Posts Tagged ‘walking dead’
Your Diet’s Halloween Survival Guide
If you hear a blood curdling scream this week, rest assured that it’s not an extra from The Walking Dead or someone watching a scary movie marathon. That’s me walking near the candy aisle while at the grocery store during this time of year. And like me, many of us with a dieter’s mentality fear the Halloween season with the same kind of dread we do a visit to the dentist or (gulp!) getting on the scale after a weekend of gastronomical debauchery.
But fear not! All Hallows Eve actually has no power over us or our waistlines… Unless we give it said power. And for the record, this is the year we’re taking back Halloween and making it more treat than trick.
For starters, let’s remember we’re talking about a 24-hour period. And guess what? Even if you’re on a diet plan and committed to getting rid of your excess weight, a few pieces of candy eaten in moderation (key word!) is not going to harm you at all—especially if you combine the munching with an extra lap or two around the block (and/or shopping mall if the weather outside is frightful).
As dieters, it’s our denial of foods we love that often leads to excessive bingeing. So if you really want to indulge in some sugary goodness, then choose some well-made candy (meaning it’s full of all-natural ingredients as opposed to a list of additives that would make even a mummy unravel). When I took off over 250 pounds of excess weight over a decade ago, it was through moderation as opposed to starvation or denial. Too often we turn favorite foods into a forbidden fruit that we then become obsessed with eating.
Another tactic that makes Halloween more spook-tacular is focusing on non-food related enjoyment. This is easy given that most people enjoy dressing up. And no, you don’t need a costume party to do so. A lot of workplaces allow employees to dress up for work when Halloween hits on a weekday. Or just throw on a pair of vampire fangs when you’re running your errands to suck up a whole bunch of smiles (if not second glances).
If you need an actual party as an excuse to don a costume, then throw a last minute soirée yourself. Get inventive with the theme: ’80s TV shows? Favorite movie detectives? Inanimate objects? Make October 31st more about the fun than the food. And if you’re throwing the party, you can schedule nutritionally sound games like bobbing for apples or pin the tail on the werewolf.
And believe it or not, actual trick-or-treating can scare away fat itself. Volunteer to go along with a group of neighborhood kids. Or take your own kids to the mall and be willing to make several rounds with them. Kids’ energy is high on Halloween—and not just due to the potential sugar rush. It’s fun to dress up. It’s fun to say “Boo!” And it’s fun to walk and walk and walk. (Remember the rules for even healthier walking: suck that tummy in, pump those arms and maintain a healthy posture.)
Last but not least, go easy on yourself. Even those strange, mythical “I can eat anything I want and not gain weight” creatures (much more unexplainable than zombies if you ask me) will be complaining on November 1st that they overdid it on the candy. The difference between them and us (the ones with a dieter’s mentality) is that they don’t feel compelled to keep eating the candy on the day after Halloween. They did it. They enjoyed it. They regret the extra nibble or two and now they’re moving on, mentally—just like we can do, if we give ourselves that kind of freedom.
Besides, November 1st heralds a whole ‘nother eating holiday’s approach. So it’ll be time to stop thinking about the season of the witch and wondering how we are going to construct a healthy game plan for gobble-gobble day. Although I’m here to tell you that as is the case with Halloween, the only thing to fear is… Well, you know the rest (in peace).
What did you have for breakfast the day before yesterday? Do you remember? And aside from what you actually ate, how did you actually eat it? Or were you so rushed to get your day started that you skipped breakfast on that day all together?
Too often in our multitasking-oriented society, we rob ourselves of the quiet moments in life that we not only deserve but require. And for those of us with a dieter’s mentality, this can be especially destructive. Fact is, if we ate more mindfully, many of us wouldn’t even need an actual diet plan to lose excess weight and feel better about ourselves and our bodies in the present moment.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not knocking diet plans all together. When I weighed over 450 pounds, I was so out of touch with healthy eating (as were my body’s “hungry” or “full” sensors), that I required an actual plan (based on sound nutrition and pure, clean eating) to head in the right direction (in my case, down the scale). But my weight loss success (dropping more than 250 pounds within a year’s period without fad dieting, pills or surgery) came more from mindful eating than it did a so-called diet.
Learning to pay attention to what tasted good (sans additives, preservatives and other potentially harmful chemicals) and paying heed to how my body felt after a meal, led me to being more mindful about almost every aspect of my life — from exercise to walking my dog to even being more present when talking to someone on the phone (e.g., no more checking facebook on my smartphone while on a phone call, listening to my mother-in-law tell me how a recent doctor’s appointment went).
Me. In the now. And being aware of it. Crazy concept, right?
And yet mindfulness doesn’t have to be a mystery that we spend a lifetime trying to decipher. True mindfulness is simply about being fully present in the moment. That means being still and recognizing everything going on around us and being fully aware of it all.
Take a moment to stop reading this blog post, and just sit still (or stand still — reader’s choice). Feel the cushion of the chair beneath you? The comfort of the seat back? The hardwood floor underneath your shoes? Or maybe whatever you’re sitting or standing on isn’t so comfortable. You might be reading this while on a subway train. Or while standing in line. Or perhaps while lying down.
Notice the elements surrounding you at this moment. Is there a clock ticking? Is someone talking loudly nearby? Can you feel the heat of the sun? Or maybe a cool breeze? Whatever is going on around you, take note of it. Soak it in. It’s not bad. It’s not good. It simply is. And now you get a gold star for noticing what’s happening around you, being aware of your surroundings, and taking it all in.
Next, turn to your breathing. Are your breaths short and shallow, perhaps signaling that you’re anxious about something? Or are they soft and deep? Maybe your calm breathing is letting you know that you’re very confident, that life is good (even with all the many challenges you’re facing), and that you know you are enough, in this moment.
Let’s now take this fully aware mental state and apply it to our eating. All of our eating. That means being as mindful when we’re planning or preparing what we’re going to eat as when we’re sitting down to actually consume the food. (Yes, sitting down! Eating at the kitchen counter while on the go doesn’t often compliment being mindful.)
Too often the choices we make about food have less to do with what we’re really craving (whether regarding a specific food or even a portion size) and more about what is habitual. Our routines can turn us into zombies. And living life like The Walking Dead is no way to… Well… Live.
This is now. And since this moment is all we really have, we might as well choose to enjoy it — and all of life’s subsequent moments — fully. As we learn to embrace the now, we can allow ourselves to make choices about our food, our eating, and our self-acceptance that can literally transform life around us — and, perhaps, even transform our bodies in beautifully positive and healthy ways.
Photo Source: Existential Soft Rock
Zombie a-go-go
Halloween seems like an appropriate time to let you know that I often compare myself to a Zombie. And not because I’m on a constant quest for “Brains… Brains…” – although certainly some might argue that a mission like that would be appropriate for moi. But no… For me, the ‘Zombie Comparison’ comes from my commitment to constantly moving – and often stumbling – forward, no matter what odds or circumstances I’m facing.
Picture, if you will, a Zombie in a field, stumbling toward its goal, one bumbling step at a time. Although this Zombie might be missing a limb or two or is even if being shot at, it just keeps on going. Kind of like The Energizer Bunny – although with more blood and guts. Still, there’s something to be admired about the Zombie’s drive. And that’s why I often liken myself to one of these creatures (even if it’s not All Hallow’s Eve).
Believe it or not, this comparison can be especially helpful if one has excess weight to lose. It’s tough to stay committed to one’s healthy eating regimen for a whole week only to step on the scale and see that you’ve “only” taken off 1/2 pound. Similarly, it’s sometimes tough to walk out the front door when you’re heavy, knowing that the world sees you as you are – and can likely figure out what one of your addictions is. (“Food… Food…”) To say nothing of walking by an Ice Cream Parlor and having to “Just say no” and keep on moving in the direction you’d originally intended.
And speaking of food, what happens if we accidentally fall off the wagon and end up consuming more than our fair share of fattening treats, only to feel tricked and overfull and then bloated the next morning (not to mention then being confronted with pants that refuse to fasten and/or zip up).
Again, this can all be compared to the life of a Zombie. After all, it’s not any easier to be a dieter than it is to be a Zombie. Think about it… Neither totally knows exactly what he or she is doing. And yet that Zombie just continues to stumble forward, sure that his or her goal will be worth it. And this is something we can definitely take a cue from – whether wanting to reach our goal weight or wanting to accomplish another goal in life.
Just as a Zombie is committed to stumbling forward and reaching those brains – even when being shot at, attacked or even pulled apart, torn limb from limb – we can do the same when facing our goal. Sure, we don’t always know what obstacles lie ahead of us (a tempting food commercial, a ‘friend’ who unknowingly sabotages our dieting efforts, a sale on candy the day after Halloween, etc.). But no matter what knocks us down, we have the option of considering it to be a temporary thing and then getting back up and recommitting to stumbling toward our goal. Because eventually – even when stumbling, as long as we’re moving forward – we’re going to reach our goal.
So this Halloween, whenever you happen to see a Zombie on TV, in a movie or at a costume party, take a moment to acknowledge that you have something in common with the walking dead. Of course, if you happen to see a real zombie, run (don’t stumble) the other way. After all, we need all of the brains that we can hold onto. Besides, the run will potentially do your heart some good.