Rules? I Like To Refer To Them More As Guidelines.

Everyone likes to set rules for having themselves on a healthier diet. Don't eat donuts, don't eat carbs (I flinch when people say they don't eat carbs... an apple consists of carbs), drink more water, go to the gym three times a week, etc. Goals are good. Some rules are good, too. But the problem with being so strict with your rules is that you go on a binge because you've denied yourself that donut, that piece of cake or scoop of ice cream. When you deny yourself and you are constantly thinking of that treat, it becomes an obsession. Once you get it, you fall off your healthy kick and figure "hey, I'll just eat whatever I want today then just start up again tomorrow." It's fine to slip up, it's not fine to give up and fall back on your limitless re-starts. When you want to be healthy and take care of your body, you are making a commitment to yourself. The only person who gets hurt when you give in to binges is you. This is why rules can be bent and should be considered as guidelines.
If you really want that piece of cake, have a slice-- a slice the size of a single serving, not the size of your last piece of cake ever. It's not realistic to say you'll never eat cake or have a treat again. If you treat your rules with flexibility, then you can have the cake, eat it, and then continue on your healthy path. Don't quit for the day/night/week/month. Continue on because our construct of time is just a societal invention. The world keeps spinning whether the sun or the moon shines, and whether or not you are awake or asleep. Eat the cake, continue on your healthy path, maybe reconsider how much you actually enjoyed eating the piece of cake in comparison to other activities like going for a bike ride or painting.
In the past I've struggled with rules myself: don't eat cookies, don't drink your calories, don't rely only on the elliptical, etc. Better results were found when I was allowed that cookie-- I often decided I was content with that one cookie and probably wouldn't want one again for a while. Now that I keep to my set healthy path without denying myself a treat, it's easier to remember why we eat. Yes, we do seek flavorful and personally appetizing foods for pleasure but the main reason we even have the desire to eat is for nutrition. Sustenance. So eat in consideration of what you're getting from your food and take delight when you can have a small treat.

Sometimes lists of your guidelines help you to see your over-all goal. Here is mine, for example:


Wake up with yoga.

Don't look at the mirror unless you are:
a) doing makeup
b) brushing teeth
c) putting skin-loving stuff on
d) doing your hair
or e) admiring the progress of your body [it's not vain, you should enjoy your body!]

If you're  not eating oatmeal for breakfast, make veggies to go with your eggs.

Don't eat processed foods.

Don't eat after 8PM.

Drink tea and/or an apple as a night-time snack.

Eat as much Kale as you can possibly squeeze into your diet.

Sodas, juices, and candies are treats-- treat them as such.

Remember serving sizes-- especially with starches.

Limit video game time.

Read for enjoyment for at least an hour every day.

Write your thoughts down, share some inspiration or simply bid everyone a good day.

Limit your Facebook time; your friends may be looking at their screen the same as you but nothing beats face-to-face interaction.

Do your school work. It may not be on your list of things you enjoy, but the sooner you get it done, the less likely you'll be missing out on opportunities because you have a last minute assignment to complete.

Don't stress so much. Money is a necessity in life but you cannot let it determine your happiness. Remember what makes life worth living for you. Be with your loved ones, play bingo, do yoga...

Love every creature and treat them as you do your friends. We all strive for the same thing: happiness.

If you have a crazy schedule, map it out and make time to relax. You deserve time to just breathe and be still.

You can do anything.

Okay so this is a pretty long list of guidelines and they're obviously personal. However, the idea is to show that you need to agree with yourself about your goals. Like I have trouble taking care of my skin and leaving pimples alone so I want to try to avoid the mirror unless I have an acceptable reason to use it. Also, I feel like reading for enjoyment would make reading for school less of a struggle. As for the ones that are specific to eating habits and such, that is mean realizing some things I can change and do less often to help me better work towards my goals of fitness and physical health.