Wednesday, June 16, 2010

The two questions to ask before you indulge.


Food is both a comfort and a pleasure and to live a life that denies the ability to use food for those means is called a diet and it's something that ultimately you're likely to quit.

Dietary indulgences are a luxurious part of life and given we're all effectively the best hunters this planet has ever seen, they're easily obtainable and we can "catch" them anywhere.

While of course there's no such thing as the eat whatever you want, whenever you want, as much as you want weight management plan, blindly cutting out the less healthy (but often yummy) stuff may well over time lead you to abandon your entire weight management strategy.

So the next time you're considering an indulgence rather than blindly saying, "I'm not allowed", or, "Whatever, tonight's a write-off", here are the two questions you might try to ask yourself:

1. Is it worth the calories?

To answer the question certainly knowing the calories is important. The fact is, some indulgences simply aren't worth their calories and asking the question you'll eliminate a fair percentage.

2. How much of it do I need to be happy?

By asking this question you're avoiding the "write-off" situation where you throw caution to the wind, pay no attention, eat as much as your body wants, and then wind up feeling guilty about the amount you consumed.

A followup to this question is that if you've finished the amount you thought you needed to be happy and you're still not, simply ask the question again and again until such time as you're content.

Remember, there are many variables that go into these decisions and some days are worth more calories than others - birthdays, holidays, vacations to name just a few, so the answers to these questions vary day by day.

Ultimately life includes indulgences, and rather than try to blindly restrict them why not work on their thoughtful reduction.

Choose with your brain, not with your body.