There is a reason I chose this challenge this week - because I am one of the WORST trigger food eaters in the WORLD! I decide I am going to 'cheat' (as some people would call it) and have a slice of dark chocolate, a couple of macadamia nuts, or some cheese. Then, I decide that I have cheated a little, so I might as well keep cheating all at once. Then, I eat the entire package of said item. Then, I get mad at myself for doing it. What the Hell!?!
Well, there are some definite strategies for dealing with this. The challenge this week - don't eat sugar for just 6 days - seems simple enough. Yet, we could spend many hours and even senior theses discussing the motives behind our innately human desire to eat more sugars (or food in general). I want to give you just a few resources today to help in your challenge this week. Should this topic catch your attention, keep researching! (You can start here).
As I said, I am one of the world's worst trigger food eaters. Here are a few things that I found have worked for me:
1. Don't even buy the foods. If it is in your house, you will be tempted to eat it! So, when shopping, fill your entire cart up with vegetables - broccoli, leeks, spinach, romanesco broccoli, kale, yams, and whatever else suits your fancy. Get in the habit of heading straight to the produce section of the store. If you are a meat-eater also, get the meats second. After both of those, you shouldn't have a whole lot of room left for sugary treats like breads, yogurts, fruits, and of course chocolates.
2. Participate in a cause! Join this weekly challenge and commit to responding with your experiences, no matter if you fail or complete the challenge (because at the end of the day it doesn't really matter as long as you learn something!). Another idea would be to commit to have your health markers tested with WellnessFX or your gut microbiota tested with uBiome or American Gut. The fact that you are testing yourself will give you incentive to eat right.
3. Don't try to be too perfect. Love yourself, and forgive yourself, too. If you give into a craving, learn from it instead of hating yourself for it!
4. When you want to 'cheat' and know you shouldn't (perhaps you did the day before, or you haven't finished your 6 day challenge), do something else. I usually take a nap (and realize that I was just tired and not that hungry to begin with... there are a whole host of benefits to be found from napping). If I wake up and am still hungry, I will make an awesome broccoli soup to fill myself up.
5. If this topic interests you - learn more about it! Karly Randolph Pitman and her website Heal Overeating are AWESOME resources on unconventional ways to kick the habit. See what she has to say, and then TEST IT OUT FOR YOURSELF (I know this is a little late, but stay tuned for a post about how to run good self experiements!). See what happens!
Well, there are some definite strategies for dealing with this. The challenge this week - don't eat sugar for just 6 days - seems simple enough. Yet, we could spend many hours and even senior theses discussing the motives behind our innately human desire to eat more sugars (or food in general). I want to give you just a few resources today to help in your challenge this week. Should this topic catch your attention, keep researching! (You can start here).
As I said, I am one of the world's worst trigger food eaters. Here are a few things that I found have worked for me:
1. Don't even buy the foods. If it is in your house, you will be tempted to eat it! So, when shopping, fill your entire cart up with vegetables - broccoli, leeks, spinach, romanesco broccoli, kale, yams, and whatever else suits your fancy. Get in the habit of heading straight to the produce section of the store. If you are a meat-eater also, get the meats second. After both of those, you shouldn't have a whole lot of room left for sugary treats like breads, yogurts, fruits, and of course chocolates.
2. Participate in a cause! Join this weekly challenge and commit to responding with your experiences, no matter if you fail or complete the challenge (because at the end of the day it doesn't really matter as long as you learn something!). Another idea would be to commit to have your health markers tested with WellnessFX or your gut microbiota tested with uBiome or American Gut. The fact that you are testing yourself will give you incentive to eat right.
3. Don't try to be too perfect. Love yourself, and forgive yourself, too. If you give into a craving, learn from it instead of hating yourself for it!
4. When you want to 'cheat' and know you shouldn't (perhaps you did the day before, or you haven't finished your 6 day challenge), do something else. I usually take a nap (and realize that I was just tired and not that hungry to begin with... there are a whole host of benefits to be found from napping). If I wake up and am still hungry, I will make an awesome broccoli soup to fill myself up.
5. If this topic interests you - learn more about it! Karly Randolph Pitman and her website Heal Overeating are AWESOME resources on unconventional ways to kick the habit. See what she has to say, and then TEST IT OUT FOR YOURSELF (I know this is a little late, but stay tuned for a post about how to run good self experiements!). See what happens!
