The Freedom of Constraint

When The Nester challenged us to write every day for 31 days, she encouraged us to choose a narrow topic. It seems that the opposite would be true, but constrain challenges and grows creativity.

Too much of anything overwhelms. Given too much, we do nothing.

When we were foster parents, we primarily provided care for medically fragile babies. Over the course of  6 years we cared for 35 children. We brought newborns home from the hospital, had the busy days and sleepless nights of loving several sets of twins, cared for drug exposed babies, babies who had been physically abused, preemies, and babies with all manner of medial issues.

What was true across the board was that no matter the situation, every baby did better once settled into a routine. We weren’t super strict with it, as in “baby can’t eat it’s not 10:00 yet”, but we had a routine. Naps at about the same time every day and a bedtime routine. Dinner together as a family. Structure.

Kids who came to us scattered, fussy, and frazzled would begin to calm, smile, and thrive.

I need some type of constraint with my eating. Too much restriction and I rebel like a little kid stomping his foot and begging for candy at the check out counter. But with no limits, I cannot handle myself. I need something to guide me. Maybe not everyone needs this, but I need it.

I feel safer within an eating system of some type. It needs some flexibility to move and give me choices, but left to my own devices, I am overwhelmed. I’ve used a number of different methods over the years that give me structure yet flexibility — Weight Watchers, calorie counting apps, and wearing a Body Bugg.

The key for me has been learning to say, “I want to do this.” If I approach it as if someone is making me do it, I cheat and cycle through the on-again-off-again cycle of being on the program then off the program and I’ll start again on Monday.

Constraint brings freedom.

Do you feel safer using a system of some type for eating? Does that feel like freedom for you or restriction? 

Click here for Day 1 of the Weirdly Faithful Fitness series and to read the 31 Day Weirdly Faithful Fitness Challenge. Will you take the Challenge with us?

• Faithful Fitness: God, Weight Loss, and Exercise
• Why My eBook Hasn’t Been Popular
• One Weird Thing that Helps Me Enjoy Exercise More
• How Does Guilt Fit into Weirdly Faithful Fitness?
• Are there Good Foods and Bad Foods?
• The Freedom of Constraint
• Call Me Weird, But…I LOVE the Paleo Lifestyle!
• Do This When You Feel Ridiculously Underqualified
• Laughter is the best…Fitness?
• Motivations for The Coming Week
• Ask the Experts for Fitness Advice: YOU!
• I Am a Person Who
• How my Son’s Life-Threatening Condition Gave Me Freedom
• Do You Need Exercise Accountability?
• How Losing the Guilt Breaks the Cycle
• My Family Hates Exercise
• Garlic Sweet Potato Mash
• Grace for the Now
• How Workouts Can Lead to Fat Gain
• Your Expert Advice: Fitness
• Don’t Forget de’ FEET!
• Four Steps to Tell Your Support Peeps What You Need
• A Day in the Life of Maintaining a 100 lb Weight Loss
• Three Girls and a Dog
• The Red Zone: How to Enjoy the Holidays and Stay Fit
• How to Avoid Burn Out and Find Fitness Success