A Weight Loss Orange County Article

by Dina DeAngelo

It has happened to you hasn’t it? Yeah me too. That moment when you tell yourself you deserve that __________ because ____________________. Or you “mindlessly” eat a whole bag of chips or a pint of ice cream after you told yourself one bite, one chip…

How do we beat this munchie curse? Well, the attempt to find a solution to any problem always starts with the root cause or in this case the maddening trigger of the munchie mayhem.

1. Stress- I am going to have to say from a woman’s point of view that for most of us girls, this is the biggest one out there. The crème de la crème of all triggers. Stress can lead to the overindulgence in many areas for the female species-shopping too much, drinking too much, talking too much and in this case eating not just too much but all the wrong things.

If the stress is during work it is possible you are more susceptible because you didn’t eat breakfast like you should have and are hitting a sugar low. Furthermore, science has now shown that your body releases hormones that actually cue those cravings you get for the delicious combination of sugar and fat. You are now limited to the options of what is in the vending machine (bad carbs), what your colleagues brought to celebrate an office birthday (really bad carbs), or what you brought knowing you would come across this problem (NOTHING you little sneak since you were hoping to have a good excuse to eat something bad today!)

Cure- Just stop it already! Ignore the cupcakes and the vending machines and just say no to that pudgy coworker who offers you candy snacks (and is secretly hoping for you to fall off the wagon so that she can feel better about herself). In fact, make friends with her, drag her to your gym, and start bringing cut veggies and raw almonds to work!

By all means do not keep stash candy in your desk or walk by anyone on the way to the fax machine that has a candy bowl. Do not go into the break room if you know someone brought doughnuts in “just to look at them”.

Make sure that you do a few healthy and positive things to combat all forms of stress in your life everyday. Walk the dog longer than usual, start working out with a personal trainer at the same time every week so that you can get into a fitness routine (and give yourself a reason not to work too much overtime). Make dinner plans with friends you know have great eating habits as they can be great influences at mealtime. Think of other options for rewarding yourself when you had a long week.

2. TV, Movies, and the Web- It is not unusual for us to consider the snack portion of watching just about anything on a screen just another part of the entertainment. Haven’t you been eating Milk Duds and popcorn at the movie theater as long as you can remember? We all know that they make that buttered popcorn smell as strong as it can possibly be for a reason-it is absolutely overwhelming!

And I have to say as a single person, it gets a little lonely eating meals by yourself at your dining room table, but boy does TV do the trick to keep you company. Problem is by the time the episode is over, you may have eaten way more then you bargained for… Cure- This one is very simple but is easier said than done. Portions, portions, portions. Decide how much you are going to eat before you turn on the TV, surf the internet or go to the movies (in that case, no snacks might be best as they don’t really offer healthy options) and stick to it. DO NOT STRAY FROM THE PATH. Also, if it the multitasking part of it that you enjoy, find another distraction like knitting or scrap booking while watching TV, and chew gum and drink water while watching movies.

I know this sounds strict but as with anything, it is all in the conditioning and the longer you do it, the easier it gets!

3. Bored Out of Your Mind? - Don’t have a date or just don’t want one? Is it quiet in your house after a long day or week at the office? Spending time alone or just being plain bored can cause you to look for an easy and instantly gratifying experience. The first one we usually think of is eating something delicious as it doesn’t necessarily require that much work, and can be relatively inexpensive. Perhaps you were considering taking a drive to see your old college roommate and going with her to a yoga class. Well that sounds like fun, but seems like a lot more work and expense than let’s say a box full of Sprinkles Cupcakes and rented chic flick watched in your PJs next to your loving pet.

Cure-Waiting a friggin second!! Seriously? First of all, pretty much always a better idea to do something active outside and be sociable than stay at home with a pet (pets want to do fun outdoor activities too! They don’t want to watch The Wedding Planner AGAIN!).Also, great idea to mix it up, change your routine, see a friend you haven’t seen, put yourself out there and try something new, meet new people and see the sights. LIVE THE MOVIE DON’T JUST WATCH IT. Make the extra effort to mark something off of your life list so that you can make your time count. Don’t just pass time and take the easy way for a “satisfying” experience. Do something fun and take your mind off food.

4. P-A-R-T-Y-We all know what that spells-T-R-O-U-B-L-E. If it a good party (and let’s hope it is) the furthest thing from your mind is generally your everyday worries and woes. Out go the responsibility and the diet. You are given the chance to let yourself go and that is exactly what you do.

Cheese ball check.Mini pizzas check.Spanakopita check.Spinach and artichoke dip check.Sliders check.French fries with an array of dipping sauces check.
Po boys check.Coleslaw check.Crème puffs check.Cake check.Ice cream check.Margaritas, daiquiris or beer check.

The more you drink, the worse your judgment gets…Someone says ‘oh come on’ and the next thing you know you have eaten 2 of those slices of cake!

Cure-Eat a healthy snack before you go. Never arrive at a party when you are starving, it is like going to the grocery store hungry. Again portion control can really be of assistance in a party atmosphere by choosing a few of the healthiest items, taking a small potion of them and then eliminating the temptation by moving away from the food area if possible.And lastly, limit your intake of alcohol. Not only does it impair judgment (sometimes making you the “life” of the party) but each drink can be a calorie-bomb in itself.

Remember, the most exciting moments are not those when we are trying to cope with stress by eating a bag of chips or filling our boring weekends with food frenzies. By being the healthiest version of yourself, you can go and do, expand horizons, make connections, achieve your goals and be a healthy role model to others. Try to eat to live- don’t live to eat.

For more great information on fitness and how you can become the best version of yourself with the help of a Personal Trainer visit the Orange County Personal Training page here