Today, I want to talk about that tendency many of us have to eat well during the week and “treat ourselves” over the weekend.
Now, before you roll your eyes and think, “she is going to ruin this for us, isn’t she?” let’s analyze the rationale in this way of thinking.
Typically, when I begin working with a patient, I’ll hear some form of “I eat well all week but treat myself all weekend.” This style of eating has become popular, but it has its problems.
Here’s how I think of it—I work hard all week to nourish my body and train it physically so that I feel good. Why not just keep doing that? Why undo any hard work and forward movement by eating poorly and feeling bad, when I can just keep feeling good?
We can certainly choose to look at our weekend indulgence as a reward for all our hard work throughout the week. To me, though, that’s like saying you’re not smoking during the week but, as a reward, will smoke a pack-and-a-half on Saturday. I don’t understand it. We are trying to change habits—creating lasting change will be tough if we’re continually undoing our progress.
And maybe we should rethink the word “treat.” Unhealthy eating is not a treat for our body; it is damaging long term.
I’m not saying you can’t have a dessert or your favorite food sometime during your week, but to create lasting change, it’s easier to get right “back to work” after your favorite treat. The longer we stay off our plan, the harder it is to get back on it. We all know this. Let’s try our best to change our thinking around the word “treat”. Make no mistake; you are not treating your body, your mind-maybe, but not your body.
Your friend and ally,
The Party Pooper
With the hope that we can remain friends, I’ve added one of my favorite healthy summer TREATS for you in the Free Recipes section of my site. This smoothie is one of many kidney stone-safe meal options from my Meal Plan subscription service. Give it a try and let me know what you think or how you made it better.
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