1. Bundle up your sense of guilt and throw it in the trash
You have to realize this: IT'S OKAY. If we don't have indulgences, then what is the point of living? Everyone has their weakness. Mine is pizza. Also, potatoes in any shape or form. And caramel. Mmm. Caramel. Take the time to enjoy these things (not everyday but you know... "Treat yo-self Tuesday" or whatever you need to do) (And not ALL DAY Tuesday, I'm talking about one snack.. don't take this info and run with it and give yourself the excuse that a slightly informed college student said it was okay to eat a box of truffles and pizza all day) but really ENJOY it. Then forget about it and move on with your broccoli and strawberries. "But what if this is an every day thing, and I indulge and fly off the healthy bandwagon every day" you ask? Start over. KEEP GOING. Don't just give up because you suck at not eating things. Sorry, to be so harsh but... it's real life.. TRY AGAIN AND AGAIN UNTIL YOU SUCCEED!
2. Get rid of the crap that is holding you hostage
Out of sight, out of mind, and it's so true. When I'm at my parents, and my dad has a delicious pantry full of amazing candy and junk food, I'm not going to lie, it looks pretty sexy sitting there staring back at me. BUT when it's not in the house, I don't even think about it! I never crave anything that I don't see. GET RID OF IT. And if you don't want to throw away food, go give it to your neighbor or your sister or mom. Or have a fat burning ritual (always fun) and BURN THOSE SUCKERS DOWN. It is easier to just indulge once when you have to get out of your house and buy it. That way, when you do, you can just go to the ice cream store and get ONE SCOOP of high class probably better made whatever than if you went to the store and bought a WHOLE CONTAINER of off brand bunch of crap containing whatever. GET RID OF THE SNACK DEVILS.
3. Stop stressing over the small stuff
Why are we living life worrying about every single little thing? I guess because now since the food industry has screwed us over, we kind of have to. BUT deciding whether to buy organic or not organic, or gluten free or not gluten free should not be a stress factor. So what, you bought non-organic strawberries, I mean a few extra chemicals in there but what's it going to do to you? Maybe if you buy them a lot, and eat them every single day it can have an effect on you, but for now just do what you can with what you got. We should not stress over simple things, it worries us for no reason and makes life that much more difficult. Food should be something that fuels our bodies, and helps us live! And it is! That's all it is. The foods we eat should NOT be an added stress factor to our lives. Yes, it does need to be healthy so you can be healthy, but the stress will make your life and healthy eating a lot worse. So when you go into that produce aisle put your GAME FACE on. Get through those aisles, get what you can afford to get, and GET OUT. When you eat that Snickers? Eat the darn thing, remember the good times you had together, and forget about it.
4. Do something active
If you are anything like me, reading this whole thing would do absolutely nothing to make the guilt I feel go away. That is when you buckle your butt down and GET ACTIVE. I'm a gym rat, but even a WALK will make you feel a lot better. Do SOMETHING. Go outside, play with the dog, walk to check the mail, dance in the living room to Pitbull and Christina Aguilera's new song, anything that will get you moving. Not only will you feel better about eating food, but it will make you rethink your life and where it's going and how much you want to improve from now on... Or at least I think it will. Some people have told me on their walks and runs that they think about the creepiest stuff. DON'T BE THAT GUY. Think about cute things, like you on the beach in your bikini eating a strawberry seductively when the muscly foreign tan dude walks by..
5. Think about future goals
Sure, you feel better now about eating that bowl of ice cream with whipped cream and caramel and also chocolate syrup and you had seconds of the syrup with no ice cream involved. Why do you feel like this will happen again and soon? After burning the sin out of your fridge, maybe it's time you sit yourself down and make some goals. Why do you want to even be on the healthy bandwagon? Is it just because everyone else is doing it? Maybe you need to remember why you are stressing about eating that chocolate syrup in the first place. I'm assuming, for most of us, the reason to be healthy is to FEEL better and LOOK better. Just remember why you are doing this, and remember you are doing this for yourself and not anyone else. Who cares what you just ate? Start over, and try harder than the last time. You can do it! It just takes a little discipline and motivation...
Well these are a few things I hope you keep in mind next time you fly off the healthy bandwagon. It's a fun and joyous bandwagon, but sometimes the other side (the darker side with candy and stuff) looks a little more appealing. Enjoy the dark side, but come back to the light as quickly as you can before it consumes you! Seriously though, enjoy your life, and enjoy your food.
Eat-on!
-Ashley
