Don’t Let Your Diet Get Sabotaged
It’s hard to resist temptation, and when your boyfriend is coaxing you into an after dinner snack, or your best friend is pleading for you to get pizza on your lunch break, it makes it even harder.
Saying no to these extra calories is crucial when trying to successfully lose weight. Sometimes the people around us aren’t as helpful as we'd like, even if they aren’t consciously trying to sabotage your diet. Learn how to spot these bad influences, and stay strong.
The Workout Buddy. Exercising with a friend is a great way to stick to your workout plan and have fun doing it. However, when your hiking companion constantly wants to grab smoothie bowls or protein shakes after every workout, you could be undermining the hard work you just put in. Most smoothie are going to run at least 400 calories, and if you are only burning around 200 during a workout, you aren’t getting much work done. Try suggesting a high-protein snack instead of the sweet beverages. Turn it into another social event and make your gym buddy lunch back at your house.
The Coworker. Most jobs require lunching with coworkers and dinners with clients. It can be easy to just order what looks good, especially if it is on the company dime. However, don’t let this influence your healthy decision making skills. Do what is right for your diet, especially if your job is causing you to eat out over 2 nights a week. There are a lot of hidden calories in restaurant food, even when ordering lean protein. Make sure you ask for dressings on the side, no butter on steaks and chicken and refuse the bread basket.
The Best Friend. Don’t get talked into happy hour… again. Having a drink after work is seemingly harmless, until that one drink turns into four. Mixed drinks have a lot of calories, and too many can cause you to eat high fat foods when you otherwise wouldn’t. If a drink is absolutely needed, stick to lower calorie drinks like wine or vodka/seltzer.
The Children. When that cute little face asks for ice cream or cookies, it’s hard to say no. But remember, just because they are having a treat doesn’t mean you have to have one too. This might take more will power, but try just having a bite of the baked brownie or cookie, instead of eating them in front of the movie you are watching together. If ice cream is what you crave, buy a greek frozen yogurt and top it with berries while the kiddos eat their rocky road.
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Pamela Bates