Online and Offline as my failure increased my self-esteem dwindled. Why do diets either fail or have short range success? The answer is that a diet is not a life style change and is therefore, doomed to failure. It is like a bandaid on a hemorrhage. It is a temporary stop gap but it fails to deal with the cause of the problem.
We now have the advantage and disadvantage of easy acquisition of many types of food. It is too easy to select unhealthy foods based on taste, texture, salt and sugar content, physical appeal, clever packaging and slick advertising ploys. The trend towards obesity in both children and adults and its related health problems is directly related to our addiction to high fat, sugar and sodium laden, low fiber and nutrient deficient foods which, to be more precise, are empty calories. Most diets are restrictive in nature and increase your craving for these empty calories. You feel deprived, or you're not seeing the results quick enough or think you are just too hungry. That should be another indication that you are on a diet that has you eating the wrong foods. A lifestyle change that has a balance of protein, good fats, and fiber will go a long way to help you feel satiated. It should also have taste appeal. So what should you do?
- Experiment with swapping in healthy ingredients for unhealthy ones. There are many sites like Skinnytaste that can help guide you or give you ideas about being creative with your food choices. Just remember that too much of a good thing is just that. It is possible to overeat planned for healthy foods like nuts, avocado, or coconut oil.
- Revamp your kitchen for when you feel a "twinge of a binge" coming on. It is reassuring to feel that you won't stray too far from your goals. Some of my fav go-to snacks are: dark chocolate goji berries, frozen berries with a dollop of whipped cream, dark chocolate dipped frozen bananas, frozen grapes, brownies made with black beans, almond butter in individual packets, air pumped popcorn sprayed with olive oil and spices, chocolate pudding made with avocados (see my post 'A Healthy Reward"), fresh melon cut up with cottage or ricotta cheese sauce made with agave and vanilla, frozen ice pops made with my protein drink and blended fruit, or a handful of nuts with a teaspoon of currants as your very own trail mix minus the added sugar.
- Portion size is almost always important perhaps with the exception of high fiber green veggies. Small meals every few hours means never being hungry because your metabolic rate stays revved up on a continuous basis. Haven't you noticed that the first three bites of anything are the best? After that you're just eating because it's there. Take time to savor the flavor and you will be rewarded.
- Smart food shopping is a skill you must acquire to achieve your goals of improving your health and reaching your optimum weight. It involves reading the labels on foods that are not single ingredient foods. If its chemical or you can't pronounce it don't eat it. Look out for added sugar in any form because it makes that food addictive. You can decide whether or not the price you pay for convenience is worth sacrificing your health. You can find relatively healthy choices throughout store and also allow for those occasional planned slips so you won't ever feel deprived.
- Even though I create tasty snacks with healthy ingredient substitutions, I still like to have the taste of a no-no food every so often. Sometimes it's at a restaurant or something I put in my shopping cart. Flexibility is key in life. If you are unable to bend you will break. What's important is not to be overwhelmed with guilt and get back on track. Extend your energies on something more productive like reading this blog.
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