Five Simple Ways to Reward Yourself and Lose Weight
We are a society who eats, not only for nourishment, but for a
variety of emotional reasons. Some of those emotions are
sadness, fatigue, nervousness, boredom or stress. Another reason
we eat is for the reward. We've had a bad day and now we deserve
that ice cream, brownie, etc. While the optimal solution would
be to retrain our minds to think of food as only nourishment, it
is not a practical one.
The following are simple steps, that taken together or
individually, will allow us to indulge our emotions without
adding to our waistlines.
1. Analyze your weakness and control portions. Some of us favor
sweets, others comfort food and still others are major meat
eaters. Find your preference and whatever it is, cut your normal
portion in half. Keep the number of portions the same, one small
bar of candy instead of one large bar.
2. Go out to indulge. Don't keep snack food in the house. If you
really want that donut, ice cream, etc., go to the store and buy
one serving. This helps to stop the reflexive hand- to- mouth
action of immediate gratification. If you really want that treat
and are willing to stop what you are doing to go and get it,
then I say "Go for it."
3. Have a hot drink with a sweet. Snuggling up with a warm cup
of tea or decaf coffee is relaxing itself. Have your sweet with
a warm drink and enjoy the feeling of relaxation. This can also
be a help in controlling the number of snacks eaten.
4. Set a specific place and time for rewards. Don't grab your
snacks on the run. Don't eat in front of the TV. Do find a quiet
place at a time of day when you can savor your treat. If you are
going to choose those calories, make it worthwhile.
5. Tell yourself that you can have it. If you focus on what you
cannot have, you are focused on what you cannot have. This is
self-defeating.
There are times when we overindulge. During the holidays, for
example, we are surrounded by a cornucopia of goodies everywhere
we turn. If you overindulge, you are not alone. Move on. Stay
guilt free. Guilt only leads to such emotions as sadness,
self-loathing, anger, fatigue and stress. Now we are back where
we began, emotional eating. When you follow one or more of these
steps, keep in mind that a reward is something that we give to
ourselves because we feel that we deserve it or have earned it.
It is not a habit.