Being Kind to Kim: Eating to Celebrate!
I don't know about you, but I love eating to celebrate!...
"It's Friday, let's celebrate getting through the week by going out for supper and drinking beer at the pub!" "It's Valentine's! Let's celebrate our love by over-indulging in crappy and cheap milk chocolate!" "It's Christmas! Let's celebrate by stuffing ourselves with food of all sorts... turkey, stuffing, gravy, sweet potato casserole, pie, ice cream, chocolates, wine, etc, etc!" "It's our office party! Let's celebrate not killing our coworkers this year by indulging in a lovely potluck!" And my current nemesis: "My hubby is home from working up north! Let's celebrate by eating out, drinking beer, skipping the workouts and generally making unhealthy choices!" Does anyone else find it ironic that we celebrate things by making unhealthy choices for our bodies?!? Lucinda's been teaching me to be aware of my feelings associated with my food choices. Let's ponder for a moment, shall we? Alcohol: It makes sense, I suppose, that we drink alcohol at social occasions. It helps us to feel more comfortable with the small talk and the socializing. For many of us, it helps calm the nerves a little so that we can enjoy ourselves more. When my husband is home, I choose alcohol to celebrate. It's more of a "let's party!"-type decision. This is something I am still working on.
Over-indulging: You know that feeling you get when you eat too much turkey and need to unbutton your pants in order to breathe? I personally hate that feeling. It really helps me to consciously remember that I hate that feeling instead of unconsciously eating, eating, eating and then being "surprised" by my sore-tummy feeling. I find that when I remember that I don't like feeling over-stuffed, I generally don't overeat (as much).
Sugar, sugar, sugar: Cakes, pies, chocolates, ice cream... It seems like the ultimate reward for a job well done & the perfect treat at a special occasion. But that sweet treat is usually filled with sugar, chemicals, and empty calories with little nutritional value! Why do we reward ourselves with something that is so unhealthy for our bodies? Lucinda, I'd love to hear the answer to this, cuz I still don't know!
What has helped me, though, is really taking the time to think about which treat I will enjoy most and then sitting down with that sweet treat and really enjoying it! My favourites: dark chocolate, cheesecake, cherries, and cinnamon-apple baked goods. Things that aren't my favourite: baked goods with raisins, cheap milk chocolate, dry store-bought cakes, and baked goods with nuts. So I survey the choices, choose one or two small favourites and REALLY ENJOY them! I end up feeling satisfied, happy and not sick to my stomach! This is a great way to "be kind to Kim." For me, a big part of "being kind to Kim" is eating food that I like, food that is healthy, and food that feels good in my body. I am constantly striving to find foods that fulfill all three of those! Wouldn't it be interesting if we celebrated by being kind to ourselves?
