Why can’t I say no to food?

I used to find it almost impossible to say no to food. Not all food, but the stuff I was overeating regularly. There were times it just felt crushing.

Often I didn’t really want the food. Logically I knew it didn’t support my long-term goals.

But most of the time the pull was just so strong and I ended up face down in the ice cream tub.

Then I’d make it personal and wonder what the f*ck was wrong with me for the eleventy-millionth time. 

But there was nothing wrong with me. And if you’re in the same boat, there’s nothing wrong with you either.

As humans, we’re little better than lab rats sometimes (pass the cheese please). We’ve evolved to want more of the things that make us feel good, and less of the things that make us feel bad.

That doesn’t sound so terrible, right? [except maybe the rat part]

Those primal instincts have helped us survive as a species this long, so what’s the problem.

When it comes to food, those instincts used to help. But now they’re just messing with you. They’re one of the reasons you find it hard to pass on the pastries.

Saying no to food you want feels bad. It’s totally legit that you want to get away from feeling bad.

Unfortunately, the way we’re used to getting away from feeling bad is to eat. *womp womp*

So it makes sense that you feel like you can’t say no to the nachos. 

But the truth is you can say no. You just need to learn how to sit with the discomfort that follows without resisting, avoiding, or reacting to it.

When you know how to feel discomfort on purpose so you can skip the Snickers, it’s not actually that uncomfortable for very long.

It does get easier. Some days a lot easier. But that shit’s never going away because we’re wired to prefer pleasure over pain.

Finding it hard to say no to food is totally normal.

And so are you.