How to Know When to Treat Yo' Self
When we started this blog, we knew one thing. We wanted it to be real. We wanted to talk about what it's really like staying on track with your diet in real life, not the Instagram-fake world we live in. So today, we're going to talk about when to treat yo' self. Because life is just too short not to. And, because we wanted to eat cupcakes at our first photo shoot. Just kidding. :)
Now let's get to it.
I, Ronnie Martin, am the queen of dieting. I’ve tried every diet in the book. Through this I’ve learned the best diet is one you will actually stick to. Most diet plans, whether it's paleo, low-carb, or low-calorie, truly work for most people if you can do them for more than a week. But, if you can only stick to something for a day or two before binge eating, then that day or two isn't worth it, or helping you reach your goals.
One thing that’s helped me stick to my diet goals is changing my mindset from "you can't have that," to "you can have that, every once in a while." I do this by treating myself when it’s worth it to me, and abstaining when it’s not. For example, when I’m feeling the pressure at work, the candy bowl ruins me. Eating that candy doesn’t make me feel better. It makes me feel guilty. So it’s really not worth it. On the other hand, this weekend I had a friend in town and we tried a new brunch spot with amazing salted caramel chocolate chip cookies. It was social, fun, in the moment, treating myself that stills feels worth it as I type this blog post.
Kelsey is someone I look up to a lot on this topic. She's great at totally sticking to her diet during the week, but letting herself have some yummy treats on the weekend with no guilt. And look how great she looks!
The magic word is balance. Look at your life and think about the times you eat out of boredom or stress. On the flip side, think about the times you should treat yourself because it’s actually worth it. No one is perfect, and life isn’t fun if you go every day looking at the pastries in the Starbucks case knowing you’re “not allowed” to have them.
This mindset will help you be less of a head case about what you can and cannot eat. It will take you from the person who thinks about food all the time, to the person at peace with what she eats and how she feels in her own skin. Just remember, you are an amazing, unique, strong, and smart individual. Life has so many incredible experiences to offer you – some of them around awesome food. So go out and enjoy your life and stop feeling guilty about doing so!
-Ronnie