Last week, we asked for the best (and most entertaining) excuses that you use when you’re putting off healthy eating . . . and we heard some great ones. Not only were they creative, there were more than a few that we could really relate to.
We’ll get right to it. First, our runners up are…..
“It doesn’t count if you eat it standing up.” Lara
“My power went out and I had to eat the ice cream before it melted. . . even though it was breakfast time.” – that was by our very own Christina at the office here. Then again, she was without power for 10 days as a result of the recent snowstorm so, there you have it.
And the winner is . . . (drum roll please).
“I would stop eating chocolate but, I’m not a quitter.” Amy Eshleman
We’re awarding Amy a Gold Subscription to our newest teleseminar series featuring a whole new approach to food and eating. She’ll be receiving recordings and transcript of all 3 teleseminars plus two valuable bonus sessions.
I hope you felt a sense of camaraderie in our community here this week. Sometimes it’s good to have a laugh about our common struggles with healthy eating.
But, it can also be helpful to have a balanced strategy for the months ahead – the holidays can be tough for many of our patients. It’s easy to undo 9 months of optimal eating habits in just two or three quick months!
Tell us some of the tips you give your clients around the holidays.
One thing I learned, and share with clients, around the holidays and all year is to pay attention to the personal meanings given to words. Trying to tell yourself, “I want to lose weight because…”, might be met with resistance because it sounds or feels like hard work and discipline will be required. Saying, instead, “I would like to weigh less because…”, leads to motivation for action. Reviewing the second list at the start of each day, or several times daily, will likely lead to healthier eating habits through more active choices of foods and less impulsive eating.
I also encourage clients to think or say, “I am choosing to eat this… (whatever it is)”, so they have more of a sense of ownership of the outcome, and less of a chance to believe it “just happened”. 🙂
Finally, I encourage clients to find exercises that they can believe and feel are “self-nurturing”, as opposed to self-discipline!
(Now, if only I could regularly practice what I preach!)
This was a fun activity…. reading the many excuses used every day to rationalize and make ourselves feel ok about the food choices we are making. I’m trying to think of a fun way to get to the serious side of this issue. When we reach for the unhealthy choice, what is the real reason? What triggered the impulse? How can we short-circuit it? Stop the rationalization (which we all know is just covering up our guilt or feeling of weakness over the choice).
One thing I have thought of implementing: First, write down a few of my go-to-excuses and beside it, list my goals, and beside that ask myself: If I respond to my excuse and eat this item now, will I be closer to my goal? Do I have a healthier choice on hand? What fun thing can I do to distract myself till this urge subsides?
Now that’s sulteb! Great to hear from you.
Although even doctors will tell you these days, that belly fat is due to stress, there is still, just that focus on what you’re eating, rather than what’s eating YOU!
The fact is, that losing weight is difficult at best, when your body shifts in survival mode from stress, and slows down your metabolism. I am working with my clients to avoid/remove and manage the stress, and to feel safe in their body BEFORE embarking on a “diet”. Diets are temporary. Lifestyle changes by taking care of oneself, be it with healthy eating, exercise or avoiding and managing stress is a lifelong (and life extending) journey!
Eating healthy most people is too expensive, time consuming and unavailable. What I mean to say is this is what people are taught in the home, workplace and by the media hype.
A more positive contest would simply be this:
“What Did You Eat Everyday This Month?”
1. You must be honest.
2. You must tell in detail exactly what you ate, how much you ate, when you ate it and most importantly why you ate it.
3. Finally, you must tell your feelings you had before, during and after you ate it.
4. The contest winner should be picked for honesty.
5. Evaluations and recommendations should be gven along with the prize.
So, there you have it. Positive Reality Thinking
Great profile of topics.
Thank you.
Thank you. I’m so excited!