Balancing Fun and Health

Through the past year, I have tried to refrain from using the word dieting when I talk about our new relationship with food. We all know that your diet really just means what you put in your body..but the word is usually associated with strict food restrictions and the agony of denying ourselves the food we love. Also, I find that most people have a short term mind set with diets, as if when they hit their goal they can simply drop this diet and go back to eating the way they had been without any negative repercussions. 

Our diet doesn’t require us to give up anything completely, only to be conscious and careful with how much we eat of things. Which also means that when we have things that are bad for us in excess, we must do our best to balance it out? 

For example the whole month of december, we are lenient with our diet. Co workers and family show up with treats and goodies, and we don’t want to be rude or miserable by saying no, so instead we will often make our planned meals much lighter than usual, and that month we also add in more random exercises or activities to help even it out. 

Still, holidays and birthdays aren’t the only thing we try to make room for. As an adult I like to drink from time to time, especially with friends, and what goes best with drinks? Carbs to help soak up the liquor of course! 

So how do we handle it? Do we skip social drinking? Sink into the abyss of adult boredom as we choose responsibility over fun? 

Or maybe we carefully monitor each ahot and pretzel? Our phones glued to our hands throughout the night as we keep sober enough to mark each shot? 

Nope. Because life happens..and if this is to be a long term life change, we must allow for fun, for celebration and all the wonderful moments that make life so enjoyable. 

We recently had this debate, my husband and I, so we came up with a game plan. Maybe this can help you as well. 

1. The day we were going to be drinking, we had no heavy carbs or bad meat in all 3 meals until we got to the drinking part. 
2. We did a full extra work out routine that day as well. 
3.the next day we allowed for a rest day and watched what we ate as well. 
4. The day after when our hangovers and  general ick was gone we did 2 full routines again to make up for the day we missed. 

It is that simple, and all small cheats and deviations can be that simple if you try to imagine it all on a scale, moving things back and forth so that you can make up for what you do, while still allowing yourself to have fun and enjoy good times.