i am authoring this post in response to a weight loss friend who recently lost an entire clothing size…YAY!!
She wrote because she noticed some indulging behavior. especially on the weekends.
Specifically she wrote: I have made the mistake of overindulging Fri & Sat night and gaining back a few pounds, then losing later in week…keeps me a bit plateaued, so I need to stop that. Figuring it would be better to ”reward” myself with a lemon bar.
I think the key phrases in her sharing are indulging and reward. The answer, as it often is…is choices.
The good thing is the observation. Noticing the behavior patterns. I hope the thoughts below are helpful …
I’ve learned that if I buy foods that I indulge in too much of, that perhaps that food purchase is not a good choice for me. Cookies are an example of that. I will stand in the store and stare at that bag of Matt’s oatmeal cookies, are you familiar with them? loaded with cranberry and walnuts oh my gosh. I also know that if I buy them. I will eat them. ALL. Too many “all” because if they are in my house they tempt me. So I drool over them in the store instead, probably longer than I should and walk away from purchasing them. ( i swear I was just drooling over one of these bags of cookies the other day!!)
I have also learned that I have a taste for something sweet after a meal “habit”. I grew up with dessert after dinner every single day!! I have to decide in my healthy lifestyle what choices will I give myself. This is a forever lifestyle. Not, I am on a weight loss program now and I get to eat whatever I want later program.
It’s a bit like a declaration. I eat well because I choose to.
This isn’t easy.
What are my healthy choices?
In the sweet department, I keep a good dark chocolate around. In my mind I allow myself one square – cut into 4. This gives me 4 lovely bits of chocolate burst in my mouth. It’s a lot like eating more than one square. Have I ever ever had more than one square?? I have!! The former me however would have eaten the entire bar!
I adore dates or prunes. gosh, 4 of those and I am very sweet tooth satisfied.
I have been known to also have a bit of yogurt with fruit, nuts and raisens on top as a food reward. small serving, but enough to feel like it’s a treat, especially if i use a pretty glass to put it in.
Apples and peanut butter, or a portion controlled bit of cheese…are all also choices for something to eat that feels like a celebration!! What ideas do you have?? Make sure to have a variety of combinations of grab and enjoy snacks around.
If the weekend indulgence is too many pieces of pizza ( uh – easy to do!!) My personal strategy is to eat a huge huge salad before having pizza. I simply don’t want as many pieces then!! I think this strategy works well for all kinds of second helping temptations. I also have pizza seriously loaded with veggies.
Perhaps the over doing is empty calorie consumption like a second or third glass of wine. My policy on that is when I drink, I have one drink and two waters, I just keep the ratio like that, If I have more than one drink that’s a choice I make, but I keep myself actively drinking other things as well. This especially works at a party!
If your workout regime is regimented during the week and not so on the weekend, take a look at that. Perhaps the weekend is family activity full, or too many errands or maybe you do nothing for an entire day ( which in my mind is called relaxing – and equally good for you!) I apply the 10 minute daily “do something” rule. I wake up, drink a huge glass of water and do “something”. Might be a quick walk around the block, might be a dance in my pajama’s to the Beatles, it might be a nice stretch routine. I do this each and every day no matter what. I feel better about myself, it’s more than doing nothing, and if its the best I can do that day. I don’t sweat it.
The “don’t sweat it” part is to remind yourself that you are doing the very best you can. If you are not doing, then by all means be hard on yourself, but if the efforts are there and consistant – that’s important to acknowledge.
The point of all this commentary is that this is lifestyle. Weight management is a life long job. It’s really not a temporary project. The choices you make now are life long rewarding. I thank myself for the resilience our body human offers us. I was not so good to mine in my younger years. I took my well being for granted. As we get older the it doesn’t really matter attitude all of a sudden matters.
I wish for you… happy choices. Choices that you make for you and your well being!
Lastly, I personally have stopped watching the scale for the ups and down reminders. If I am truly committed to my well being, the long term result of that will be continued and or maintained weight loss.
