Yes, I write a fitness blog. But I do not even pretend to eat healthy all the time. That’s just laughable. There are times where I’m in an “out of my way, I must eat chocolate or die trying” mood.
I know you all have had them, too. The chocolate craving so strong that you’re digging in the pantry to find any rogue piece of Halloween candy that might have fallen behind the cereal boxes. Guilty.
Now, I’m a proponent of not giving in to food temptation. I always try to avoid it, but when you absolutely MUST splurge, if you absolutely HAVE to give in to the craving and break open that bag of Doritos, I’ve got a few things to keep in mind when you’re doing your “dirty snacking”:
Don’t Eat Out of the Bag: If you’re going to eat potato chips or cookies, measure it out and put them in a bowl (I use the littlest Tupperware bowl I have.) This will give you a measured amount to snack on and a definitive amount you can eat. If you eat out of the bag, you have no idea how much you ate and it’s a horrible feeling when your fingers hit the bottom of the just-opened bag of chips. #snackersremorse
Measure out a Serving: There are times when nothing but a cookie is going to satisfy you. By all means, if that’s the case, eat a cookie. But make it ONE cookie. If you’re going to eat an unhealthy snack, measure out one serving. That way, you know how much you’re eating, the number of calories and can track it accordingly. No one wants an “I didn’t mean to eat the whole bag of Oreos” moment.
Don’t Keep it in the House: The easiest way not to snack on crappy food is to not keep it in the house. Seriously, if there are chips in the house, that’s just going to cause you temptation. Keep healthy snacks around and easy to get to. If you really want potato chips bad enough to get in your car and drive to the grocery store, then go for it (just be sure to measure it out when you get home.)
Brush Your Teeth: Ok, this one sounds weird, but hear me out (my dentist is going to love reading this.) After you eat your serving of junk food – go brush your teeth. Getting that sweet/savory taste out of your mouth and replacing it with minty freshness of toothpaste will help you not want to reach for the bag of Cheetos again. Seriously, try it.
I’ll be the first to tell you to reach for the apple slices instead of the girl scout cookies everyday. But in reality, I know that’s not always going to happen. If you decide to give in to your junk food cravings, just be smart about it. Keep the portions small and don’t let it snowball into a bad day of eating. Make it one small treat then hop back on the healthy eating train.
Snack Time!
Cynthiana Strong 