FIGHTING-AND-OVERCOMING-TEMPTATION

Fighting and Overcoming Temptation

Healthy eating is something we all know we should do. We tell ourselves all the time that we are gonna eat more healthily. Sometimes, we will go to our refrigerators, throw out all of our junk foods, load up on all types of healthy foods in an attempt to change our eating habits for the better.

When we are developing a healthy eating plan, there are many temptations that can pull us away from our goals. Diet traps are everywhere, from ads on television to parties and happy hours. Sticking to a healthy diet plan requires a certain amount of willpower and it is understandable that we may have problems following through on our plans.

Fortunately, making a healthy eating plan doesn’t have to be difficult. Constructing a healthy diet is easy when you consider all of the nutritious basics you have at your disposal to put into your eating plan, from carbohydrates, fat, and protein to fiber. Calories are important to keep your body running, but try to eat fewer calories than you burn. This formula will produce weight loss when you stick to it, especially if you include moderate to vigorous exercise in your plans.

We understand how hard it is to avoid temptations like cookies, cakes, and pizza. These unhealthy foods are everywhere, and they look so good. They can provide you with short-term happiness, but in the end, you will feel guilty about failing to stick to your diet plan. It is wise to think ahead when you are faced with these difficult situations. These tips will help you avoid falling into diet traps that can sabotage your chance of success.

Conquer Work Parties

Conquer-Work-Parties

When your office is putting on a social event that involves food, make sure that you eat a healthy meal before you go. If you’re not hungry, you will be much less likely to grab a cupcake or a piece of pizza. If you are feeling very nervous about eating too much at an event, bring a friend with you who can remind you to relax.

Some coworkers may have a difficult time at first understanding that you’re not wanting to participate in the festive celebrations. Perhaps out of spitefulness, they will try to provide you with sugary treats and fatty foods in an effort to make yourself look better. Rather than think ill of them, this is a great opportunity to do two things:

  • To display your increasing willpower and commitment to your new healthy eating plan.
  • To explain how you are taking charge of your life by taking charge of your diet. And explain, rather than using the word Diet, as it does invoke the diet mentality. This mentality in itself invokes certain anticipation of failers, so they may not take your commitment seriously, Rather than use the word diet, use this statement. “ I have decided to eat more health-minded to improve my Unfortunately, there are few ways to tactfully avoid these people. It is best to fill up on healthy food first and resist temptation.

Pressure to Drink

Pressure-to-Drink

Work parties can have another unpleasant side effect. We have all been at a work event that can turn into an after-work get-together of the happy hour where we have been pressured to keep up with the rest of the group.

Alcohol has significantly more calories than healthy proteins, and drinking too much can completely derail your weight loss efforts.

Also, instead of burning fat, your body is burning the calories from the alcohol so it will take you longer to lose weight. When it comes to drinking. Alcohol is a major source of empty carbohydrate calories, not to mention its other damaging effects on the body. The unhealthy appetizers served at most happy hours don’t help your situation. Drinking lowers your inhibitions, which means you might reach for those extra appetizers when you wouldn’t ordinarily do so. You’re going to be paying less attention to what and how you’re eating, and that’s just one problematic part of alcohol and weight loss.

Luckily, there are solid techniques that can keep you from falling prey to the pressure to drink. When the waiter takes your drink order, quietly order a glass of club soda with a lime or lemon wedge. This subtle trick will make your work colleagues think that you are having an alcoholic drink, and they will be less likely to pester you about drinking more alcohol. Alternatively, have a glass of wine and sip it slowly throughout the night. If anyone tries to get you to order another, change the subject.

Family Pressures

Family-Pressures

It is especially hard to say no to a treat when it is offered by your family. Families can put a great deal of pressure on a person.

They can claim that you look too thin or that you look tired, which of course means that you need to eat more. Families can also put the opposite pressure on you by openly saying that you need to lose weight.

It is difficult to navigate these waters, and it is understandable when we slip up. Try to forgive yourself if you can’t resist your family’s pressure. Resolve that you will do better next time, and make sure you arrive at your family’s event already full of healthy food that matches your diet plan.

We’re gonna take a short break I want to share a true story, and then we will return to our blog. So, I have a regular job with an hour and a half commute both ways. This week the job offered overtime… Yaaaa Over time, a few extra bucks right, who doesn’t need a few extra bucks right?

So I am working overtime this week, 10 hours each day no problem. During the day I try to engage in intermittent fasting, (something we will write about in a future blog/article.) By the end of the week, I begin my commute home. According to the travel time I should be home at 7:30, however, the commute doesn’t go as planned and instead of 7:30, it’s now 8:30 and I’m waiting for the bus and I am having all kinds of thoughts about eating.

Extremely hungry, I start thinking about pizza, Chinese food, burgers, everything I know I shouldn’t have but it sounds quick and I am hungry and getting hungrier by the minute. I can’t wait to get home and speed dial at least 4 places to get something to eat. Then I begin to think…It’s gonna take at least a half-hour or more for them to prepare this food and deliver it could take another 15-20 minutes. I look in my cabinets and I have these cans of Lentil soup and in the fridge, I have these bran muffins.

How long does it take to heat up a can of soup? 5 minutes 7 minutes? So I go to the Lentil soup. It was absolutely amazing It was tasty, it was filling, I saved at least 40 or more dollars in food that was going to break every healthy eating habit I am trying to establish… Lentil soup baby, and a bran muffin. I was good and more than that I was able to stay with my healthy eating plan, and I felt very very proud of myself.. so much so that I woke up the next day and went and exercised, motivated by overcoming the temptation of the night before. I just wanted to share this with you.

When you are facing temptation, take a moment to consider this: in addition to most fast foods being no good for you and a healthy diet killer and expensive, most fast foods take a while to prepare and deliver to you. In fact, most fast foods aren’t that fast at all!! Keep a healthy quick backup like Lentil Soup baby, or a great salad, or a couple of great snacks like, for me, bran muffins… People… IT WORKS!! This and everything we write is true! We are not just trying to repeat what everyone else says. We say it cause it’s true!!!

Ensure you have a plan in place

diet-chart

Failing to plan, is planning to fail! Many people fail their diet because they don’t actually know what they are doing. This means you should be aware exactly what you are going to eat with your plan and what exercises you are going to do also.

Having a meal plan already arranged and the food purchased and in the house is going to make you much more likely to succeed.

Make sure you remove naughty snacks from your house, if you don’t have access to them – you can’t eat them. When you have a strict healthy eating plan, there are moments when you will give in to temptation, it’s ok, remind yourself “This is a process and I am in it for the long haul” Forgive yourself, get back on the horse and carry on. The fight against temptation is an ongoing battle and giving in every so often like a fortnight/month does not mean defeat in fact a “treat meal” occasionally is recommended. But don’t go totally off the reservation!

Eat foods you enjoy

Eat-foods-you-enjoy

Healthy eating means eating a variety of foods that give you the nutrients you need to maintain your health, feel good, and have energy. These nutrients include protein, carbohydrates, fat, water, vitamins, and minerals.

There are many different foods to choose from, so much so that it may seem beyond belief that you cannot find healthy foods that you would enjoy eating. Think about this with all the fruits in the world, there is not one that appeals to you? One of the problems we cause ourselves is when we adopt the “Diet Mentality” We believe that the foods we dislike we are supposed to eat, so we force ourselves to eat these foods, making faces as we force something we don’t want down our throats.

If you force yourself to eat items you don’t like when dieting, you are going to fail. You are going to fail because you have taken the enjoyment out of eating. Not only have you taken the joy of eating away, but you will begin to associate pleasurable eating with bad foods. “I hate salads, but I love deep dish pizza with 3 kinds of cheese and 4 meat toppings.

Try new healthy foods, there are probably loads that you don’t even know exist. Look for healthy recipes online, an experiment in the kitchen, and just have fun with food. You can eat nutritious foods that are also really delicious. Look online or join a forum to chat with others who are in the same position as you and even swap recipe ideas. Substitute the foods you love currently for ones that are similar but healthier. If your example, you love ice cream, substitute this with a delicious frozen yogurt.

Drink Water

Drink-Water

Keeping hydrated is crucial for your health and well-being, but many people do not consume enough fluids each day.

Around 60 percent of the body is water, and around 71 percent of the planet’s surface is covered by water.

Perhaps because water appears so plentiful it may cause people to take water for granted, indeed, drinking enough water each day does not seem to be at the top of most people’s to-do list. Clearly, this is a habit that any good weight loss program would encourage you to do. You should drink plenty of water, not only for weight loss but for your overall health and wellness. Here are just a couple of benefits of drinking water regularly.

reduce-stress

To function properly, all the cells and organs of the body need water

Cartilage, found in joints and the discs of the spine, contains 80 percent water. Long-term dehydration can reduce the joints’ shock-absorbing ability, leading to joint pain.

As blood is more than 90 percent water, and blood carries oxygen to different parts of the body

Water cushions the brain, spinal cord, and other sensitive tissues and boosts skin health and beauty to name just a few benefits.

Drinking enough water will help you feel refreshed, full of energy, and less hungry. Keeping a water glass or a water bottle on hand will enable you to take sips when you need something to do with your hands. Whenever you feel tempted to eat something unhealthy, drink a full glass of water first. It is likely that the extra hydration will give you the strength to say no.

Eat Enough Quality Calories

Eat-Enough-Quality-Calories

When a person thinks about losing weight, especially in a reactionary way, the first thing they attempt is slashing their calorie intake which is the proper thought, however, they begin by reducing the number of quality calories they are eating and they begin eating what they believe are “Diet Foods”

You will suddenly see them with 3 stalks of celery and a carrot and nothing else. This is what we at Diet Rite call the “Diet Mentality” This is where your change to a healthy eating lifestyle goes off the rails before you even start! What you are doing at this point is starving yourself and increasing your chances of giving into temptation exponentially. The Diet Food syndrome is a food manufacturer’s dream. All they have to do is put “Low Fat” or “Reduced on the labels and you’re hooked!

Dietary guidelines have changed over the years as research becomes more accurate in determining what we should eat to attain optimal health and weight. Rather than focusing on calories alone, emerging research shows that quality is also key in determining what we should eat and what we should avoid in order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight. Instead of choosing foods based only on caloric value, think about choosing high-quality, healthy foods, and minimizing low-quality foods.

What are High-Quality Foods?

High-Quality-Foods

High-quality foods include unrefined, minimally processed foods such as vegetables and fruits, whole grains, healthy fats, and healthy sources of protein – the foods recommended in the Healthy Eating Plate.

Lower-quality foods include highly processed snack foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined (white) grains, refined sugar, fried foods, foods high in saturated and trans fats, and high-glycemic foods such as potatoes.

High-Quality Calories will keep You feeling full and satisfied longer, reducing the temptation to eat unhealthy foods and snacks. This is so important that we continuously mention the types of high-quality foods you should be considering in several if not all our blogs and articles.

If you are constantly being tempted by unhealthy food, it may be that you are not including enough quality calories in your weight loss diet plan. If you are constantly hungry, that is a sign that you need to adjust your food choices. Using online tools can certainly help you calculate the number of calories that you should eat based on your current weight and how much weight you would like to lose each week. Diet Rite is developing an online tool to help you achieve your goals.

Make sure that you fill up on fiber from whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Fill up on healthy fats like avocado, salmon, and olive oil. These healthy fats will help you resist temptation. Having a diet that is too restrictive can lead not only to unhealthy snacking but can also damage your health in the long term.

Conquer Temptation

Conquer-Temptation

Healthy dieting advice can help you get through the worst episodes of temptation. The Diet Rite System, the best online weight loss program, will help you develop the tools to resist temptation and stick to your new healthy eating lifestyle/

We offer many tools and tips to help you stay focused so that you achieve your healthy weight loss goals.

Alcohol, sweets, and high-fat foods like pizza will all get in the way of your weight loss journey. Use these strategies to keep yourself away from the worst choices while supporting your body’s health and fitness.

Above all, don’t let temptation interfere with your self-esteem. You are more than your body weight and more than your diet choices. If you slip up, forgive yourself and pledge to do better. These tips can help you along the path to better health and wellness.

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