Good morning! I hope you all had a lovely weekend.

The quintessential weekend for me is a balance of 3 things: fun, adventure, and productivity.

Fun: Seeing the Nuggets play LeBron the Cavs with a group of friends on Friday night.

Adventure: Hiking!

And a lot of reading 🙂

Productivity: Creating some content that’s coming your way that I know you’ll love (hint: I hinted about this in Friday’s post!) Plus a wee bit of cleaning.

Now it’s Monday, and we’re back to the grind! I’ve got a couple clients later on in the day, a volleyball game tonight, and throughout the morning I’ll be working with a few online clients.

8 Ways to Ditch Food Temptations

When I discuss the biggest struggles of weight loss with my clients, up there on the top 3 is always a struggle that can be summed up in one word: temptation.

Temptations to share your spouses ice cream at night.

Temptations when going out to eat with friends.

Temptations of the candy jar that you pass by multiple times in the office each day.

Temptations to snack in front of the TV at night (This used to be a *major* struggle of mine, and while I still work on it here and there,  I’ve gotten much better at it)

Now, I’m all for choosing indulgences – and not feeling guilty about them, but when trying to lose weight, food temptations can be bothersome. Temptations are everywhere, and we only have a finite amount of willpower to use up each day. What happens when that nonrenewable source of power runs out and you’re trying to make a 3:00 deadline with a jar of mnm’s staring at you hard?

Well, like many of my answers: it depends. It depends on why you’re giving in to the jar of candy, which is something you can have any day of the year. It should be easy to avoid, right? Not necessarily.

Physiological 

The problem: This is typically the result of hunger, sugar or carb cravings, low energy.

The solution: Eating more or differently throughout the day in regards to amount of food and macronutrients.

1. Limit sugar and higher sugar-containing carbs, especially during the first part of the day.

We all know sugar’s not so great for fat loss efforts, as well as our health in general. Additionally, starting out the day with sugar – even if it’s seemingly healthy, like a certain flavored Greek yogurt. Check the grams of sugar: many of them contain as much of a serving of ice cream!

This study shows that a survey from 1,165 people who lost weight cited that limiting sugar was a top contributing factor as part of their weight loss success.

2. Eat breakfast daily, and include a good amount of protein in that meal.

The National Weight Control Registry researchers found that of 5,000 people who lost 30 pounds and kept it off, most who were successful ate breakfast daily. It’s a good idea to consume a good amount of protein with breakfast, too. We know that not only does our body burn the most calories  digesting protein, but it also takes the most amount of time to digest protein, meaning a higher satiety factor for our appetites.

3. Eat a high fiber (fibrous veggie) and low-glycemic meal plan. 

One study showed that a group of individuals who followed a diet high in fiber and low glycemic meals, along with behavior education was both successful in their weight control efforts, as well as trained their brains to prefer healthier foods, and decreased their preferences for unhealthier foods.

4. DON’T skip meals.

Skipping a meal might be convenient in the moment, but if your weight loss or maintenance efforts are of a high priority, it won’t be worth it when mild hunger becomes ravenous hunger. Cue hand dipping into the candy jar. Not skipping meals was another major contributing factor of successful fat loss in the same group who reported limiting sugar to do the same.

Psychological

The problem: result of boredom, bad mood, anxiety, tiredness etc.

5. Remove as many food temptations that you have control over as possible.

The easiest way to do this is to not keep anything that’s a trigger for you in the house. I only buy ice cream on weekends, and it’s a pint-sized container that the hubby and I share. If he really wants ice cream during the week, he can go get it himself. If it’s not in the house, you won’t crave it as often. And if you do crave it, you’ll have to run out to the store or shop and pick some up. If the craving’s that intense, it might be worth it anyway 🙂

Same goes for the office. Move the jar of candy, or ask your co-worker not to have them in clear sight of your desk.

Additionally, keep frequently visited places like your home and the office stocked with delicious, healthy foods like fresh fruit and veggies, lean meats or beef jerky, and almonds and walnuts.

6. Watch Less TV.

That same group who kept off 30 pounds and reported to eating breakfast daily? They also reported watching less than 10 hours of TV per week. Now, I personally think you should do whatever you want (as long as its not harmful, haha) to relax, but 10 hours isn’t unreasonable. That more than 1 hour per day. I know that when I’m vegging on the couch watching TV for hours, I tend to reach for something crunchy and satisfying to eat while having my eyes on the screen.

7. Keep your willpower from depleting early in the day. 

Willpower might be a limited resource, but you can extend it out through your day in a steady manner by doing a few self-care practices. Schedule a short walk for every 1.5 hours that you work. If you can’t get up from your desk, put on some headphones, close your eyes, and zone out to some music for a few minutes. Whatever it is, take a break from the heads-down work, breathe, and renew yourself. Aside from possibly finding it easier to pass by that candy jar without reaching for it, you’ll likely find you’re more productive during your work periods!

8. Have a running list of stress-reducing practices to rely on.

Let’s face it, stress runs amuck in today’s culture in the US. It’s easy to grab something high in sugar to get a surge of seratonin and pacify our stress temporarily.

If you find yourself beginning to feel stress, go to one of your quick stress-reducing practices immediately.

Mine are:

• Praying
• Taking a walk
• Looking at the sky
• Reading fiction (not heavy fiction, either)
• Making a cup of tea

The bottom line is food temptation is a struggle that’s a reality in anyone’s weight loss efforts. It’s how you deal with them – and think about them, that determines whether they’ll hinder your results or not. But most importantly, have compassion for yourself. Don’t beat yourself up – it doesn’t feel good, nor does it do any good. Forgive yourself, know you’re amazing, and then wake up and kick ass 😉

How do you deal with food temptations?

What do you consider your biggest struggle with weight loss or eating healthy?