The BATTLE against self-love and acceptance has begun. 'Tis the season for the onslaught of magazine, pinterest, internet and self-called blog "experts" to start bombarding everyone's consciousness with exercise-as-punishment posts. It starts with Halloween and doesn't seem to end until early spring (I've definitely come across some Easter ones!) You know what I mean - one piece of fun-sized candy = X amount of burpees. It seems to be showing up everywhere!
It is no wonder so many women feel shameful when they eat "bad" foods. It is immediately associated with guilt, and a way to punish yourself. I know personally that so many years of yo-yo diets I tried and failed at were based entirely on that principle: starve yourself because you ate "bad" (which NO ONE can sustain), then "slip up" because you were crashing from lack of nutrients, and "punish yourself" with working out or starving yourself all over again (I will NEVER forget what the Master Cleanse Lemonade did to my psyche...)
Here's what I learned in the 2 years I've been at this new lifestyle: Taking care of yourself isn't about obsessing over food and then worrying about how to work off what you just ate. In FACT it's actually the WORST way to go about things -- TRUST ME I've been there and tried it. It does NOT get rid of what you put in your mouth! In order to TRULY succeed over the long term, you have to find a balance, a lifestyle you can adapt to and learn how to spread out your meals over the course of your day using the correct portions and in the correct ratios. Not starving yourself thin!
BREAK THE CYCLE! Working out to negate "bad" food choices not only doesn't work, but it's not going to make you FEEL better -- because food has no moral value. It doesn't make you a bad person, a good person, or a wizard. Stop beating yourself up!
These type of of ads makes women feel shameful and guilty for eating whatever it is that they wanted to treat themselves to. It contributes to the issues that many women have with food, nutrition, and eating disorders.
How do you really handle the fact that you had some candy? A beer? Pizza? A BURGER? Move. The. Fuck. On. You are human. You are going to eat pizza, candy, and burgers. It is totally 100% possible to enjoy these indulgences without guilt, shame, or a compensatory behavior.
It all starts with your relationship towards food, yourself, and your how you treat yourself. That's a learned behavior, and it DOES take some practice. Don't allow your food choices to take away from the positive experience that exercise really is about.
And PLEASE don't allow this scare tactic from BS fitness magazines/"experts" guide your eating habits.
Do what really works - find long term motivation. Surrounding yourself with those who lift you up and encourage you to move forward. And involve your loved ones! It's all about promoting a healthy mindset around food, exercise, and living harmoniously in our bodies.
So what do you do? Eat it. Move on. Go motivate your family/to start something realistic and continue enjoying Grandmas cooking because you want to. She won't be around forever and she gets a LOT of joy from watching you eat her meatballs. Just not everyday ;) Exercise from a place of enjoyment, self care, and self love.
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