Do you buy a slice of banana cake every morning with your skinny latte? Reach for a Tim Tam or Snickers every day at around 3.00pm? Buy a chocolate bar every time you get to the supermarket checkout? When indulgent habits become the norm or part of your ‘every day’, the notion of a food being a delicious treat or something to look forward to is sadly lost.
When I was a little girl, I remember that Friday was ‘lunch-order day’ at the school ‘Tuckshop’. I really looked forward to that day and loved getting my brown paper bag with a hot lunch inside. Such a treat! When did you last look forward to your lunch like that?
So, I challenge you to take a look at what you do regularly and change the way you approach your daily food intake so that you have something to look forward to once or twice a week.
Tips for Managing Your Indulgences
“I buy banana bread every time I buy a coffee!”
Have a banana instead, and once a week, have your banana bread/cake.
“I buy a chocolate bar every time I fill up the petrol tank!”
Instead buy a bottle of water and rehydrate on your drive. Save your chocolate fix for Thursday night while you watch you favourite TV show with your partner.
“I buy Chinese take-away every day for lunch”.
Start packing your lunch. A simple salad sandwich can be made at work. Have your Chinese once a week with your favourite workmate and look forward to it!
“The office has a cookie jar that I cannot resist!”
Buy a punnet of strawberries and a tub of yoghurt that you keep in the work kitchen. The yoghurt contains protein and will fill you up much more effectively than a cookie! Save your cookie for the weekly staff meeting.
Whatever your indulgence may be, schedule it in once a week and start enjoying it again.
You’ve heard me say it before. We have 21 meals across the course of the week and 14 snacks. Essentially, 35 eating occasions up our sleeve. If one or two of those meals are a little indulgent than you’re not going to suddenly gain mountains of weight. In fact, if one or two of those meals are planned indulgences, you’re more likely to stay on track for the majority of the week because you know that you’ve got that ‘date with your cake’ in a few days time.
Learn to reconnect with your food and savour the decadent and delicious. Get organised and schedule in all your meals for the week, and don’t forget to pencil in one or two weekly treats! After all food is more than the nutrients it contains – so be mindful and enjoy!
Eat well, be well…
Lisa Donaldson APD
www.FEEDinc.net
3 / 4 Kennedy St Kingston
