Saturday, May 7, 2011

Food for thought, thought for food

Success in achieving my fitness goals lies in sticking with the nutrition plan, the regular workouts are ingrained in my schedule and I thoroughly enjoy them and give them my all! The nutrition however is a much bigger challenge for me. My tastes are limited and I am working hard to find ways to enjoy foods that I know will benefit me in my quest. An even bigger challenge, and I am certainly not alone in this one...emotional and mindless eating! How frustrating it can be to stick with the nutrition plan and then be plagued my a mindless eating binge....Conquering this challenge requires establishing a new relationship with food and finding a new means of dealing with stress, boredom or whatever else may be your trigger to reach into the cabinet ...how about doing 20 push ups the next time you reach for an unplanned snack?
Next time you reach for something to eat, think about why you are eating....are you hungry, bored, stressed? Then think again....will eating it  help me reach my goals or make me more stressed because I am one more day away from living the healthier lifestyle I am striving to achieve?
How do you decide what it is you want to eat? Do you choose food because you body needs the fuel and the building blocks or you have you choosen foods that taste good or make you feel good ...at least for the moment. If you choose a food because you enjoy its flavor do you eat it slowly enough and with enough awareness to actually enjoy its flavor or do you toss a handful in your mouth and simply add to your caloric surplus for the day? What about the foods that make you feel good? Does that feeling last longer than the time that flavor is in your mouth only to feel worse later? Ask 2 questions: is it worth it now and will I still think it was worth it later.
So much about changing your eating patterns is mental and emotional, true success in sticking with a healthy eating plan starts with a change in attitude and a better relationship with food. I'm not saying not to enjoy your food but at least take a moment and consider what you eat, and why, before you eat it....Take the time to enjoy the flavors in the foods that you choose and learn to enjoy some healthier choices (hey, if I can learn to enjoy oatmeal and egg whites...). And most importantly find a healthier outlet for stress, make life exciting to avoid eating out of boredom and always keep your eating mindful.
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Sent from my Verizon Wireless mobile phone

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