Diet.
I was recently talking with a coworker about the South Beach diet. She and 7 other coworkers have taken up this diet together. I love the team approach!
Dieting is a form of mindfulness. At least for the time that we commit to it! Y’all may know, I’m not a big believer in diets; however, there is a time and place for them depending on the person and the situation.
Another coworker, friend and dietitian just finished doing the Whole 30 Challenge – focused on eating whole foods, eliminating sugar, dairy and processed foods for 30 days. It all sounds a little too dramatic for me, but I applaud people that are willing to take that step toward healthy living.
The mindful piece, is most diets encourage all meals and snacks are planned day-by-day or for the entire week. People on a diet know they have to bring their own food because restaurants, a friend’s house or family gathering may not include any foods in their diet. This planning and preparation is the contributing factor to their success and longevity on the program. Meal planning removes the unconscious eating tendencies and makes it more mindful.
Food for thought:
Not feeling motivated or interested in starting a diet at this time? No problem.
Still want to lose weight or feel like you’re making better choices? That’s great! Let’s make a plan.
Out to dinner last week I had the opportunity to put mindful eating into practice in the restaurant setting.
I enjoyed each crunchy bite of salad combined with a tasty piece of seasoned shrimp, savoring the taste and textures as I munched and chatted. By the bottom of the bowl my taste buds had grown bored, but I felt comfortably full.
Then it came time for the waiter to ask if we wanted dessert… It was a free meal and I still had a few dollars on my card and said “those salted caramel pretzel bites sound pretty good. Sure, what the heck!” When dessert arrived I was aware of how full I felt and asked the waiter to bring a box because no way was I going to finish those sugar-coated pretzel bites. Funny story, after my dinner partner and I parted ways I proceeded to devour not only the rest of the pretzel bites but also the brownie that he left behind. Oh, did I mention that there was ice cream too?
Okay, now that I’ve got you all thinking about these delicious foods on a Monday morning I will explain the lesson behind this experience, hoping it will help you avoid a similar situation.
At dinner I decided to “be good” and get a salad with shrimp when I actually wanted sweet potato fries and a beer. I set myself up for failure or more precisely for dissatisfaction, which led me to what I call the dieters reward trap. This is the belief: “that because you’ve been so good you should have a tiny treat because really, what’s the harm?” Well if you’re like me and find when you start eating sweets that your brain won’t let you stop until it’s ALL gone then the harm is a few hundred empty calories and maybe an upset tummy.
Food for thought:
Have you ever experienced something like this?
I’m not saying you should never eat a brownie and ice cream because I believe there’s room for treats in anyone’s diet.
My hope is you can be spared from making a similar mistake and just get what you want while still aiming for balance. (i.e. a baked potato instead of fries if that will fulfill your craving).
You can make any changes to your body that you want. It is a matter of knowing how to change your ways and finding the motivation to stick with it.
A few years ago I received a lovely ring. Prior to receiving this gift I was an avid nail biter, but having that new shiny accessory to show off encouraged me to work on growing my nails to make them pretty. I bought monthly manicures to reward my progress. Also, I had no idea how to take care of my nails so the manicures gave me a chance to learn from the pros.
To this day, I can proudly say I am no longer a nail-biter (most of the time). When I look at my nails I am reminded of how it was not easy at first, but over time I readjusted… and chewed a lot of gum!
Some people say it only takes 21 days to make a new habit. I’m not sure I believe that’s true for everyone; however, when you have the right motivation you will change and it will stick. According to research in Appetite, changing a habit can be approached 3 ways:
- Identify the triggers for an unwanted habitual behavior
- Make a conscience effort to change the response
- Remove the temptations or barriers to the undesired habit
Food for thought:
What is motivating you? Are you looking for more energy? Do you want to feel better in your clothes?
It’s not wrong to make healthy changes for aesthetic reasons; however, that can be frustrating as it takes time. From my experience in clinic, medical reasons are usually the strongest initiators for change. Whatever starts your journey to a self-improvement I encourage you to reward your success along the way.
