Happy 2023! This month, I will offer you one action step and one mindset shift to help you jumpstart your 2023 health goals! I’m a firm believer in one small step at a time in order to reach your goals! Our brains like information in smaller chunks and will remember habits and patterns more easily that way!
This week, think about your intentions with your sweets and sugar! Are you giving them up all together or are you cutting back? Both ways can work depending on your motivation, determination, and decision making. It’s up to you! There is never only ONE way to do something, so do what will work for you!
If you have decided to reduce the number of sugary treats that you’ll be eating, I’d like to offer my concept of SWEET SATURDAY. When my son, Matthew, was young, he did not get very many sugary treats most of the time. It was easy to decide what he could or could not eat then based on what we allowed. As he got older, it got harder to keep up with, especially once he went to school where treats were offered as “normal” rewards and celebrations. To help regulate his sugar intake for the sake of his health, not as deprivation, I created the idea of SWEET SATURDAY. The guidelines were easy: no sugary treats, desserts, etc. during the week and ONE treat was okay on Saturday. I know that I got some criticism for it, but it ended up being a very good learning experience as well as a healthier alternative. It introduced the power of choice and the excitement of anticipation. Matthew was very selective with his one treat per week and learned how to make choices with quality of food in mind. It became something to look forward to instead of taking for granted and the anticipation of it was something to really look forward to. Even today at age eighteen, although SWEET SATURDAY is a practice of the past for him, he makes better choices by thinking about what to eat and when. He is aware of healthy vs. less healthy choices and is now old enough to decide for himself.
It’s a mindset shift from “what I can’t have” to “what I choose to have”! I know that you will find this more empowering which will then lead to longer lasting habits that stick. This week, I invite you to give this a try if it matches what your goals are regarding limiting sweets. Put your own spin on it and let me know in the comments what you did, how it went, and how you thought about treats differently! You have nothing to lose by giving it a try…except extra sugar!
You’ve got this!
Georgette
Need accountability, support, and expert resources to lose weight? Email me at glepage7@me.com to see if we are a good fit to work together!