Creatures of Habit

While I was walking yesterday, my daughter told me the story of a college student who lived on campus.  His mother said that the dog lost 2 pounds while he was away in school.  It made me think of how we love to reward our dogs, our children and ourselves with food.

When I look back on growing up I can remember if I had a bad day, I would get a cookie to help me feel better.  As I got older I would give myself treats or go to dinner after a tough day at work.  And when I had my own children, I started the same vicious cycle with them that I had with my mom.  If my children had a bad day I rewarded it with junk food.  If they deserved praise, again I would reward it with junk food. We are all so prone to pass on to our own children what we learned.  We are simply creatures of habit. 

The really damaging part is what it turns us into as adults.  Did you have a bad day?  Are you really tired?  Did you finish a really hard project?  Those were always reasons for me to reach for food.  We know it as "comfort food" a creation of tradition.  To this day I fight that demon which was handed down for generations.  I can't take back that I did the same thing my mother did to me.  It seemed the right way to be, at the time.  I can only hope that my own daughters will know better when they have their own children.  And I, as a future grandmother will try and find other ways to reward my grandchildren.


The battle within will most likely live forever.  I will always want to treat myself with comfort food.  If we could only reverse this process with real treats, a good healthy meal, a walk in the park, a bike ride.  I AM a stress eater, it is the condition of my condition.  I have told myself, that I am only adding to my bad day when I add bad food choices and what feels like comfort is really punishment.  That piece of cake, candy bar, bag of chips will punish me later with tighter fitting jeans and more pounds to lose than if I made the right choice.  It is what keeps me strong these days.  I have chosen to chose the healthy alternative and am staying strong. The key to my continued success is to think of tomorrow when I am wanting that junk today.  And I always remember a saying my mother told me,

"A minute over the lips, Years over the hips".