I believe that treating ourselves is one of life’s great
pleasures. Accepting what we enjoy and incorporating it into our lives in a
healthy, balanced manner
–even if it’s fattening—helps to ease the anxiety of fearing that we will never
again be allowed the pleasures that we crave. Every client I work with has a "food thing”, but then, most
likely, so does every person I pass on the street. We all have food
issues. What I can promise you is that diets—and especially diets that
exclude or eliminate certain foods—do not work. Save your money, time and metabolism,
because no matter how much weight falls off at the beginning of a diet, at some
point, we all return to the foods we love. And that’s as it should be. I love chocolate. I will always love chocolate. Chocolate makes me
happy. Thankfully, I can enjoy chocolate in moderation without feeling guilty.
There is no reason to feel bad about something that makes you feel good. Eating
what you like -–within reason—is about blessing yourself with choices. Choices grant us freedom. The greatest truth I have learned about eating is that food can
be, in fact should be, a wonderful celebration of life. After all, it
keeps our bodies going, which makes it the essence of life. Instead of thinking of your favorite foods as a
"weakness" or "downfall" to be shamefully banished, hold
them high on a pedestal. Give them their due as an important, positive part of
your life, but a part that like most pleasures, should be enjoyed in moderation
if the magic is going to hold. Then look forward to reveling in those treats
once a week. What are the "rules" for your weekly treat? It can be
anything: chocolate, potato chips, cookie dough, pot roast—or any combination
thereof. The only rule is that
your treat cannot exceed 500 calories. I’ve found that anything less leaves you feeling cheated, any more
runs the risk of leading to bingeing. To help yourself avoid bingeing, especially if you have to
buy or make more than your 500-calorie allotment, measure out the exact amount
you will eat before you take a single bite—and freeze the rest or give it to
your neighbor. Yes, even if it’s an entire cake you’ve just baked. Yes,
even if it’s two-thirds of a box of Captain Crunch®. Frankly, it’s a small
price to pay for avoiding the temptation that can de-rail your goals. There are no magic pills or secret formulas for weight loss.
You may be seduced by the false promises of diets and trendy weight-loss
programs, however, those options only prove disastrous in the long run. To be
satisfied with your body is a process. It is an education that requires a shift
in the way you see yourself, striking a sane balance between what and how you
eat and your activity level. That’s it. It’s that simple. The sooner you learn
this basic truth, the happier you will be.
