A few weeks ago, I was talking so someone in their twenties who has an ulcer. This person is on medication and will be for a long time.
He mentioned that he was having problems because he hadn’t been taking his meds or following his diet. He wasn’t following the rules.
I told him something I learned after repeated problems with IBS, my dairy allergy, and arthritis. Every day is a chance to start fresh.
I know, it sounds a bit too pollyanna-ish for someone with chronic disease. Every day brings frustrations and challenges that try to defeat us.
But, this is what I’ve learned. It does not matter what you did yesterday. It only matters what you try to do today. I’m not perfect and neither is anyone else. There are times I cheat on IBS–and it pays me back big time. There are days I just don’t want to exercise. I make excuses and then I get mad at myself for not doing what I was supposed to.
But, just because I messed up today and didn’t follow the rules, doesn’t mean I have to give up. Each day that I get out of bed I have a chance to refocus and start over. So what if I didn’t walk all week. Today, I walk. So what if I ate that spaghetti from the restaurant three days in a row even though I know my intestines will eventually rebel. Today, I go back to my grains and vegetables.
There are times we need to give ourselves a break. After all, we’re stuck with these bodies for life. Just because we took it easy for a couple days doesn’t mean we’ve blown the whole thing. There’s no pass or fail or getting kicked out of good eating 101. Nor is it an excuse to throw in the towel. It just means we pick ourselves up and start again.