Birthday… Moderation Style

by healthy ashley on September 30, 2008

Last Friday was my birthday. Since I worked 7am-7:30pm in another town on the actual day and my family is separated, my birthday was spread out into a 3-day celebration.

In that time period, I managed to have four chocolate birthday cakes (chocolate peanut-butter explosion, brownie cake with cream cheese icing, sinful chocolate cake and a chocolate ganache fudge cake I’ve been wanting since March) and a “cupcake”. Most of my meals were eaten out at yummy restaurants or massive spreads of my favorite foods cooked at home. My grandmother even put a homemade banana bread in my gift bag!

Needless to say, my birthday centered mostly around food!

I wanted to spoil myself on my birthday and that meant doing whatever made me happy. When I realized stuffing myself with food didn’t make me happy, I resolved to indulge in all my treats while still feeling good in my skin. It was a success! Not an ounce was gained and I didn’t feel bloated all weekend.

Here are my tips for dealing with heavy situations and still feeling light and fresh:

1. Don’t look at anything as “bad.” If a food is “bad,” don’t eat it! Having a rich dessert was my choice- and I enjoyed it!

2. Stop counting. The calories in all my food might have overwhelmed me and made me lose focus. Some days, you’ve got to listen to your body.

3. Enjoy the moment and enjoy the food. When you’ve eaten too much, you stop enjoying the moment.

4. “Budget” yourself according to your day. I knew I was going to have a big pizza dinner and had a giant breakfast, so I kept my lunch light and fresh.

5. There is more to the moment than food. Appreciate the people around you and how good you feel. Think of how you’ll feel after the meal.