 Plan for small indulgences
For those struggling to lose weight, there is no time of year when you are not facing the temptation to go off your food plan.
Webster’s defines the word tempt as: “To entice to do wrong by promise of pleasure or gain.” When it comes to temptations such as Girl Scout Cookies or Chocolate Easter Bunnies, the pleasure part is obvious and unfortunately, so is the “gain.”
Since we are constantly being tempted throughout the year, how can we possibly make any headway toward our health and fitness goals?
The answer is with moderation. Think of a pendulum and try to keep it centered.
On one end you have too much self-denial. You convince yourself that treats are never allowed. This typically leads to depression, irritability, cravings and uncontrolled bouts of binge eating.
On the other end you have too much indulgence. You convince yourself that you can’t give up treats, so why bother trying. This also leads to problems such as depression and irritability, as well as obesity, diabetes and heart disease.
There is, however, a middle road. If you can get that pendulum to come to rest in the middle, it is much easier to keep it there.
Small indulgences now and then can help to keep you from going all out and knocking yourself completely off track.
Consider your habits and needs. Many people stay on track during the week, but run into difficulties on the weekend. If this is you, consider some small pleasures you can indulge in on the weekend. This could be an appropriately-sized serving of a favorite dessert or perhaps a measured portion of chips and salsa.
Are you the type who does well all day long but has problems in the evening? Perhaps you need a little treat to look forward to each day? This will need to be smaller than a once a week treat, but you can have it more often. Pre-packaged items work well for this: a cup of pudding with some whipped topping, a low-fat ice cream bar or frozen yogurt, or a pre-packaged 100 calorie snack.
Planning ahead for these little indulgences has many benefits including:
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Passing up an unexpected temptation is less likely to make you feel deprived because you have a planned treat coming up soon.
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Giving into unplanned temptation often leads to guilt, which often leads to more indulgence. With a planned treat, there is no guilt. It is part of your plan.
Isaac Newton said: “An object in motion tends to stay in motion and an object at rest tends to stay at rest.” Keep that pendulum in mind, work to get it at rest and it will tend to stay at rest.
Until next time, stay healthy and be happy. |
