It’s begun…
Where pumpkin spice punches you in the face every morning and takes over the United States. For some, it’s an amazing time of year full of delight and excitement. For others, it’s a series of triggers that encourage bad eating habits and possibly a lot of regret surrounding those.
We’re here to help you protect your accomplishments and safeguard your choices while still enjoying this majestic season.
- Stay on Routine
Whether you’ve got kids who are going back to school, or you just seem to get swamped with heavier work load around this time of year, planning your attack for the following day is going to be your best friend.
It’s easy to stray off track and indulge in seasonal doughnuts and sugary lattes when you don’t have healthy food at hand. So prep at least one day in advance (several days at a time is recommended for optimal success and freshness of meals) and have your meals with you so you can stave off any unnecessary fast food attacks headed your way.
- Keep Water With You
You’ve heard us say it before; lack of hydration often feels like hunger. Well it’s true. We can easily get cravings while savory things are passing by us or some saboteur brings in a tray of home-made something into the office lounge. If you have your water with you and you trigger yourself to drink water when you have a craving, you’ll soon train your brain that water is the desired outcome of these cravings. If that doesn’t do the trick immediately, we’re big fans of dessert teas to fight off the sweet demons.
- Swapping This for That
Speaking of dessert teas, here’s a perfect opportunity to try on something calorie free but packed with flavor. There are plenty of dessert teas out there that nearly perfectly mimic the aroma of your favorite cakes and treats(even pumpkin spice!). You get the satisfaction, along with some natural sweetness, something hot to hold while you’re friends are warming their paws with whatever they’re drinking, but you have none of the guilt. It won’t surprise us if you start preferring these dessert teas after too long. Give it a try if you haven’ t and you’ll likely be impressed with this new menu option in your life.
- Abandon Your Post
Eating at your desk is certainly easy and convenient, but finding another place, away from work and distraction, to allow you to actually enjoy your meal is important. It promotes mindfulness of what you’re eating and how fast you’re eating and let’s you actually enjoy the experience. When you focus on the experience of enjoying the good food you’ve prepared, knowing it will serve you best for a healthier body, you start to become more satisfied with the appropriate portions. Mindless eating, or eating while focused on another task (like responding to emails, taking notes, or catching up on voicemails) is a gateway for eating in abundance without realizing it and doesn’t correct any bad habits. The good news is, any new location will work. Choose the break room, a common area near the windows, or even your car to just zone out and get some quiet time.
And remember, the next time you’re tempted to indulge in something that typically makes you regret it, ask yourself the following;
“Will I feel good after eating this?” or “Is this really helping me achieve or maintain my progress?” and see what you respond with. Being aware of portions is also a secret weapon you have in your tool belt. And if you pick something delicious and really rich, you don’t need much of it to satisfy you.
Now go pick some apples, roll around in leaves and stay awesome!