Day 101, The Secret to Beating Temptation

Phew, long weekend, I was totally beat tonight.

And tonight in the store I was sorely tempted to buy a bottle of wine, come home, drink that bottle and watch a movie while eating something not particularly helpful.

I've learned over the course of this project that the times when I am most drawn to unhealthy stuff is when I am physically and or mentally exhausted. It's interesting that we use that word, "exhausted." Literally we're saying we are out of resources, the tank is empty and we can do no more. But in these out of gas times we don't reach for the foods and drinks that would actually replenish us. Instead we go for the alcohol, the TV dinner, the mindless movie. And feel even worse the next morning, starting the cycle over again.

Tonight I didn't get the bottle of wine, and the second I resisted the temptation I felt better. There's something very valuable in not giving yourself the easy recourse of a drug (and what is wine and a movie if not two differently ingested drugs?) and just relying on your own body to find it's way, with the help of a healthy dinner, back to center.

So, the secret to beating temptation is to not be tired. Get plenty of rest and the siren's call from the beverage and snack aisle will be reduced to a mere hum. It's always there though, just waiting for your defenses to drop and exploit your weakness.