Every body continues in its state of rest, or of uniform motion in a straight line, unless it is compelled to change that state by forces impressed upon it. - Newton’s First Law of Motion, translated from the Principia’s Latin

Believe it or not, Newton’s First Law of Motion can apply to our eating habits. We tend to continue in the same eating habits until something happens that changes them. For example, January 1 is a day that a lot of people start eating healthier – the new year caused them to change their eating habits for the better. For someone who is eating healthy, a loved one gets sick and has a stay in the hospital. They start trying to balance work, visiting the hospital, worry, family, sleep, etc. and healthy eating changes to driving through the fast food window for meals because that is all their is time for and they can’t think of anything else. The force of illness knocked them off their path.

These are two extreme examples. Even a little force impressed upon us can change our eating habits. You have healthy lunches planned for the week. Then, your boss calls and says that you are taking a prospective client out for lunch at the steakhouse – your favorite steakhouse. There is one of those forces to knock you off your path. Stepping on the scale and seeing a larger number than you’d thought can be a force impressed upon you to re-think how you have been eating.

My point is that we all get into habits of eating and we can get knocked off course fairly easily. This happens with all our self-care habits – working out, sleeping, eating well, meditating, taking personal time, etc. However, we can also use the First Law of Motion to our advantage. If you make one better choice like choosing a piece of fruit rather than the huge bagel and cream cheese, you are starting in motion to improve your eating. The next time you eat, that last choice sets you up to make the next one. The force that can change that path may be a sandwich or dessert you really want. But, you can choose to avoid that force and choose to stay on your path. And, if you make a less healthy choice, or one you regret, you get to get yourself back on the path you want at your next eating opportunity.

I’m a visual person. I see this as being on a path and all these balls hurling at me to knock me off of it. I can duck, jump and dodge the balls to stay on my path to a healthy life. As long as I stay on the path, things are good. If one of those balls knocks me off, I know I can get back on and keep going.

If you aren’t on the path you want to be on, what can you do to get on it? If you are but have gotten knocked off by some force, how can you get back on? If you are staying on your path, what tips, tricks, and hits can you share with others?

Hoping you have a great weekend and either get on, get back on, or stay on your path!

Note: The quote at the top came from about.com.

I was looking back through prior blog posts and found this one that came out in March, 2009. I thought that with the new year, talking about goals would be good. Honestly, I’d forgotten about the goal chain and will be using it again to help me reach my goals in 2011.

Don’t Break the Chain

Enjoy!

Food companies are always trying to get us to think their food is good for us, which can encourage us to eat more. A friend sent me a link a couple of weeks ago to a story that Frito-Lay is going to start making half of their foods using natural ingredients.  Over the holidays, John and I wanted cinnamon rolls for breakfast. We were in Whole Foods and picked up some packaged cinnamon rolls that are touted as “All Natural.” Using terms such as “natural” and “organic” are an attempt to give a food a halo – getting you to think it is better for you than it may be.

I’m probably the only person who compares nutrition facts panel for cinnamon rolls. The cinnamon rolls labeled as “all natural” have 5 rolls per can with each roll having 280 calories, 14 grams of fat, 51 grams of carbohydrates, and 4 grams of protein. A similar cinnamon roll – Pillsbury Grands Cinnamon Sweet Rolls with Icing have 310 calories per roll, 9 grams of fat, 54 grams of carbohydrate, and 5 grams of protein. Not really a lot of difference between the two. Even when I look at the ingredient lists there is not a lot of difference between the two. Choosing the “all natural” cinnamon roll isn’t really a “healthier” choice.

Next time you are in the store and you see labels that make you think the food is “healthy” take a look at the nutrition facts panel and the ingredient list and determine for yourself if it really is a better choice for you.