Eating cupcakes for weight loss
I love telling women that when I was at my leanest (15% body fat - which is really low), I ate a Hostess cupcake EVERY. DAMN. DAY.
This isn’t about bragging. This about trying to impress upon women that being a healthy weight does not mean that you need to give up your favorite foods forever. It does not mean only getting to eat “to fuel” your body. It does not mean never eating foods that are full of sugar and fat again. Those ideas are total nonsense!
It does mean that you need to give up the idea of perfection. It does mean getting clear on foods that bring you BOTH mental and physical nourishment. It does mean trade-offs and quantity control.
Everybody knows I love chocolate cake! If all I ate was chocolate cake, I would feel like garbage. Conversely, if all I ever ate was vegetables, I would feel deprived. Ever wonder why you can eat like a saint through the week, only to lose your mind and undo all your hardwork on the weekend? That’s called deprivation and it almost always leads to rebellion and overeating. In order for an eating plan to work, you need to find the balance between foods you love and foods that make your body feel good.
Make a list of your favorite foods and use those foods (not just random, accessible foods) to provide emotional/mental satiation. These foods should not trigger overeating episodes. If you can’t eat cheese and crackers without eating a half a pound of cheese and a sleeve of crackers, this should not be a food you choose.
Trade-offs and quantity are the sticking points for most of us. Meaning, do you want wine OR dessert? It’s not both unless quantities are small. The remainder of your food should support a healthy body. Also, you must be able to eat your indulgent food in an appropriate quantity. If it triggers binge behavior, skip it.
Generally speaking, our food should be about 80% whole food and 20% junky goodness** to maintain a healthy body and a satisfied psyche. For some, the wiggle room is only 10% and for others up to 30%. Pay attention to your body and your results to figure out which you are.
So take a look at how you eat now. Where could you add more fruits and veggies? Can you swap out less desirable protein choices (bacon) for healthier (poultry) options? And when could you include a tactical treat to keep you from overeating later on?
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**I’d like to clarify these numbers. If you ate 3 healthy meals and your after-dinner indulgence was a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, this does not mean you ate 75% of your day clean. A pint of Ben & Jerry’s can easily be over a 1000 calories! And for a woman looking to lose weight, this can be more than 50% of your daily caloric needs….which means you are well over the 20% junky goodness guideline.