What is that you say...why it's the day when people eat as much as possible before Ash Wednesday. While some take this as an opportunity to snack up and stuff their faces with every possible food they could ever indulge in, some take it as a way to 'step down' and prepare to fast on Ash Wednesday. [Day 1 of Christ walking in the desert.] Others make it the day they stuff their faces with the very thing they are going to give up for Lent...only to re-stuff their face with the exact same thing on that following Sunday because "it's not part of Lent." [But that issue is a whole different ball of wax that I dare not open on this post!]
And some just say it is Tuesday, March 4th, 2014.
I could care LESS about 'Fat Tuesday' because I indulge myself everyday on something...that's how I have managed to stay the size that I am. Living a healthy life is a marathon not a sprint! Just like in a marathon you have moments of choice; moving towards your overall goal or moving backwards. A small treat on a daily basis will not hinder your results. You are not cutting it out completely, you are putting it in proportion. The key word in that statement is small!
Here are some ways I practice the "small" treat.
1] Cut up the treat into smaller pieces.
I like to eat sweets often so I take a cookie, brownie, etc and cut it up into smaller pieces. This way I can eat it, but not get all of the bad calories. Mostly what I am craving is the taste and this helps me stay satisfied.
2] Eat it in the 10x100 Cal rule.
This one is fun. If it is 100 caloires I will chew it 10 times before swallowing. If it is 200 calories, I will chew it 20 times...and so forth. This makes me take longer to enjoy it. Likewise, if it is a 100 calorie snack, I will try to bite it that many times too.
3] Clean It Up!
It sounds exactly what you are supposed to do...clean up your treats! If you make banana bread, use applesauce and whole wheat flour instead of the white stuff. Incorporate nutrient rich substitutes that give you the same great taste, but cuts the calories in half and boasts the nutritional value!
4] Timing is Everything!
I tend to eat my sweet treat earlier in the day, this way I have more time to burn it off!
5] Be Picky
Don't just pick any old treat to treat on...instead be picky. You only can have ONE small treat per day, what shall it be? It needs to be special and totally worth every bite. If you eat a small slice of cheesecake you cannot have the handful of jellybeans later! Which one would you rather have?
6] Make a Game Plan
If you know that a particular day or weekend is going to be hard to resist all the sweets or unhealthy vices in your life, make a plan! Perhaps use a cheat day over that time period. Maybe you will guzzle down some water. Skip the dinner part of a party. Or like me, cover up the food so you are not jealously looking at it. Maybe you will indulge twice today and have a total clean day the next.
7] Acceptance
Accept at times you will be tempted [and indulge] in foods. Accept at times you will fall off the wagon; make a game plan and work towards making a better decision in the future.
8] Discover What You Really Like
You will come to find that your body will start rejecting certain foods. The more you eat clean, the less your body will tolerate processed foods. You will start to realize how salty processed foods are or the difference between white and whole grain. Eventually you will stop wanting all of the foods under the sun. Instead of focusing on what you can't have; focus on what you get to have. Eventually the
9] Say NO Once!
If you cannot resist eating these foods; get them out of your house! Say no to them once at the grocery store and it will be that much easier!
10] Rethink How You Spend Your Time
If you are around sweets all of the time and it is hard...figure out what keeps yourself in that position. Is it a friend that always wants to go out to eat? Is it a co-worker that brings in lots of treats? Once you figure that out, discover alternative ways to spend your time. Your cravings will diminish because you will be focused on something else.
So I hope that helps! I realize that 'Fat Tuesday' people eat to celebrate, but I try not to. Today I had a great morning and only had 2 Oreo Balls. Later in the day I got a little greedy and ate 2 more balls, some Robin Eggs and part of a muffin. I'm very angry about that because I really wanted to post that I did not overindulge on sweets today...but I feel like I created another food baby. Sigh. Tomorrow is Ash Wednesday, so I cannot eat very much, hence I will work on flushing myself out. No sweets tomorrow because of it. Time for me to detox!
As for the rest of my day, this is what I ate!
Breakfast: Yet ANOTHER Banana Sandwich...with a Sweet Potato! While the sandwich always fills me up...the sweet potato added that extra fiber that kept me feeling fuller longer!
Snacks for the Day:
1. hard boiled egg, 1/2 of a cookie and a protein bar @ 9:25
2. 1/4 cup of applesauce @ 2:00
3. 16 animal crackers and a hard boiled egg @ 4:00
Dinner: Chicken Enchilada with Apple
I hope my blog entry got you inspired to try to limit your sweet intake! It has helped me realize it is time to rejuvenate my control for sweets intake again! It's all about making strides and moving forward! I know you can do it!
<3
Em
No comments:
Post a Comment
Thanks for leaving your comment with me!