When I was in college I was working out tremendously and hanging out with the other athletes in the dorm. They challenged me to stop eating desserts and other sugary processed foods for 2 weeks and check my energy level. They were correct. Although I do give in occasionally (love carrot cake) I haven’t had chocolate since 1987. I can’t stand it. Or pop. Until I got the flu (influenza B) last month I hadn’t missed a day of work from being sick in 19 years. I am a testimony to the fact that it can be done.

DESSERT IS A CHOICE… JUST SAY NO!

Sometimes plain fruit, like an orange, an apple, or banana.

And other times, maybe a fruit salad, if we have the time or inclination to get “fancy”.

And occasionally, a fruit smoothie.

Things like cakes are reserved for birthdays, and ice cream is a rare treat — this makes the kids appreciate it even more and see the desserts you describe as rewards, not a privilege.

Seems to be working for everyone so far.

“So what is it that you like so much about heroin (sugar, pizza, food, doughnuts, not exercising, etc, etc, etc)…?”

Then

“So what don’t you like about heroin…”

Identifying the discrepancies between the outcomes of the goal and the behavior is integral for changing the behavior.

First and foremost…Instead of starting out with taking something away it might be easier to start by adding something in…start adding more veggies to your diet. Veggies will stabillize your blood sugar from the high fiber and low sugar content which should leave you less likely to crave sugar.

As you add in more good stuff the bad stuff will eventuallly get pushed out of your diet. Eventually you will notice how good you feel from nourishing your body with the things that it needs, you will no longer crave stuff that is “bad”. Moderation and self love are key here…

Eating a good healthy meal is an act of self love…

Now give yourself a big hug for me and go eat a rainbow colored plate of vegetables!

I follow an “80/20″ eating plan which means that 80% of the time I eat really well (mainly at home) and then the other 20% of the time I just don’t worry about things so much. Yes- you might even see me eating a hot dog at a Mariners game and think in HORROR that Dr. Nicole is a total hypocrite. As much as hot dogs are total nasty “food” I think we also need to have a healthy relationship with food and not be so attached to either extreme. Food is meant to nourish us and sometimes it simply is part of our culture and should be enjoyed strictly for social reasons. Like birthday cake for instance, let’s not give up birthday cake let’s just give up “Wednesday after lunch cake”…

This typical conversation with a client may explian the obesity and problem somewhat:

Do you eat much fast food?
Quite a lot
Do you know it’s probably not good for you?
Yeh, I know that
Do you know it’s no cheaper than preparing your own?
Yeh, I know that
Does it taste better than your own?
No, not really
Will you stop buying it then
Probably not

It’s no longer ignorance in my opinion, it’s apathy.

~ Megan