Are trying to loose weight and doing everything right; eating a healthy diet, exercising, and getting good rest, but still struggling with that one element, "consistency"? You do great all week and wham, the weekend hits and your friends want to eat at the local restaurant or go out for a night of drinks. Then the next day you skip breakfast, have a late lunch and dinner with your family that night. Before you know it the weekends over and your halfway through monday before your back on your "diet".
Don't rely on will power to get you through those times. Will power runs out at some point. The key is to accept that this will happen and plan for strategies that will get you through these situations. Here are the top five moments that make you fat and what you can do to outwit them...
1.) On vacation...
The problem: You want to kick-back, relax, and enjoy the local dining without coming back home with the extra pounds to shed...
The solution: Kick-back, relax, and enjoy the local dining... But share with others. If your in Disneyland, for example, get the popcorn at the popcorn stand, but share it with the rest of your party... Almost anyone will eat popcorn.
2.) After a break-up...
The problem: You want to bury your sorrows in ice cream, or some other unhealthy food.
The solution: Try exercise with a friend instead. Take a class together or sign-up to run a 5K or some other race to distract yourself and meet new people.
3.) A party with catered food...
The problem: You get to our friends party and see rows of free, delicious food staring at you and even though you only take small portions, the convenience of only walking a few feet to refill your plate, allows you to quickly take too many servings.
The solution: Don't arrive famished... Eat a protein snack such as a few slices of turkey, a cup of low-fat cottage cheese, or a protein bar/cookie or shake before you arrive.
Also, limit your alcohol, not just because of the calories but because it's hard enough to control your eating while your sober, imagine how hard it can be when your tipsy...
4.) Watching TV...
The problem: You want to plop in front of the television and snack on something that is inevitably high in fat.
The solution: Try not to stock snacks that are high in fat content in your house. If you do, designate "special" times that you can eat them. For example, picking one "movie" night that you can eat your high fat snack or allowing yourself that snack when your "favorite TV show" comes on every week.
Make it a goal to associate television snacking with fruits and vegetables in all other situations. This way you can maybe one day break the habit all together. One step at a time though...
5.) Dining out...
The problem: Most restaurants serve big portion sizes that are heavy in sauces and dressings.
The solution: Promise yourself you will carry some of your dinner home in a doggie bag. Try to avoid baked/fried foods, go easy on the sauces/dressings, don't add table salt to anything, and save some of it for lunch the next day.
Source: CNN Pole, March 17, 2011
