By: Brooke Pilmer (Check out her blog: Glitched Perfection)
I think we have all seen this infamous Kate Moss quote plastered across tumblr pages and memes everywhere. The problem is that it is actually quite simple to compile a whole list of things that taste better than skinny feels while scrolling through old Facebook photos and admiring our baby-faced selves. Of course this only leads us into drastic measures such as ‘no carbs except for OJ’ and ‘I’m cutting out gluten’. While these can be good for your body if you are successful, in most cases it only lasts for a few days before we’re binging ourselves on the foods we’ve missed the most.
The fact of the matter is that there are A LOT of things that I believe taste just as good (if not better) than skinny feels. For example, after a particularly difficult break up the first thing I am going to do is stuff a box of chocolates down my throat and nothing is as pleasing as that. Thankfully it seems as though there is a solution that can appease the chocolate lover in all of us- and it is called MODERATION.
My first year of university I fell victim to what is known by many as the dreaded ‘freshman 15’ (except in my case it was more like the freshman 40). It’s a psychological fact that when presented with the option of unlimited food you will eat more than if you had the option of cooking for yourself. You’re young, it is your first time on your own, and you are finally being given the opportunity to make decisions for yourself: welcome to adulthood. Walking into meal hall for the first time on my own was so overwhelming that I am pretty sure I ate twice my weight in pizza and ice cream. It was no surprise that upon returning home for Christmas my jeans were a bit more snug and I found myself craving a box of cookies during the oddest hours of the night (late night study sessions anyone?).
Fast forward another two years, approximately $50 spent on iPhone health and dieting apps, another $50 spent on ‘miracle pills’, and more than I will ever admit spent on fad diets. In a desperate attempt to correct my mistakes I forked out money (I didn’t have) on everything and anything that promised minimal effort and quick results. This is a mistake that SO many people tend to make when trying to lose weight. The Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation conducted a study that reported
“Young Canadians represent the largest percentage of all age groups who spend the most amount of money in their attempt to lose weight.”
With a startlingly 50% of overweight people aged 20-39 years old paying for their weight loss efforts and almost half (42%) of those people actually admitting to spending $500 or MORE (Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation, 2010).
I can attest to the fact that I was slapping myself silly when I realized that the easiest way to change my body was in fact just to make a change to my lifestyle and the way I eat- overindulging was my worst enemy. Do I need to give up chocolate all together? No, absolutely not. Everything can be heathy as long as you are eating it in moderation. The key point that needs to be addressed here is that overindulging in anything is never a good idea and will only lead us to feeling lathargic, cranky, and disgusting once it sets in.
My friend Emily (a nutrition student) once gave me great advice that I continue to share with anyone who will give me the time of day: “Life is 80/20- do what you know you have to 80% of the time and indulge yourself the other 20% of the time”. I want us all to try something: for the next 30 seconds I want you to do everything in your power NOT to think about pink elephants.
….
Have you done it? In most cases, when you are told not to think about something you are so focused on not thinking about it that it ends up being all you can think about. This system works with our diets as well, if you tell yourself that you are not going to eat chocolate your mind becomes consumed by the thought of chocolate until your body begins craving it so much that you end up giving in to it and devouring a mega box of smarties in 30 seconds flat.
Moral of this story? Eat what you want, but do it in moderation. It’s no fun to cut out some of your favourite treats. In the long run losing weight is a lifestyle change which means you’re going to have to enjoy the changes you make- even if some of them can be difficult at first! Losing weight as a marathon and not a race, you have to pace yourself and start making some changes in yourself and the way you live at a pace that’s good for you. My first step? No more overindulging…. was it hard? Yes, of course but I did it with a little help from my friends here at Skinny Teatox.
As a university student I challenge you to take this journey with me and start being a healthier version of yourself (honestly if I can do it anyone can)! I started with Skinny Teatox (goodbye coffee withdrawals) and it was the right first step for me! What sorts of things have you tried that work for you? What’s your favourite treat to have in moderation? Let me know in the comments!
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