1. Exercise daily – even if it’s just a 20 min walk
2. Chocolate- ok it’s my favourite so I’m going to have to be realistic……. no mindless eating. I will allow myself to have what I can work into my daily eating plan, maybe a few little dark chocolate ones.
3. Keep tracking my food consumption. Sunday is the hard day someone else is cooking so I will just have to make the best choices on the day.
What are your goals to get through Easter?
Easter weight gain solutions
Don’t let a few eggs derail your healthy eating. Learn how to set chocolate limits without turning into the Easter party pooper.
Easter means one thing to food lovers everywhere: chocolate. Milk, white, dark or
flavoured; whatever your preference, there’s an egg out there to tempt you, but what if your self-control runs a mile when faced with chocolate products? Wish you could just have a nibble, but don’t know when to stop? It’s time to take back control.
The human trash can
The human trash can can’t say no. Whether it’s saying yes to another hot cross bun to please a favourite aunt or finishing off that chocolate egg because it’s not worth wrapping it back up, whatever the scenario, when you overeat you are using your body as a rubbish bag.
Have one slice of cake, have a few mini chocolate eggs and enjoy a glass of champagne, but just because you’ve allowed yourself a few small treats, don’t let it slide into complete gluttony. Have some self-respect, listen to your body and learn when enough is enough. Don’t let the chocolate monster in you run wild.
Don’t go hungry
If you know temptation is waiting to strike, be prepared. Hunger is stronger than willpower so don’t test it. Make sure you eat a proper meal before indulging in something sweet. Most foods have a place in our diet, it’s just getting the balance right and don’t even think about avoiding one particular food, it will just make you crave it all the more.
Balance sugar cravings by eating plenty of slow-release wholegrain foods like oats and brown rice and stock up on vegetables to balance mineral and vitamin levels. If you over-indulge because you are genuinely hungry, you may not be eating enough protein. Scientists have discovered that protein is the most satisfying nutrient because it triggers the ‘I’m full’ feeling. They are not sure why, but suggest it could be to do with the digestion of protein taking longer than for carbohydrates or fat.
Adapting
If you know staying with relatives will disrupt your exercise routine, consider changing how and when you exercise. If the roads are too busy to run round at your mums, take an exercise DVD with you and workout indoors; if you usually exercise in the evening, but you know your cousin will want you to help cook supper, move your workout to the morning.
Suffering nightmares at the thought of how much butter your gran puts in her cake? Offer to bake it this year and adapt the recipe to make it lower-fat. Worried you won’t be able to resist the sugar rush from milk chocolate and will gobble the whole lot? Get your order in early and ask for a dark chocolate egg. It’s all about being flexible and planning ahead.
The aftermath
The Easter holidays are over, you can now put your chocolate crimes behind you and get back to work, or can you…
Just when you thought it was safe to turn down the chocolate radar you spy the shiny, foil wrapping of an Easter egg. Even after all that eating you’ve still got some left! You’ve got three choices: for those with willpower simply throw away the eye catching wrapper, break it up and put it into a jar to use as cooking chocolate throughout the year; for those without willpower put it in the bin; for those without willpower and without morals invite your friends round for coffee and don’t let them leave until they’ve eaten it all.
“People do not lack strength; they lack will.” Victor Hugo
