I deserve chocolate by Mary Jane Popp

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I Deserve Chocolate by Mary Jane Popp

Available on Amazon

It’s Valentine’s Day, and you’re looking for that gorgeous red box of chocolates to go with the flowers. After all, it is dark chocolate and healthy for you, right? Well, listen up, because you might want to have second thoughts about yummy stuff at the holidays…don’t forget Easter is fast approaching too!

Do we become mindless overeaters during these special times? Do we lose weight, and then eventually regain the weight we lost and even more? Pervasive insistent thoughts such as “I deserve this!” or “I’m buying these chips for the kids not for me” keep many of us in the habit of unhealthy eating.

That comes from Dr. Susan Albers, psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic Family Health Center who specializes in eating disorders, and is author of “But I Deserve This Chocolate!” She tackles the fifty most common self-sabotaging thoughts and habits that put on the pounds. Each of the fifty chapters explains the mentality behind a particular excuse for unhealthy eating and offers mindfulness exercises for rerouting those thoughts into healthier attitudes.

So, if you want to lose weight or you have to maintain restricted diets due to allergies, diabetes, or other health issues or if you just want eat healthier, then you might just want to tackle some of these issues. Dr. Albers shared a few of her tips on my POPPOFF Radio Show to get rid of those rogue thoughts.

1)    I’ll start after the holidays because dieting during the holidays will ruin my fun. Unfortunately feeling overstuffed and uncomfortable in your clothes is what really puts a damper on the festivities. So keep track of how much you eat. Research shows that we underestimate how much we eat by 40%. Your best tool is right in your purse. Snap a picture with your phone. This will help you remember exactly how much you‘re nibbling on. A picture is worth a thousand calories.

2)    I need chocolate. I’m stressed. Any holiday gives me a headache with the hustle and bustle. Believe it or not. Chocolate and sweets actually increases your stress not decreases it. A recent study shows that chocolate only provides comfort for three minutes and then fades.

Chocolate also creates a spike and sudden drop in your blood sugar. When stressed, eat a handful of pistachios. According to the “pistachio effect” you can save 80-100 calories by taking them out of the shell yourself. This snack will regulate your blood sugar which will make you feel less irritable. They also have a crunch to help you work out your frustrations.

3)    Food is so tempting during a holiday. Don’t fall for your impulses. Take along a pocket full of sugar-free peppermint candy. Agree to delay acting on your desire for second helpings until the piece of candy completely dissolves. Waiting five minutes can significantly decrease your desire for more. Peppermint is also known to reduce your appetite.

4)    We celebrate with food. Don’t get rid of your favorites! Just revamp them. Use the principal of “just noticeable difference.” Change just enough so that you can’t perceive the difference. For example, take out one-third of the brown sugar and butter in a sweet potato casserole.

If you skip them, you are sure to notice and miss them. This adjustment is barely noticeable and can help your waistline during any holiday or special occasion.

There are forty-six more tips to help you cope with the goodies and your waistline.

Dr. Albers has written several books on the subject. She also writes for magazines like Prevention, Family Circle, O, and Vanity Fair.

You can also blog her at the Huffington Post and PsychologyToday.com. Even Dr. Oz listened to what the good Doctor had to say.

You can also get more info on her book and more at www.eatingmindfully.com.

Happy Valentine’s Day and go easy on the chocolate!

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17 U.S.C. §512 compliant: click here to visit Mary Jane Popp’s website

Mary Jane Popp

Mary Jane “POPPY” Popp has the innate ability to communicate with the masses, yet maintain a one-on-one relationship with her guests and audience. She has interviewed the most exciting personalities from politicos like the Reagans to Hollywood notables like Suzanne Somers to spirituals like Deepak Chopra.

Contact her at poppoff@live.com and tune in to her daily radio program from 10:00pm until midnight (pacific) at www.kahi.com

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