Akrasia /əˈkreɪzɪə,əˈkrasɪə/
nounPHILOSOPHY 1. the state of mind in which someone acts against their better judgment through weakness of will.
I had trained for nearly two years at the gym before I began to eat consciously. Yes, in those two years I had gained some muscle, but I had gained more fat (per ratio).
We all have heard “abs are made in the kitchen” and I chose to ignore it, convincing myself that if I eat whatever I want and train hard enough, then I’m happy — and for a long while I was. It wasn’t until I decided one day to try and change my eating habits to lose a couple of pounds that I came to a creamy realization.
Happiness(whatever that means) comes from suffering. Ironic? I thought so too. But a change of mindset made me see that happiness comes from abstaining rather than indulging, from sobriety rather than inebriety, and from less rather than more.
The more consistently I said no to unhealthy food (and unnecessary extra calories), the more empowered I felt, the stricter and better I became with balancing my dietary intake.
That is not to say that I, like any other human, don’t enjoy the occasional sugar-injected treat or the cheese-oozing burger. As long as it is being done consciously, there is nothing to fear. Just remember that: Yes, abs are made in the kitchen — your kitchen.
If you are ready to start your own journey, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Always focus on the bigger picture. Mistakes happen. You will be tempted by that donut that one day. IT’S OKAY! Continue as planned.
- Stay steady. If you end up binging on food one night, don’t fast the next day or even decrease your calories: you might induce a binge-fast-binge cycle. Continue as planned.
- Baby steps, my friends. Small increments of change. First, decrease refined sugar, then decrease further. Decrease non-home-cooked food, then decrease further. Decrease processed food, then decrease further. Keep doing this until they almost cease.
- Do your research. There is no one golden method, no easy 7 day way out. Each body has a way to treat it, find yours.
If you’ve also been through your own journey, I would love to hear your stories!
