What's Wrong With a Nibble Off the Banana?
Yesterday we discussed BLT's (Bites, Licks, and Tastes) and how we are learning to break that nasty habit. Today I want to take the whole thing a step further. It's not enough to just acknowledge WHAT a BLT is but we need to recognize HOW OFTEN we do it.
Last week when I was discussing this challenge with my own trainer, he couldn't understand why I would ever make someone drop and give me 20 pop squats for a couple of bites of fresh banana. I said, "Bill, if my girls had chronic issues of nibbling on bananas, grapes, carrot sticks, and red peppers then I wouldn't have them as clients to begin with! They have a habit of eating WITHOUT PLANNING and THINKING about what goes in their mouth!"
See, BLT's in terms of trying to lose weight are simply foods you are eating without thinking. The BLT's are so small and insignificant in terms of satisfying your appetite that you don't remember doing them and they don't cause you to eat less. Heck, most BLT's happen AFTER your main meal.
I want my girls THINKING about everything that goes in their mouth. Is this going to get me to goal? Is this going to help me live a long life? Will I be happy on Monday when I weigh-in if I take a lick of this?
Losing weight isn't easy. It's learning how to approach food differently than you always have because you are going to work your rump off in the weight room and on the treadmill. What I need my girls to acknowledge is that they have to learn to approach food like fuel and not just a habit. They have to think about the type of gas going into the tank. They can't let the tank run empty, they can't be topping it off (hello...BLT's), and they need to run good, high quality gas because the types of workouts I give them don't allow for cheapo mess like Hershey Kisses, leftover mac and cheese, or cold chicken nuggets.
For now, HECK YES they are going to stop and drop when they eat a piece of banana, steamed fish, pickle, raw almond, or celery. Are those things alone making them fat? Probably not, but the habit of just grabbing food mindlessly does so until we have that under control we will:
- Plan It
- Eat It
- and Work It
No more, no less.
Today's Question...What's the worst BLT you ate in the last week? I can say I didn't have one but yesterday I took my son to Sonic and was SO TEMPTED to have a fresh, hot french fry. I LOVE fries!!! I didn't do it ONLY because of the challenge. Seriously, I've done so good and seen such great things happening with my physique and I still wanted a silly french fry that would have done nothing for me but make me miss french fries more. Today I feel empowered that I didn't have it. Yesterday I would've felt good for about five seconds and then just had a taste for more.