Easter is coming and there will probably be some candy in your life.
If you don’t care about candy you don’t need to read this blog. If you eat some candy and then have no trouble stopping, this blog isn’t for you.
If you have studiously avoided candy because it’s a “red light food” for you that sets you off on an out-of-control-overeating-extravaganza this blog is for you. If you have avoided candy because you fell for the message in the docu-crappery, Fed Up and you think sugar is killing you or that you suffer from sugar addiction, this blog may be for you.
I don’t want to convince anybody to do something they think they “can’t do.”
Many years ago I presented a point of view that if a woman could eat 200 calories of red licorice and be satisfied, she could do the same with 200 calories of milk chocolate. One woman decided that, on my word, she would do the impossible because I said it could be done. According to her, it triggered the aforementioned out-of-control-overeating-extravaganza and she wanted me to be relieved of my duties as a Weight Watchers Leader effective immediately.
The point I’d like to make is that you are in control of your mouth.
If food goes into it, it’s because you put it there. If you believe that you will lose control of your mouth because you ate something that will take over both your hands and your mouth, then yeah, don’t put that substance in your mouth – even if somebody says it’s okay. Take responsibility for your actions! That woman was probably the same kid who rode her bike off a cliff because somebody “told her to!”
So for those of you who are still with me and ready to challenge a limiting belief, let’s get challenging!
Repeat after me:
- I am not addicted to sugar; I just like the taste!
- I can eat candy in balance and moderation!
- Candy enhances my life and is part of my healthful diet!
After making those statemements with conviction, eating candy in control starts by selecting your piece of candy on a full stomach. Indulge after having eaten a tasty and satisfying meal.
Choose a really special piece of candy.
If you don’t particularly love dark chocolate, for example, don’t choose it because you have read that it’s “healthier.” Eating candy isn’t about healthy food choices, it’s about an exquisite treat! So, go for what you really love! I’ll take either milk chocolate covered caramel or a milk chocolate covered marshmallow egg!
Eat your candy in no fewer than 3 bites, and more if you can do so. Eat it slowly to enjoy it fully. If you like to let it melt in your mouth, then do it. Candy isn’t for hastily gulping. No guilty feelings allowed. There is nothing sinful or decadant about eating candy and those words and feelings can undermine your pleasure and your power to stop.
If one piece of candy doesn’t satisfy and you’re tempted to have more ask yourself some questions?
- In an hour from now will I be happier or unhappy if I eat a second piece?
- (If the answer is unhappier) WIll I be unhappy because I feel deprived or because I was weak?
- Will the next piece taste any better or bring me more pleasure than the first piece?
- Is candy leaving the planet? Is this the last chance I’ll ever have to eat candy again?
Those are questions that keep your logic engaged and avoid irrational emotions. They can apply to any food you think is “dangerous” to your weight and/or health. A little bit of any food can be part of an overall healthful eating plan.