Before the start of Lent comes one of my favorite holidays, Mardi Gras. Growing up in South Louisiana, I remember fondly several of the parties, parades and the food. (I'm convinced crawfish should be on the food pyramid!)
Mardi Gras revelers spend one night partying on the primiss that they'll spend the next 40 days of Lent denying themselves one of their favorite pleasures. While I can see the benefit of cutting down and avoiding soda or sugary desserts regularly, last night I heard several of my friends talking about giving up entire food groups or meals in hope that their relgious following of the Lenten Season would also help them loose weight before summer.
While I don't disagree with the religious following of Lent, I do have to say that giving up entire food groups or some of your favorite foods, for the sole purpose of loosing weight is a dieting disaster. According to
About.com...
treating yourself to your old favorites now and again, you'll stay motivated and you'll be less likely to give in to a binge.
Lifelong fitness should include eating treats responsibly, not completely depriving oneself of those yummy treats that we all love. Here are a few of the things I like to do if I know I'm going out for a whopping piece of my favorite cheesecake.
- Extra Fat-Burning Add in an extra 10 minutes of fat burning the day of and the day after a splurge. This helps off-set the fat and calories you've taken in.
- More Water Please - Drink 8 extra ounces of water three days in a row
- Get in the Mood - Make the splurge an experience, not a last minute choice
- Can I have two spoons please? - Share the fun with a friend and cut your portion in half.
- Everybody can eat just one - Make sure your splurge doesn't become a daily thing. Sharing the experience with a friend helps me to stay focused and not give into temptation.
Denying your favorite fun foods only makes you feel deprived and sets you up for failure later. With a little planning you can still eat the foods you enjoy while loosing weight.
Before the start of Lent comes one of my favorite holidays, Mardi Gras. Growing up in South Louisiana, I remember fondly several of the parties, parades and the food. (I'm convinced crawfish should be on the food pyramid!)
Mardi Gras revelers spend one night partying on the primiss that they'll spend the next 40 days of Lent denying themselves one of their favorite pleasures. While I can see the benefit of cutting down and avoiding soda or sugary desserts regularly, last night I heard several of my friends talking about giving up entire food groups or meals in hope that their relgious following of the Lenten Season would also help them loose weight before summer.
While I don't disagree with the religious following of Lent, I do have to say that giving up entire food groups or some of your favorite foods, for the sole purpose of loosing weight is a dieting disaster. According to About.com...
Lifelong fitness should include eating treats responsibly, not completely depriving oneself of those yummy treats that we all love. Here are a few of the things I like to do if I know I'm going out for a whopping piece of my favorite cheesecake.
- Extra Fat-Burning Add in an extra 10 minutes of fat burning the day of and the day after a splurge. This helps off-set the fat and calories you've taken in.
- More Water Please - Drink 8 extra ounces of water three days in a row
- Get in the Mood - Make the splurge an experience, not a last minute choice
- Can I have two spoons please? - Share the fun with a friend and cut your portion in half.
- Everybody can eat just one - Make sure your splurge doesn't become a daily thing. Sharing the experience with a friend helps me to stay focused and not give into temptation.
Denying your favorite fun foods only makes you feel deprived and sets you up for failure later. With a little planning you can still eat the foods you enjoy while loosing weight.