Fun Friday – Temptations-when food and fitness clash

I grabbed the white, aluminum apparatus with invisible numbers, from behind my closet door. That’s where it is hidden, until needed. I placed the item onto my bathroom floor and gently stepped on. Digital numbers appeared. “Grrrrr.”My weight was up two pounds.

How heavy is your hair?

It’s the time of year where people are shaping up for vacations, weddings or that summer, tank top body. I thought I was on the road to success, until the bathroom scale indicated otherwise. How did I gain 2 pounds? It must have been my new hairstyle.

Surely, I did not gain weight due to the pasta meals I ate that week, or the Italian bread. I don’t think it was the Jolly Rancher candies either. I only ate three of them…at two different intervals…two nights in a row.

I know my weight gain wasn’t due to the gingerbread I baked because I told my son to help make that disappear. All I ate was a sliver of a piece, with my coffee - double cream, double sweet-n-low. The unwanted pounds had to be due to my hair. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Okay, I’ll fess up. My fitness routine was the same – regular workouts, drinking water daily, blah, blah, blah. It was my eating habits that took a nose dive. I was tempted by treats that I don’t normally keep within arm’s reach. My poor eating was cancelling out my workouts. My food and fitness habits were clashing with each other.

How does one keep temptations at bay? You can do it with positive self-talk, will power and a plan. By positive self-talk, I don’t mean, “I’m going finish off this cake today and eat healthy tomorrow.” Come up with a mantra or quote to help keep you focused. If you struggle with will power, remember that eating in moderation is key.

My plan for fighting food temptations is to prep my meals in advance and keep healthy snacks with me. On those special occasions where food is the main event (conferences, parties, etc.) I offer half of my dessert to a friend or stranger. This method helps me keep the digital numbers on my scale from flashing exceedingly high.

So...was my new hairstyle a factor in my slight weight gain? Not really.

What are your tips for keeping food temptations subdued?