First, a huge thank-you to all of my loyal subscribers! I appreciate you welcoming me into your inundated inbox with wellness tips. If you’re not subscribed yet, there’s a link at the bottom of this post.
Now For This Month’s “One Thing” to Try:
A lot of people trying to eat healthy, or eat a certain way, usually include a day or meal where they allow themselves to indulge in “junk food,” or something not-so-healthy but yes-so-yummy!
Most refer to this as their “Cheat Day/Meal.” I’m a big proponent of it, because I think constant deprivation (if you view it that way…keep reading) leads to ultimate failure. If you haven’t seen my post about the 80/20 Rule, this goes hand in hand. However, I believe there are healthier ways to view this type of eating. This month’s small “One Thing” to try is to learn to shift your mindset and feel better about the foods you’re choosing!
Shift One:
Let’s call it a “Treat Day/Meal” instead. The term “cheat” automatically implies you are doing something wrong, and inserts guilt where it needn’t be. Change the focus to a positive one! We all deserve a treat every now and then, be it food-related or not.
Shift Two:
Rather than an entire day, allow yourself a Treat Meal or Snack. I used to eat healthy 6 days a week, choosing a weekend day as my Treat Day. What would happen is I would literally try to pack as much crappy (but delicious!) food into the entire day as I could. Inevitably I’d end up feeling, you guessed it, crappy the next day. After an experience with a nutritionist, the biggest takeaway I learned was to limit these to one meal or one snack at a time. You still get to indulge, but you don’t go overboard. If you’re going for dramatic results, aim for just one treat meal a week (and, “meal” implies it’s all eaten at one sitting, within an hour or two).
If you’re aiming closer to the 80/20 balance, you also are able to sprinkle Treat Meals or Snacks throughout the week, lessening that “I’m being deprived” feeling.
Shift Three:
Speaking of, let’s talk about that deprivation thing. Sometimes when we aim to eat healthfully, we feel we are missing out on certain foods, or craving sugary/salty/greasy things because let’s face it, they are designed to taste good and keep us addicted.
What if we change our mindset to focus on what we ARE getting by eating healthy, instead of what we are missing out on?
“I’m nourishing my body with foods that are going to give me energy.”
“I’m eating the rainbow and providing my body with the vitamins and minerals it needs to function.”
“I’m eating the lean protein my body needs to burn fat and build muscle.”
Change the narrative, and hopefully you’ll feel less deprived!
Until next time,
Enjoy Your Treat Meal!
Nicole
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