Binge & Purge

Nutritionists will tell you not to take on the habitual binge/purge rhythm to your eating.  But you just can't resist the allure of chocolate.  One potato chip leads to one bag of potato chips.  And your daily burger just becomes part of your routine... even though you KNOW your shouldn't.  

So we call 1-800-09-JENNY.  And we go on slimfast.  And we join the gym.  And we go on some crazy diet where you can only eat meat and cheese or do something crazy with an enima.  And we do these things... for a week or two (or until we can no longer either sit on or stop sitting on a toilet).  We cut down our portions or take a magic pill until we've lost 5-10-4,000 lbs (depending on your situation).  Once we feel normal, healthy, and confident again we open ourselves up to the temptation.  And thus we become Oprah or Luther Vandross.  Lose, gain, lose, gain, lose gain... die.

Modern day science, and the rampant spread of disease and death makes it clear that binge/purge is not the way we should live.  But my point is not really about weight or diet.

I'm coming off of a few day purge (or binge, depending on how you look at it).  Sitting in my high-back swivel chair, going through hours and hours of football footage to make a montage video.  Over the last few days I have spent probably close to 50 hours working on this video.  Edit, sleep for 5 hours, wake up, edit, shoot some supplemental video, edit, eat a cracker and a bag of m&m's, edit, sleep.  It's not healthy to be working 18 hours a day, even if it is for just a few days or a week.

The point is that I have bad living habits that are comparable to bad eating habits.  I binge on life and relaxation to a point where it isn't good for me.  And then I have to purge and work super hard to catch up, which also isn't good for me.  If I could buckle down and find some structure in my life I could be in a much better place.  Like eating, I wouldn't feel forced to purge hardcore if I hadn't been bingeing so much!

I've gotten some good, stern advice, that I should schedule everything in my day.  Oh my.  For me that seems like a lot, seeing as how I schedule very little except for work events or meetings (and that's only because of iCal).  But I'm going to start trying to schedule most of my day; despite the fact that I'm sure the unforeseen variables will blow holes in it on a regular basis.

My binge might be other people's purge.  Some people are so structured and such work-aholics that to be away from the office any day of the week feels like a purge to them.  Obviously this isn't ideal either, and can be harmful to a person's life, identity, health, etc.

Maybe this is a good thing for all of us to reflect on occasionally, or regularly.  Am I being a good steward of my time?  Is my life balanced, does it reflect harmony?  Does the way I live my life leave room for all my priorities (God, others, myself, work... hopefully in an order close to that)?

A balanced life is such an enticing goal.  That's why I can't understand the reasons I fight it so.

I am the most interesting of creatures, in that I defy logic at every opportunity.  But at least I dwell upon my absurdities... and then blog about them.