Yep. I said it.
Throw out that “Lose 10 lbs” New Year’s Resolution.
It’s wasting your time and could be causing you to gain more weight than when you started.
You see, I had this stupid resolution at one point too. In fact, it used to come around every time bathing suit season snuck up on me.
The problem is, it never helped me lose 10 pounds. Instead, it caused me to obsess about what I’d eat, gain more weight, beat myself up over eating one too many treats and gave me absolutely zero energy, confidence and willpower.
I was a slave to the lose a few pounds notion too, but not anymore.
Now I bask in the glory of eating what I want, when I want, and without guilt.
Doesn’t that sound heavenly?
Okay, so there are some stipulations to this way of thinking and you can’t just eat everything in sight, although, that would be nice.
This New Year’s, or any point in the year for that matter, I want you to focus on being more mindful.
I want you to stop counting calories and obsessing that you’ve had a cookie and now you need to hit up bootcamp.
This way of thinking is flawed and it’s really impossible to maintain.
You’re busy, just like me. You don’t have time to nit pick everything that goes into your mouth. And life is about living, not being a prisoner in your own body.
So here’s how to change things.
It Starts With Your Mindset
You already know what’s considered healthy, and you’ve probably read enough articles in Women’s Health to understand that a cupcake is not going to give you that healthy physique you’ve been eyeing.
But, if you’re constantly telling yourself that you can’t have something, you’re going to crave it even more.
Tell yourself the cupcake is off limits and watch how hard it is to resist. It’s virtually impossible, at least, it was for me.
Instead, you can have that cupcake, but, you need to be prepared for what that cupcake is going to do to you. No, I’m not talking about the cellulite that eventually forms on your thighs (I have that too and it’s not fun, but, it’s also not a big deal like I once thought). Rather, I’m referring to the fact that eating these treat meals is only going to make you crave more treats.
To combat the issue, you need to be wary of the whole moderation is key line. Moderation is difficult when you eat things like sugar because our bodies end up craving more of the bad stuff and it eventually creates a vicious cycle.
Instead, I want you to understand that in order to have that treat, you need to balance it out by eating super healthy. I’m talking green smoothie plus 1-2 veggie servings a day before you even think about that treat meal.
You’ll need to do this before your treat for two reasons:
- You’ll be better equipped to enjoy just a taste of the treat versus scarfing down the whole box
- Your willpower will be much weaker after you eat the treat which makes it 10x harder to eat healthy post-food-euphoria
You see, when you eat enough veggies (notice how I didn’t say fruits and veggies here), you won’t actually experience those sugar cravings that affect us all (and I’m talking carb cravings too).
Plus, the sugary (or carb heavy) treat will not be as satisfying as it once was and you’ll start to lose the craving altogether.
So here’s the mindset switch: you can have your treat, but, you need to back it up with eating healthy and you need to watch your portion size. Be mindful of what you’re eating and balance it out accordingly.
Also-I didn’t feel the need to expand on the portion size. If you can, enjoy half of the treat serving size and definitely no more than one serving and you’ll be in good shape.
Stop the Negative Self Talk Too
You need to stop the negative self talk right away too if this mindset is going to have any chance of working.
I was here myself.
Every time I’d look at the parts of my body that I hated, I’d throw my hands up and eat a bunch of junk food anyways because, what’s the point if I already hate my body?
This negative self talk has to go. And if you don’t believe me, understand that it’s causing you to overeat and this in turn makes you feel so much worse about things. You’ll feel defeated, frustrated, and eventually you’ll gain weight from this stupid cycle.
If you wouldn’t tell your bestie those negative comments that you tell yourself everyday, then it’s clearly time to throw these awful thoughts out.
I know, easier said than done, right?
Nope.
For every negative comment that pops into your head (and this happens multiple times during the day), come up with a positive, and sometimes unrelated rebuttal.
Compliment how nice your hair looks today or how bright your eyes are and stop focusing on the body part that doesn’t look as perfect as the fake Instagram models who don’t eat just to have the perfect “morning abs” photo.
You don’t need this crap. No one does.
Curves are your friend, especially healthy ones.
Don’t worry if this sounds too vague right now too. I’ll share some of my favorite healthy recipes on this site to help you out. For now, change your mindset starting today.
As a quick recap:
- You can have that treat so long as you eat at least 2-3 servings of veggies beforehand (a serving is one cup) and you keep your portions in check.
- The negative self talk has to go. If you wouldn’t say it to your bestie, you shouldn’t even be thinking it.
- When a negative thought pops up, replace it with a positive compliment and move on.