From skwigg's journal:
When deciding what I want, I like to think about how I'll feel after I eat it. Usually, if it's a favorite food or a comfort food I've been craving, I know I'll feel great. But like today I found myself staring into the donut display at the grocery store bakery. They had maple bacon donuts, yes, with actual bacon! They had donuts topped with crumbled candy bars, Froot Loops, marshmallows, and sprinkles. I was looking at the gourmet chocolate caramel Snickers bar one in particular. I pictured myself buying it, taking it home, and eating it after dinner. How will I feel? The first unfiltered thought that popped into my head was, "I'll feel ill." LOL
So, I left it there and bought a couple of Cadbury Screme Eggs for dessert tonight instead, not because of restriction/weight/health/rules but because I like to feel good after I eat. I've experienced the sour stomach, sugar coma, slightly queasy feeling that follows a big dose of grocery store deep-fryer grease. That's not really what I want tonight. Maybe some other time. That's literally what I tell myself, "Maybe some other time." I never say, "no" "can't" or "shouldn't" and I never consider weight, only how I want to feel.
People, myself included at one time, FREAK OUT when you suggest eating "whatever you want." Like you might only eat cookies, pizza, and ice cream from now on. When I was dieting and experiencing restrict-o-brain + primal hunger, that's all I could imagine myself wanting. But think about how that would FEEL, what it would do to your digestion, mindset, and overall wellbeing. Bleh, right? So, is that really what you want? The desire to feel good is what makes it self-regulating. You might want something outrageous from time to time, but you'll mostly want food that makes you feel healthy, satisfied, and energetic.