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Tip of the Week: Delay Gratification

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So many overeaters will tell us that they just want more of the good taste of the food they're eating. They don't know the next time they'll have that particular pasta dish or dessert. Or they just want what they want, when they want it. If you just can't say no to food keep reading.

In the Shrink Yourself program one of our 10 Healthy Habits is called "Keeping Your Weight in Mind." This healthy habit means that to lose weight you have to stay conscious of how your food choices will ultimately affect your weight and your health. For many of us, there is a leftover childlike quality in us that doesn't want to wait to enjoy ourselves or doesn't want the quantity of our food restricted. Perhaps you've heard this childlike voice in your head that says things like, "I want it now," or, "I have to have it," or simply "I don't care, I'm just going to eat it." No one is saying you need to deprive yourself but you do need to consider your choices carefully. Sometimes just a bite of a dessert does the trick. Sometimes a half portion of a favorite food hits the spot. And sometimes waiting a few extra days to go to a favorite restaurant makes you enjoy it all the more. Delaying gratification is one way that you recover your power and become the one who controls what and how much you eat.


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* Shrink Yourself has helped thousands of people with the 12-week online program. With its tested method, it helps you end cravings, food addiction, overeating, emotional eating and even yo-yo diets. Learn about the program! *

5 Comments In the order they were posted.

annie said...

I have lost 70lbs over the last 15 months I count calories and keep a journal of what I eat But on Friday and Sat nite when my husband and I go out dancing I splure a little I look forward to those evenings all week long and its worth it to me to be strict during the week.

Gaye said...

i am binging on ice cream right now and i am feeling weak. i am moving to another country and my boyfriend whom i am leaving behind wants to marry me but i am not ready. i might want to meet new people but i also love him very much.. i am just not sure if hes the right one for me. i am scared of how i will cope with a long distance relationship and more importantly of breaking his heart when we have to go our own ways. I try not thinking about it since it devastates me and besides time will show how it all evolves but yesterday night he told me again he wants to spend his life with me. ice cream just provides a breathing room for me. food is the greatest ! distraction for me -until the box is empty- anybody out there reading this, i might use some good help. thanks

sasha said...

Dear Gaye, I'm not a doctor, but I just want to say that I think that you are not listening to your own wisdom. You are going on an exciting adventure, where you want to meet new people, as you will. You don't want to marry right now, so you are not going to. You are wise and yet you doubt ALL your wisdom. You are also compassionate toward how your boyfriend will handle a break up. Girl, you have so much wonderful stuff in you. You don't need sugar/sweets, you couldn't be any sweeter inside. Keep in mind that the LEAVING part is so much harder that the BEING away part. You will both grow from this experience. And he is lucky if his heartbreak is from someone who cares so much and is hard to do. NO ONE that broke my heart ever felt bad for me. Be safe in your new country, have a great trip. Alos, Take one day at a time. The Bible says that's all we can handle.

Stephanie said...

Oh, Gaye...How I wish I knew what to say to help you. Unfortunately I have been where you are with that ice cream box. I don't know how I have done it, but I have begun to gain a little more control in my own situations. I guess SY and friends who want to help have had a lot to do with it. As for the boyfriend, I am SO PROUD of you -- even though we don't know each other -- that you are recognizing that you are not ready to get married. If you are not ready, DO NOT DO IT. I don't know you will. I think you know better. And as Sasha said, you have SO MUCH wisdome inside of you, and yet you are doubting every bit of that great wisdom you have. Don't doubt yourself. Your thoughts are where they need to be. Now you just need to believe in yourself and try to put down that ice cream box. Better yet, try not to even buy another one the next chance you have. Make it a much more occasional treat, rather than one of your staple foods that you buy every time you're out, or sometimes even before you're out. I hope that makes sense. I wish you the best of luck. You are so sweet to be so concerned about your boyfriend. He has no idea how lucky he is, whether it works out or not. Good luck, sweetie. :

Leann said...

Dear Gaye! Something we women often fail to do is listen to our intuition. It sounds like yours is trying to keep you from making a bad mistake. Listen to it with your heart wide open and your mind on your future. If you are not ready to marry then DO NOT let ANYONE talk you in to, cajole, threaten or otherwise try to convince or manipulate you to do otherwise. I know, I have been there and because I was concerned for other peoples feelings and didn't have the courage to say no - I ended up in divorce courts TWICE! If you think it hurts to leave now - you have no idea how devastatingly painful divorce is or how hard it is to break up a marriage or leave a bad relationship. I am now married to my soul mate, best friend and the most wonderful man I have ever known. So take time for you - go on that wonderful journey and experience life before you settle down. There is lots of time to get married. I have a problem with stress eating too and I LOVE ice cream. However I know i can not have it in my house. When I crave it I give it time before i go out to get some. Then I only go to my favorite ice cream store Baskin Robbins and get a sample size of one of my favorites. I eat it slowly and languish over my treat and have managed to lose nearly 50 pounds treating myself once in a while. Best of luck to you and God Bless you on your new journey.

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