We’ve all been there…you’re doing GREAT at sticking to your healthy eating goals.
Then for seemingly no good reason, it’s 10:15 am and the donuts in the conference room are calling your name…and they’re calling really loudly too!
Don’t get us wrong, creating “BALANCE” and treating yourself is an important part of sticking to a healthy diet. But it’s not a “treat” if you indulge a little too often now is it.
The REAL question at hand is:
“Does this choice support MY GOAL?”
REMEMBER, this is about YOUR GOALS for yourself, both what you want to ACCOMPLISH as an “END RESULT”, and how you want your EXPERIENCE to be along the way.
“Life is a Journey, not a Destination.”
(Cheese-ball moment…+ thanks Emerson.) 😉
Now, if there were a way to eat endless donuts everyday…
ANYWAY, take that moment to assess what your CURRENT GOALS are. Your goals don’t necessarily need to be weight-loss related, but they can be. Or maybe it’s more about about clean eating, cutting down on sugar, getting more protein in…whatever it is you’re working toward, make sure you keep YOUR goals clear in your daily life.
So what if this food “KINDA” fits with your goals…
While not every morsel of food you put in your mouth needs to be scrutinized, you know what’s on your personal list of “in moderation” foods and what your comfort level is with them. If you’re not quite sure you want to spend your “splurge budget” on something, you should consider these follow-up questions.
“WHY do I want this particular food?” Seems obvious, but sometimes expressing exactly what it is that appeals to you about a food can help you find out if you’re really craving THAT THING, or if a “healthier” substitution can do. For example, maybe you’re wanting something SALTY + want to grab some chips…but maybe some mixed nuts can hit the spot instead and will be more in line with your personal goals.
“Do I feel “SOCIALLY PRESSURED” into eating this?” The harsh truth about “being on a diet” or even just “HEALTHY EATING in general, is that sometimes friends or people around you can make you feel guilty for your “GOOD” decisions. REMEMBER, these are YOUR GOALS, it’s YOUR BODY, and it’s YOUR DECISION!
“Is it WORTH IT to me?” Is this food something you LOVE and really be bummed to miss? Is this something special (like a homemade or special seasonal treat) or is it something you can have any time? If the answer is the latter, it’s probably not worth it.
“How will I FEEL AFTER eating this?” If you eat this particular item, will it satisfy your appetite, or are you still going to feel hungry afterwards? Or are you perhaps going to feel so guilty after that it will cancel out the enjoyment? The goal is to work toward a more balanced, healthy relationship with foods if you previously struggled with an all-or-nothing approach. But you STILL want to feel like you’re on track to accomplishing you BODY GOALS.
Hopefully these quick questions can help keep you on track this week, and help you keep sight of YOUR goals. Again, the goal is to create a healthy balance of discipline with well-deserved treats, but remember that your goals may be different than someone else’s, and you are allowed to FOLLOW YOUR OWN PATH!