Making it Easier to Say No

By Stephanie Olivares, MS, DTR

Valentine’s Day always seems to be a struggle. Candy everywhere around us, gifts of sweets from the people we love the most. How do we get through several weeks of temptation without undoing our hard work in January? Here are 8 tips to help you succeed this year.

1. Keep your Goals in Mind

   Why are you working so hard to eat healthy and change your lifestyle? Is it to look trimmer this summer on vacation? Is it to wake up in the morning feeling refreshed and ready to go? Is it to protect your heart or prevent diabetes? Is it to regain your self-esteem and self-confidence? Whatever your reasons, they drive you to make changes in your daily life.

   They’re the reason you take time to prepare healthy foods. They’re the reason you work out when you’d rather not. Write these reasons on sticky notes and put them where you’ll see them when you’re tempted: on your computer screen at work, on the pantry door, around your credit card. Keeping your eye on the goal helps prevent distractions.

2. Make a Shopping List

   We all know it’s dangerous to go grocery shopping when hungry, but going without a list is just as dangerous. During Valentine’s day it seems that the moment you walk in the door you’re confronted with displays full of candy, chocolates, cookies, cakes, and more. It’s true. One piece of candy isn’t going to undo all of your hard work, but one piece of candy every time you walk into a store for the next month will! Make a list and make a commitment to not buy anything that is not on your grocery list unless it comes straight from the earth or an animal.

3. Get Support from your Family, Friends, and Co-Workers

   Sometimes it’s hard to admit to others that we’re trying to lose weight or to eat healthy for our bodies. During Valentine’s Day, it’s often the people we love the most who are giving us the foods that are undermining our goals. Don’t be afraid to be open with your family, friends, and co-workers. Let each of them know that you’re working really hard to take care of your body and that you would appreciate it if they would support you during Valentine’s Day by not letting you eat sweets this year. If you make it clear you have committed not to eating sweets this year (no matter how hard it might be!) they will know not to buy it for you. After all, how many times have we eaten the box of chocolates so that we didn’t offend our spouse, friend, or co-worker? Added bonus: they become extra accountability!

4. Track Your Food

   It never sounds fun to keep a food journal, but did you know that people who record their food lose significantly more weight than people who do not?

   One study published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine in 2008 showed that people who kept a food diary six days a week lost about twice as much weight as those who kept food records one day a week or less.

5. Get Accountability

   Accountability is key! We all know that it’s easier to make good choices when someone is checking in on us. That’s why people who visit with their nutrition professional regularly see better results that those who don’t. Same with having an exercise buddy. Are you feeling like accountability is lacking?

   We’re happy to announce that we now have two accountability coaches at Healthy Living Dallas. They’re here to help and support you on your path to health. Healthy Living Dallas patients can use them as much as necessary, free of charge. Do you need a phone call asking how your exercise went yesterday? Or an encouraging call to making healthy choices before a weekend retreat? Do you need reminders a few times per week to get out and get moving or to make sure you’ve made your shopping list this week?

   Think about how our coaches can help you with healthy lifestyle habits and let us know! We’d love to get involved on a more regular basis!

6. Keep a Healthier Option Around

   Sometimes we just feel the need for sweets. Sometimes it’s a desire, and sometimes it’s a need. Be prepared for the longing for something sweet in the office or at home when bowls of candy start appearing. At home, ask your family to keep their sweets out of sight (or better yet to join you in healthy eating!). At work, that’s not always possible, but you can prepare yourself. Try having healthier options around. Try fruit, healthy snacks with agave nectar or stevia are a great option. Recipes like the Summer Berry Pie recipe on the Healthy Eating Blog are great to make and keep around during holidays so that you can look forward to your treats and your body looks forward to them too!

   Need something packaged? Try using UltraMeal Medical Food Bars as an option. I like to keep one in my desk and take a small bite every time I’m tempted to but candy in my mouth. Sometimes one small bite is all I need to meet that craving (and sometimes it’s two bites!).

   Have you tried your FREE UltraMeal Bar Samples yet? Ask for your samples during your next appointment and be prepared this Valentine’s Day.

   UltraMeal Bars can be ordered HERE for our patients.

   Ask us about Metagenics newest bars, UltraCalm, UltraEnergy, and UltraProtein.

7. Stay Motivated

   Keeping your goals in mind (Step 1) will definitely help but sometimes you need a word of truth or motivation in your life. Make sure that you regularly are staying positive and motivated about your goals!

   Like us on Facebook to get weekly doses of motivation on your newsfeed, recipe suggestions, news of specials, and more. Beginning in February one lucky Facebook follower will win a $15 gift card each month just for liking a post!

   

8. Reward Yourself

   Let’s face it. We live in a reward based culture. We work so hard to achieve our goals because we see value in them. Whatever your goal is for February, whether it is avoiding unhealthy sweets in the month of February, or eating less than one serving of unhealthy food per week, or avoiding Aunt Susie’s pie, be sure to set a reward for yourself for achieving it! Try to make your reward something that isn’t food based. A manicure, a month of gym membership, a new workout outfit, paying someone to do a honey-do that’s been hanging over your head, or giving yourself a night off for pure relaxation are great options. Whatever your reward, make sure that it’s tangible, and make sure that it doesn’t compete with your goal that you just set. Your reward doesn’t have to be costly or large, but it does need to be enough to make you want to say no this Valentine’s Day.