

Continue journal-writing on a daily(ish) basis about your hardest times of day, and watch your subconscious become a trusted best friend. ♥

Pearl Four

The Egg McMuffin. Calories: 310. Fat: 13 g. Fiber: 2 g.

Thanks guys, but McNo.

If you haven’t yet developed the habit of never eating fast food, make this habit rock-solid in 2022 (my favorite study out of England says it takes us 66 days to truly embed a habit).

Fast food’s backbone is made of chemicals, trans-fats, salt, sugar, clarified butter and the like, and the “meals” concocted by scientists to keep us addicted to their fake food is how they make billions.

Don’t succumb to their evil wizardry.

This morning I scrambled one egg with a splash or two of almond milk and a sprinkle of cheddar, and toasted a whole-wheat English muffin and put it all together. When I’m feeling really crazy I’ll nuke two slices of Morningstar Farm bacon – fewer calories and fat grams than actual bacon — and put them inside my McYum too. ♥

Pearl Five

Stop lying to yourself. When we deny our own truth. . . we deny our own potential.” — Steve Maraboli. ♥

Happy April Fools Day! I’m sorry that I’m not a jokester and don’t have any funnies!

Create an amazing weekend for yourself. 🙂

♥, Wendy

P.s. Are you new to the Inspired Eater? Welcome!! This blog won’t make much sense until you first read the Aunt Bea post (and you’ll find Aunt Bea on this page to the right under my short bio). After you enter your email address, the Aunt Bea article will be sent to your email’s inbox. If it’s not there, you might check the spam folder. And always feel free to email me at Wendy@TheInspiredEater.com and I’ll get Aunt Bea right to you!

You know the scoop: I’m an Amazon affiliate. If you buy from a link in my post, I’ll receive money, but the arrangement won’t cost you a dime. 🙂