Surviving Celebrations

Happy Easter, Everyone!

Be happy, rejoice, He lives!

Have you ever noticed that celebrations can be a dieters worst enemy, though?

On a side note, I don't particularly like the word dieter (or any derivative of it) because of the negative connotation it has acquired over the years. But for lack of a better word equally as concise as diet, I'm going to use it from time to time. I personally like to think of my eating habits as a healthy life choice, rather than being on a never-ending diet.

For those who are watching their intake of food, celebrations do pose a real challenge. I don't recommend total denial of partaking in those special items on the menu though. Everyone deserves to enjoy treats once in a while. My suggestion is to enjoy them in a sampling sort of way, but if you just have to have more, do so with the understanding that this "one time" is the exception to the rule. You must be quite firm with yourself that that kind of enjoyment cannot run into a daily, recurring incident. Period.

And some additional exercise would be a good thing to add to your agenda for the next several days to counteract the damage those "extra's" cost you.

It's kind of in line with the old adage "Don't let your weekends run into your week." Splurging is acceptable on an occasional basis, but you are always accountable for your actions, so one way or another you will have to deal with the aftermath of that enjoyment.

Just be prepared to accept the consequences of celebrating. Whether it be to workout harder to regain your previous achievement, or to decrease your calorie intake during the next few days, or a combination of both, you do need to get back on the healthy track and the sooner the better.

So now that the big Easter weekend is over, spend some time retraining yourself to eat, sleep, and exercise in a healthy way again. Prepare yourself so you can enjoy the next big celebration without guilt, knowing that you have the ability to regain control of your eating habits immediately afterward.

Celebrating is good for you. Just know when to stop.

May our sweet tooth be amptly satisfied and may we crave all that is healthy once again.

'Till next time,
Eileen