Lesson #1: Winter = cold / flu = I seek comfort in food
Realization: When I’m sick, I want comfort. I tend to seek comfort by eating unhealthy food and make the excuse that its ok because I’m sick.
Solution: If I remind myself, I can easily find much healthier sources of comfort, like hot tea, hot baths, homemade soup, juice and naps!
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Lesson #2: Enjoy holiday food!
Realization: Sometimes when I consume rich, high calorie holiday food the guilt about overeating prevents me from really enjoying it and I eat it without even tasting it.
Solution: If I’m going to eat it, I should enjoy it to make every calorie worth it. Or, if I don’t think I can live with the post-holiday remorse, I will not eat it.
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Lesson #3: If I don’t like it, I won’t eat it!
Realization: At family parties and gatherings I often eat what is in front of me regardless of whether I like it. This is sometimes just out of being polite, or other times purely out of habit. Then I end up eating more food later because I never got satisfied.
Solution: I will make an effort to never, ever eat food that I an not enjoying! [Seems simple enough, but surprisingly this is tough to remember!]
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Lesson #4: I achieve goals, whether they are healthy or not.
Realization: Sometimes when I go to holiday or other festivities I’ll tell myself that its ok to indulge tonight only. Then, when I’m at the hors d’oeuvres table, I seek to indulge as much as possible. I usually leave the event feeling full and sick and guilty regardless of whether or not I enjoyed the food.
Solution: If the goal is to indulge, then that is what I will do with reckless abandon! Instead, I will make a more conservative goal that will allow for some indulgence, but keeps it under control.
