If you're like most people, your reaction to these diet/
fitness obstacles is guilt. You feel as if all your hard
work has been for nothing. "I blew it; I was doing
so well. Oh well, I might as well enjoy this weekend and
start over on Monday." Or even worse: "I just
don't have the motivation or will power to start over and
be successful. I quit." Feeling defeated, many people
discontinue the healthy living and return to their old routine
until some mythical time in the future: "Maybe this
spring will be a better time to start over again."
This kind of scenario is a perfect example of the diet mentality
at work.
An all-or-nothing attitude is why so many people have so
little success; we choose structured programs because they
relieve us from making choices for ourselves. A properly
designed program makes sense, but expecting to stick to
a structured eating and exercise plan for an extended period
of time without ever deviating makes no sense at all. In
fact, this is so unrealistic as to be a set-up for failure.
If you begin to change your habits with the assumption that
any deviation from your plan will ruin it, you might as
well not even begin. Life is full of unplanned obstacles,
distractions, and temptations. Your best approach is to
prepare for them, keeping an open mind and maintaining a
positive attitude.
It's very important that you begin your healthier lifestyle
with an understanding that there will be days when you will
stray from healthy eating and exercising. Before you begin,
tell yourself that no matter what happens, rather than abandoning
your new lifestyle, you'll resume your healthy habits as
soon as you can; it is equally important that you feel confident,
not guilty, about doing so. What- ever the temptation or
obstacle is, keep in mind that it's not wrong or bad to
eat fattening foods once in a while or to miss a workout.
Just remember to resume your healthy lifestyle. If you keep
moving forward and you don't let guilt and discouragement
stop your program all together, you'll eventually have improved
eating and exercise habits.
With this approach, there is no such thing as cheating.
When we feel we are cheating, we often punish ourselves;
we make ourselves feel guilty, frustrated and defeated.
Replacing the negative concept of "cheating" with
the idea of "straying from healthy habits" takes
away the all-or- nothing emphasis on right and wrong. If
you treat every deviation from your plan as a failure, you
won't get very far
Substituting the idea of a brief straying away from your
plan instead of feeling guilty, and learning to return more
and more quickly to healthier habits, is more realistic.
It's also easier and more enjoyable.
In the non-diet approach, all foods are legal. There are
no "good" foods or "bad" foods. You
must believe this. Sudden changes and/or drastic restrictions
of high-fat foods when you have a preference or craving
for fat will result in feelings of deprivation. No one can
or should go through life depriving themselves of foods
they really enjoy. You must learn how to make gradual healthy
changes to the foods you love while experimenting with and
learning to appreciate new flavors and textures.
A recent survey showed that more than 75 percent of people
feel guilty about eating so-called "bad" foods.
The greatest obstacle to adopting healthy eating habits
is guilt. Attaching a value to foods only makes you feel
bad for eating them. When you do decide to eat a high-fat
food, enjoy it. Don't beat your- self up over it. Just make
a special effort to eat low-fat the rest of the day. Remember,
there is nothing wrong with splurging now and then. It can
even be good for you if the satisfaction of a higher-fat
meal that you've been craving helps you stick with a low-fat
lifestyle the rest of the time.
If you're having a special diet meal that's different from
what the rest of your family or friends are eating, you'll
feel as though you're being punished. In order to be successful
in changing your eating habits, you must look forward to
and enjoy each meal you eat. This doesn't mean that you
have to learn to like rice cakes and celery. It means you
must learn how to make simple changes in the foods you love.
Perhaps one of your favorite meals is fried chicken, a
baked potato, and salad. Small changes in how the food is
prepared can turn this traditionally high-fat meal into
a low-fat well- balanced one. Simply marinating a skinless
chicken breast in sweet and sour sauce, rolling it in bread
crumbs, and baking it makes the chicken a lot less fattening
than if it's fried. Instead of butter or regular sour cream
on your potato, try low-fat or nonfat sour cream or a reduced
fat ranch dressing. Try using a non-fat or low-fat salad
dressing rather than a regular dressing and adding as many
vegetables to your salad as possible for their additional
flavor, texture and nutrients. Any or all of these changes
drastically reduce the amount of fat in the meal without
sacrificing flavor or feelings of satisfaction.
Healthy eating patterns can only occur when you're enjoying
all the foods you eat. If you're eating low-fat foods just
to be healthy but without enjoying the flavors and textures
or how they make you feel, this most likely won't be a permanent
change. However, if you begin enjoying healthy foods, you're
far more likely to stick with healthy eating for life.
Many people also enjoy eating out but associate this with
being "bad" or eating "illegal" foods.
Fortunately, it is very possible to eat a healthy, low-fat
meal in a restaurant. You don't need to forego your favorite
foods or eat before you go out with friends or family. The
same decision-making process occurs whether you eat at home
or go out to a restaurant. Many people think that they have
two options when eating: eating for taste and pleasure or
eating for health. As you learn and practice healthy eating
techniques, these two options will become one and the same.
Good luck and enjoy all the wonderful benefits of a healthy,
active lifestyle.
>>
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