Chapter 6: Avoiding The Tower

Now that you have the tools for your success and how to keep yourself motivated, it is now time to learn a very important lesson: DON'T PUNISH YOURSELF or as I like to call it, “Avoiding The Tower.”

In London there is an ancient prison known as The Tower. If you were sent there it was because you were being punished, held for interrogation or about to lose your head for treason; pick your favorite. If you wanted to avoid The Tower it was best to avoid doing wrong against his or her majesty, depending on your ruler. For this diet we will of course not go to such extremes, but in a nutshell it is the penalty box, or the things you do to punish yourself for not doing what was right.

Your body is your kingdom and you are its sovereign ruler and the law. You have set up certain guidelines and rules to keep your crown and kingdom in order. This blog (and someday a book) has given you tools for success and is now possibly governing your ways of eating, exercising, thinking and living.

Regardless of your progress or regression you are doing this diet or any diet for yourself, and you are under the strictest orders not to punish yourself for not exercising enough, consuming the right amount of calories, consuming too much bad and too little good, whatever, etc.

People often times stray. It is in our human nature to do so. We can't help it. When regulating one's own weaknesses we often compensate with self-punishment. In the realm of dieting, dieters will punish themselves with the following:

• Harsh words or thoughts about themselves
• Starvation, bellemia,  or over-eating
• Over use of diet pills and meal replacement supplements
• Excessive workouts that harm the body
• Etc.

You can easily see that these are harmful to your well-being and your health, no matter what. Whatever diet path you choose, do not punish yourself in anyway.  When you punish yourself and lock yourself in The Tower, you are only hurting yourself. The best course of action is to take a step back, realize what you did that wasn't beneficial to you diet success and stop doing it. Get back on the throne of your kingdom and start again.

Your diet is only as challenging as you make it to be. I am reminded of The Four Agreements by Ruis Megaul. “Be true with your words. Never Assume. Don't take anything personally. Always do your best.”

There are four agreements we should make with ourselves in every phase of life, and dieting is always a phase. My favorite agreement is “always do your best,” because even when you fail and fall off the path to your success, you can always get back on and do your best the next day -- if you did your best then there is no need to punish yourself. Avoid The Tower, period.