Dear Dr. Laura,
While listening to your show on my way home from work recently, I heard you speak with a caller who had diet and exercise concerns. You told her she is in control over her diet binges and restrictions, and advised her to give herself permission on one day a month to pig out on anything she wants.
I am a 60-something woman who has adhered to a rigorous work-out and diet regimen for decades. From the neck down I can pass for 30. From the neck up is another story. However, sometimes I have felt confined by my own unyielding exercise and diet schedule, so your advice resonated with me. Yesterday, I gave myself permission to take an entire day off from my strict program. For lunch, I had a double scoop of Baskin Robbins chocolate/caramel ribbon ice cream. In the afternoon, I skipped the usual work-out and ate a quarter pound of brie and crackers while watching YouTube videos. In the evening, I consumed a giant vat of hot, buttered popcorn with a stick of real melted butter and finished off an entire box of Oreo cookies while watching a Netflix movie. I stayed up late and went to bed without showering or brushing my teeth. It felt liberating...until morning. This morning I woke up exhausted and nauseated. I felt lightheaded, and could barely get out of bed. I have no energy and my tongue feels like it's wearing a sweater.
You are one clever woman! "Permission Day" taught me to embrace my healthy habits. I'm very happy to be me.
Thanks for all that you do,
M.
