RSS
Home
Spring Cleaning: Tips to get your sexy summer body
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Have you fallen off the New Year’s wagon? Sure, we all made our resolutions this January and by now, most of those have fallen by the wayside. Don’t be discouraged! On average, a person gains 8 pounds during the winter and holiday season. After all, our bodies are working to keep us warm and those holiday treats are just plain yummy! Now that Spring has arrived, it’s time to take advantage of the warmer weather and celebrate the same rebirth and growth as the flowers blooming around us. Spring is the perfect time to get back on track and make a new commitment to that bikini body you’ve been dreaming of. As you’re “spring cleaning” your house and lightening your load this season, treat your body to the same and lose those unwanted layers!
For many, grazing or binge eating can be a hard habit to kick. What’s the difference? Grazing, the more common of the two, takes place when you consistently snack throughout the day. While it may seem like you’re eating lightly since it’s all in very small portions, those calories can add up! Women tend to struggle with grazing the most, whether they are stay-at-home housewives or working in an office. Those that stay home have all-day access to the kitchen and no one to witness or help regulate their constant snacking. Corporate employees are constantly surrounded by food as there is always someone bringing in donuts, chips, or birthday treats for all to enjoy. Those little nibbles of cookies, vending machine candy, pretzels and sodas that you’re consuming in between meals can be equal to a heaping plate of food by the end of the day.
Bingeing, for many, becomes a way to self-soothe as people use large quantities of food to quell negative feelings. Many people will gorge in secret, isolating themselves at home or in their cars while they wolf down two cheeseburgers, a taco or two, large fries, and bucket of soda in one meal, eating to the point where they will actually make themselves physically and emotionally ill. Though someone who binges is typically well aware of their problem and eating even when they know they aren’t hungry, they often are unable to stop on their own. Both of these behaviors often occur as a way for someone to self-medicate, as they use food instead of Xanax for comfort. Grazing and bingeing both lead to weight gain and unhealthy coping strategies, and those who do so are using food to manage their stress, anxiety and depression. You may be thinking to yourself, “My bingeing/grazing isn’t an emotional problem. I can stop when I want” or “I only eat unhealthy because I’m so busy and always on the go.” Guess what? You’re in denial.
Some people may actually feel uncontrollable urges to binge or graze, practicing behaviors that are similar to those of an addict. Can you relate to any of the following signs?
Cravings or urges to engage in the behavior
A sense that you’ve lost control over the behavior
Preoccupation with thoughts of the behavior
Using the behavior to relieve tension and/or relieve negative feelings
Denying the severity of the problem
Attempting to keep the problem a secret
Continuing the behavior even while experiencing adverse effects
Making repeated but unsuccessful attempts to stop
So how do you break the cycle? Below are some helpful tips to beat the battle of the bulge and get the figure you’ve always wanted.
1) Begin with bi-monthly weighing sessions. Every two weeks, weigh yourself at the same time on the same day of the week. Weighing yourself daily or weekly can lead to many unnecessary emotional ups and downs as your weight can fluctuate due to water retention, exercise, hormonal shifts and your own general obsession with weight loss. Make sure you’re regularly checking on your progress, but don’t let the scale rule your life.
2) Use a food monitor to keep track of your eating habits. Are there any patterns that become obvious?
3) Introduce a regular eating pattern and stick to it! Use my example below or set times that work with your daily schedule.
8:00am: Breakfast
10:00am: Mid-morning snack
12:30pm: Lunch
3:30pm: Mid-afternoon snack
7:00pm: Evening meal
9:00pm: Evening snack
4) Leave no more than 3-4 hours between planned meals and snacks. Do not skip or eat between set meal and snack times. If you do occasionally slip up (don’t fret, we all do) be sure to get back on track as rapidly as possible and avoid the temptation to reduce your next meal. Whenever possible, your eating schedule should be a priority over other activities.
5) If you know you’ll have a hectic day, plan ahead! Be sure to work out an eating schedule and plan meals that fit with your busy day the night before so you aren’t tempted to stop at the drive-thru while you’re running around.
6) Only eat at the table and concentrate on putting your fork down between bites. Set utensils back down on your plate as you chew rather than rushing to shovel food into your mouth. It’s easier to overeat when you are distracted by the TV, computer, or eating while standing at the counter. Don’t rush through your meals. It should take 30 minutes to complete a meal from start to finish.
7) Discard or donate leftovers. Rather than bingeing on them later than night, give them a neighbor or homeless shelter.
8) Limit the stock of “dangerous food” you keep in your home or office. Empty your fridge and cupboards, throwing away the foods that are high in fat, sugar, processed starches, and calories. It’s easier to avoid unhealthy snack options when they aren’t readily available.
9) Keep a selection of healthy snacks on hand at all times. That way when you do want a snack, it’s easy to avoid high-calorie options.
10) Plan your shopping trips. Going into the market with a list in hand makes it much easier to avoid impulse purchases. Avoid the center aisles of the market whenever necessary as that it typically where the higher-calorie, pre-packaged foods are. Purchase the majority of your groceries from the outer aisles where fresh produce, protein, and grains are found.
11) Restrict the amount of cash you carry. This will also help keep you from impulse buying or vending machine sprees.
12) When cooking, avoid tasting as you can consume calories that you aren’t aware of. Let your significant other, friend, or child be your official “taste-tester” to avoid overeating. If you must taste, use an espresso spoon or measured half-teaspoon only.
13) Avoid unnecessary exposure to food. If you know a social event will center on unhealthy food, arrive a little late so you aren’t surrounded by tempting treats. You can also show up a bit early when the healthier snacks, like veggies platters, are around and leave before dessert is served. Make plans with friends that aren’t focused on meals. If you’re used to meeting you best friend for happy hour every Thursday, suggest a walk around the park instead.
14) Though it seems like they can help in weight loss, laxatives and diuretics are not the answers! Even if you are expelling food quickly, you are still fully absorbing the calories. Over the course of a week, phase these out by taking only half or quarter of the dosage you used to until you eventually don’t use them at all.
15) Develop a list of fun activities you can do between meals. Take a brisk walk around your office building or local mall, meet a friend for a quick tennis match, or go on a hike with your spouse. Make sure the activity is something you enjoy! Speed walking does not necessarily lead to more calories burned. Instead, take a longer, more leisurely walk and really enjoy your surroundings. Keeping yourself physically active will help keep your mind off of unhealthy food options and your body will actually begin to crave healthier alternatives.
In order to lose those winter layers and pick up your forgotten resolutions, you don’t need to try the latest crash diet. You only need to restructure your lifestyle and thoughts toward healthy eating in order to celebrate long-lasting success. Just as a house needs a strong foundation to survive, so does your body. So step away from the yo-yo dieting and simply your life! Your body will thank you!
Make it an Excuse Free Life and always remember, “It’s not the size of the problem, but the size of the feeling.”
