The Challenge: To BREAK UP with a FOOD.
You know the food…the one that calls your name, haunts you, makes you eat too much of it no matter how much self-control you have, makes you weak in the knees and vulnerable? Like a bad relationship……leaves you feeling worse after being together.
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Here is the challenge…Break up with that food. The one that you feel is contributing to those first or last few pounds that you have been trying to lose. The one that you know is not doing you any good nutritionally or emotionally. ( Just like a bad relationship….time to let it go 🙂
Breaking up with a food just means to take it out of your life for awhile. It doesn’t have to be forever. I like the idea of breaking up with a food rather then thinking I can “never” eat that food again. Again, like a bad relationship, you may not be able to be friendly right now, but maybe in the future.
It’s a more comfortable mindset…”if you love something then set it free.” It gives you time to try life without it. You may be surprised that you CAN live without it and don’t really miss it. And when you are ready to re-introduce that food back into your life, your relationship with it may be completely different. Are you ready for the challenge?
Tips for a Healthy Breakup:
* Start Small. Begin with a 4 week breakup.
* Be Specific. Do not try to eliminate an entire food group, i.e. sugar. Instead pick one item, i.e. cookies after dinner, and stick with that.
* Choose the right food. Be honest with yourself about which food is really getting in your way. Not the occasional piece of cake but something you eat/drink almost daily that has become a bad habit.
* Have a Healthy Alternative. It would be nice if those craving magically went away but most likely they will not. Have a healthy alternative on hand to ease the transition. (i.e. air-popped popcorn vs. chips)
* Get Back on the Wagon. Right away, if you have a “chance meeting” with your food. No guilt or self -doubt.
Here’s my story: I broke up with tortilla chips 1 month ago. Our relationship was ongoing, most evenings right before dinner as I cooked and munched. It began innocently with 1 handful (portion controlling 🙂 and then grew to 3+ handfuls….quickly adding up those pre-dinner calories to more than 500 before we even sat down to eat. To tell you the truth, I haven’t missed them and when I have been around them I just tell myself “sorry, we broke up.”
Now I nosh on cut veggies/air popped popcorn as I cook and save myself the extra calories/fat, especially at the end of the day as our metabolisms come to a screeching halt for the night.
These types of calories add up so quickly….did you know that it takes just an extra 100 calories/day for an entire year to equal 10 pounds? Could it be “that food” that is holding you back……
Are you game? What are going to break up with? Would love to hear & support you with your breakups. Good luck!
lolahealth 
Mine is toast with butter. I broke up with it when I was doing my first Lola Ladies. I didn’t miss it THAT much, and strangely enough, when I went back to eating a nice piece of rye toast with butter in the afternoon, it tasted kinda dry. Sourdough still has the pull for me, but it’s not an everyday thing no more.