In life, we will always be presented with temptation that poses difficult to resist. People are constantly battling urges to over eat, drink, or spend and we all too frequently buckle when lured. Unfortunately, most people associate success with self-control and therefore, if we fail to stick to a diet or exercise regimen, we feel poorly about ourselves.
When it comes to self-control, most of us will always struggle with one aspect or another, especially when it comes to food and exercise. However, there are some strategies you can follow which might help. Below is a list of five ways you can practice better self-control when it comes to your health!
1. BE POSITIVE! Spend more time building yourself up and LESS time breaking yourself down. When you love who you are and keep a positive attitude, the more likely it is you will want to do healthy things for yourself and your body! So give yourself a break the next time you eat a little too much or skip a work out! Acknowledge the area you would like to improve and agree to let those moments of mishap GO! In the long run, a few extra cookies or slices of pizza will not make or break your health!
2. Have a plan. Before you head off to a party, eat at a restaurant, or go away on vacation, decide how you want to handle situations that might compromise your healthy lifestyle. If you make a plan to stay active on vacation, skip the bread basket at a restaurant, or fill up on greens at your next family cook out, you have attainable goals that can easily be met. However, if your plans fall through, don’t waste time beating yourself up. Meet your goal the next time around; no big deal! Remember, you have your whole life to get it right!
3. Be knowledgeable. I cannot stress this enough; know what you are putting in your mouth. Most individuals have an easier time resisting certain foods when they have at least some knowledge about the nutritional profile. If I really don’t know how many calories a food has, I just use common sense. If the entree or appetizer looks unhealthy, you can probably guess it has a lot of fat and calories and so it is wise to keep portions small. As I mentioned in the last point, have a plan. For example, before going to a restaurant, try to be knowledgeable of the menu. Spend a little time looking up the nutritional information (if they provide one) and decide what you would like to order ahead of time. The understanding of how many calories or fat certain restaurant foods have might deter you from over eating. You will also have the opportunity to spend a little time researching what different cooking terms mean and which to avoid most often.
4. Reward your successes. All too often we only reflect upon our failures and neglect to acknowledge our triumphs! For example, if you have lost 10 pounds in a month but then go a couple weeks without losing, feel guilty, and go on a binge; you are only focusing on the negative. This kind of destructive thinking will leave you feeling hopeless. I want you to look at the 10 pounds you lost and feel proud of that; go out and buy a new workout DVD or pair of running shoes, you deserve it! Then, recognize the small plateau you have hit and make a plan for how to bust through it!! A small slip up here and there does not mean your discipline and self-control is out the window. Reflect back on how to be more consistent with your choices over the long-term and figure out how to adjust and adapt to situations you find challenging. Losing weight and getting healthy is a life-long learning experience, don’t forget that!
5. Be mindful. Be present. Many episodes of over-indulgence occur because we are not being mindful of the present moment! When I used to overeat in college, it was because I was zoning out while I was eating. Instead, I encourage you to be present. Every morsel you put in your mouth should be consumed mindfully. It is much easier to stop eating when you realize you have already eaten 6 chicken wings or sampled 3 desserts. Stay in the present moment!
Self-control is about helping you become who you would like to be and get where you would like to go. Don’t waste time beating yourself up, spend time learning from experiences and strive to be YOUR best self!! You CAN do it!!
This is the third time I have read this post and it still offers me loads of comfort and motivation (I binge-eat again). Really thankful for your blog.
Smile. Another great post. I work really hard at being present and positive. These have been such keys to my well-being (both physically and emotionally!) Thanks for sharing with me tonight. I’ve missed visiting you and your blog. I’m glad that I’m back
I hope you have a wonderful end to your week. Hugs from Austin!
Sound advice. I think the planning piece stands out for me. When I see how things go, they don’t go well. I would add that It think allowing yourself to not be ultra controlled all the time helps day-to-day control.
Having a plan is so important! I have a hard time sticking to them, but when I do, I feel SO much better!
Great tips, especially the POSITIVITY plug! Maintaining an optimistic outlook enables us to behave in constructive, healthy ways, and makes us feel resilient, strong and energetic! When we experience these feelings, everything else falls into place.
Hope you’re having a wonderful week, Erin! xoxo
Great tips! I find that practicing self control is the opposite for me, I have to almost make myself eat that extra slice of pizza or piece of brownies, because I am one of the few americans who actually wants to gain weight! Love your blog btw:)
love this post, sometimes it is so hard to make the right decisions..but lately, healthier foods just make me feel better and that helps me make a better decision on what I want to eat.
YES YES YES!! great tips i needed to listen to number 1 today!
Knowing what Im eating has been the biggest one for me. I have no probably staying away from chocolates that dont actually contain chocolate, or cheese sauce thats not really cheese at all.
You’re spot on Erin! It’s definitely a life-long learning experience and journey – and all of these tips are great ways to stay on track! ::)
I always check out restaurant menus before I go or th app on my phone… sometimes getting that salad isnt worth it when you realize it has 1000 calories!
Awesome post! I definitely believe in being mindful of what you eat and to eat because you’re hungry not because you’re stressed out or emotional
I love your posts! Thanks for the pep talk. We ALL need that sometimes. Have a wonderful day!
I think being mindful is most helpful to me. I try to figure out what may be triggering my lack of self control and then determine if it will be worth it in the end. If I’m indulging and having a blast, no biggie. If I’m bored/depressed, I know it won’t be worth it.
great post, erin!! i love the “poster” (insert) quote, there.
knowledge is definitely a key idea: the better informed you are, the more in control you feel and the more confident you feel in making your decisions and choices. perspective is so important: one day or one treat or one missed workout does NOT ruin your goal! and being positive is always an asset. thanks for the really interesting read!
What a great post! I need to work on being positive. I am so hard on myself sometimes. I am working on it though.
I posted about Meatless May on my blog!
Loved this post! “You have your whole life to get it right”…yepper! No such thing as a major set back for me. I simply pick up where I left off and look forward to a new day! I am also getting so much better with positive self-talk. I love myself so much more than I ever did in high school, college, or even 2 year ago! I look forward to making awesome choices every day!
Thanks again for another great post!
These are great tips, and I totally agree with them all! I am a huge, HUGE planner (maybe somewhat a little too reliant on plans at times actually) but I think they’re key in getting the results you want – be it self control in overeating, eating healthily, or other areas of life. Great ideas!
I cannot stress enough the importance of at least having a general idea of eats for the day. When I get stuck at home for dinner and have no idea what I want? Things get ugly…
Having a plan is definitely one of my most important ones!
Great post Erin! I can totally relate to all of your points on self-control; especially the one about mindlessness. That pretty much defines the way I used to be. Positivity and awareness are key for me in being my “best” self!! Thanks for the reminder that a slip up now and again doesn’t define you!
Having a plan is sooo important! I agree! I always try to do this b/c the times that I don’t… I get myself into trouuuuuuble! <3 haha
I love this post- I really agree that the most important thing is attitude and treating yourself well!
Awesome tips! It’s so important to health isn’t an all-or nothing thing, and it’s a lifelong journey. It really doesn’t matter if you eat dessert or miss a workout in the long term, just start up again the next day.
Great post!!!!!!!!! I love reading things like this! There are always great tips!
Hope you have an awesome day!
This post could not have come at a better time. I’ve felt derailed the last few days.
Awww, man! I wish I had seen this an hour ago. I just inhaled an enormous Panera muffin. Our office had Panera breakfast today, and boy was it yummy! (It’s too bad I think it would take running 6 fast, hilly miles to break even on that calorie-bomb!)