When something sounds the worst, it’s often when we need it the most

[Teri Rose, OblSB, Program Director]

I often joke with members in my office that I believe we (as humans) are only two degrees away from still being wild. Our instincts often feel like they just haven’t caught up with the social environments we want to live and thrive in. We want order and structure but left to our own devices we lean towards lazy and disorganized. We want forward progress but lean towards procrastination.

It often does feel like more effort is needed to do what is right for our health than not; overindulgence in food and inactivity is often so much easier than getting in the kitchen.

But if you pay attention, your body is always providing you with clues of what it really does want.

Ironically, the signals seem to have a sense of humor because the worse something sounds the more you most likely need it.

The two best examples are when:

1. Leafy & Tender veggies sound just awful, and
2. Moving feels like punishment

 

Leafy & tender veggies sounding awful is often a good sign that blood sugar and/or stress hormones aren’t well controlled resulting in cravings for more indulgent foods, most often dense carbohydrates like sweets, breads, and pasta. The worse leafy and tender veggies start to sound, the more you will benefit from them.

Leafy & tender veggies sounding awful to newer members can also be a result of mistrained taste buds that will start to transition as dense carbohydrates (like sugar) are moderated and vegetables are more consistently introduced. You might not come to like every single variety of leafy & tender veggie, but I have yet to meet a self-proclaimed ‘veggie hater’ that hasn’t surprised themselves with liking veggies as they progress through the program.

As for movement, your body is sending similar warning flares as above when moving sounds just awful.

In both cases, when stress hormones aren’t regulated they will take over your brains control system (as we learn about in the CARE stress and brain training sequence of steps).

Stress taking the reins of your control system results in:

• Increased perceived pain from activity
• Decreased ability to ward off the pull of instant gratification, and
• Decreased valuation of long-term goals

 

So the next time these two things sound horrible, do them first and see what happens.  The benefits of those choices are immediate. Pay attention to how it made you feel better, write it down on your weekly goal setting sheet. These moments of noticing why the effort is worth it, and remembering them as you work on sustaining your healthy changes, will prove to be a tremendous investment.

As you read this, does it resonate with you? Do you have an example of something sounding awful but being exactly what you needed?

[Author]

Posts