Guard Rails

I had an "Aha!" moment today. I was out running errands with my two-year old, and as promised, I took her to her favorite drive-thru for a meal and a toy. Before entering the drive-thru line, I parked the car and decided to check my Weight Watchers app to see if there was anything on the menu that I could order as an indulgence without blowing my points for the day (or my weekly points).

As I scrolled through menu, my conscience reared her ugly head.

If you are hungry, why don't you get a salad? That would be much better for you.

I'm not here because I'm hungry. I'm here because I want a treat.

A greasy, unhealthy hamburger is a treat? I'm not following the logic.

Well, yeah. I mean, isn't it? I've been under a LOT of stress lately, and I have been losing weight and sticking to the plan in spite of it. Don't I deserve to indulge in some comfort food? I mean, I'm almost at my 5% goal.

Please explain to me how comforting that greasy hamburger is going to be in about an hour when you have a tummy ache and fast-food-remorse? And how is it going to help you reach your goal exactly?

Yeah, well, when you put it like that....but....I'm stressed and tired, and there's a lot going on right now. (I'm pretty sure I was whining by this point.)

Food won't fix it.

Excuse me?

Food. won't. fix it. In fact, your over-indulgence in food has brought you more grief than comfort, hasn't it?

And then I had a small epiphany. Here I was sitting in a fast-food parking lot arguing with myself over a hamburger. Really? A greasy, icky, junky, overpriced burger. What was wrong with me? And I was feeling angry too. I was so mad because all those people in that drive-thru line were eating their hearts out with no worry and no restrictions. They were eating all the hamburgers they wanted. (And french fries--glorious french fries.) Why couldn't I have some too?

At this point I think my inner child pouted, put her hands on her hips and stamped her foot. Perhaps that's what brought me to my senses.

Photo from Flickr

I'm not living within strict rules that deny me good food, comfort and fun. These guidelines and points are not a barbed wire fences that keep me away from happiness. They are guard rails that keep me on the path to success. Sure, I could jump over them, but what's on the other side? A rocky slope full of briars and thorns and all types of dangerous terrain. If I stay within the guard rails, then I have true freedom. I can continue in my journey and enjoy the sights. I won't get stuck in a ditch in a search for false comfort. I can zip along my road of life with energy and health. Yeah, the other side of the guard rail looks inviting, but I've been over there--got the scrapes and bruises to prove it--it's more treacherous than it seems.

I might be going uphill right now, and I might be crawling at a snail's pace, but at least I have the comfort and peace of mind of knowing that I'm making better choices and taking better care of myself one meal at a time.