Guilt Trippin'

My grandmother decided to impart some of her invaluable wisdom to me recently.  She said, "Guilt trips are a waste of time."  So true!  So why can I not shake them?

I think almost all of us (ladies in particular) fall into the category of beating ourselves up too much, too often.  Mistakes are just that- mistakes.  We shouldn't spend more time dwelling on them than it takes to learn from them.  Then we should move on.  Easier said than done, I know.

For instance, last night I couldn't stop myself from indulging in a late night snack of chips and salsa.  YUM.  But I had been so good all say, I felt guilty for letting a craving dive-bomb my otherwise calorie successful day!  I could have said no, sure.  Sometimes it just isn't that easy. To determine whether the 'indulgence' is worth it, what I have started comparing is simply this:  Is the guilt I'll feel after eating this worth it?

No, I don't always sit down and analyze it like that, but I am trying.  I know me, and guilt will never leave me entirely.  I'm just not built that way.  Chances are, I will continue to scold myself for grabbing that fistful of Cheez-Its or when I catch myself drooling in line at Walgreens over the PayDay candy bar I haven't let myself have in years.  Oh yea, that happens.

I tell myself that I shouldn't want these things; they are BAD for me!  But I still want them.

So, now I have a new goal.  I want to learn how to live with myself after my inevitable slip-ups.  Forgiving myself for being human isn't as easy as it sounds.  However, I think as I rant against my weaknesses and lack of willpower vehemently in my head, at least now there will be another voice.  One saying, "Yea, maybe eating that entire pizza wasn't a good idea, but..."  Or, "Really, Heidi?  How many S'mores does one adult need in one sitting, but...?"

But after the chastising, that new, more positive voice will tell me that all I can do is make a better choice next time.  Tomorrow is another day.  This is not a quickflash diet we are talking about, but a war waged over a lifetime.  So, I'll live to fight another day.