We all know what it’s like to have one of “those” days. You know, the kind where you really don’t want to get out of bed, let alone do anything productive. When thinking about what you’re going to eat is a chore, and the idea of working out is just shy of a bad joke. It’s really easy to just say to heck with it all, and grab doughnuts or fast food, and since you’ve already caved for one sweet treat, you might as well have two, and add in a hash brown and call it a combo. These choices make you feel good for the moment and take you out of your grey over cast mind, but thats where it all ends abruptly.
The moment that last bite of deep fried goodness passes your lips and starts its course down into your digestive track, all your pleasure sensors are back to square one. So now what? You feel terribly guilty about what you just ate, and to top it off, it still feels like “one of those days”. It’s a vicious cycle, and we all know what happens next. An hour later your brain crashes from the heavy carbs and sugars you just consumed and now you’re more tired then when you first woke up. You decide to kick the feeling with a dose of caffeine. Pick your poison. Soda? Coffee? Tea? (Now don’t get me wrong ladies and gents, there is room in your life for coffee and tea, but large amounts of it to keep you awake from your carb crash is not the best answer. As for the soda, diet or regular, it’s better to just stay clear of it. I’ll get into that in another article. After a cup or two you start to perk up a bit, and then you notice your stomach. It’s hungry again, and its’ not even lunch time! You raid the bottom drawer, or storm the cupboard for something to take the edge off. You notice the fruit on the counter, but you don’t really want that. I mean, it’s not like it’ll make a difference what you eat now. You already messed up the whole day by eating what you did for breakfast. Clearly the day is completely ruined, so might as well keep up the theme. You reach for the chocolate covered granola bars and a handful of trail mix while your brain is already thinking ahead to lunch. Cheeseburger? Fries? Maybe pizza? You’ll start again tomorrow on the salads when you feel better.
Unfortunately what you don’t realize is that you’re setting yourself up for exactly the same type of day to follow, so now’s your chance! Stop while you’re ahead!
Here is where mindfulness can come into play. “Mindfulness”, you ask? Let me explain. When you woke up in the morning, you were aware that it felt like one of “those” days. You were mindful of how you physically and mentally felt. You were also mindful of the idea that a tasty not so good for you treat would make you feel better. So, most of us are pretty good about those types of mindfulness but what we need to do, is take it a step further. For instance, lets say you get to the point where you decide to pick up that tasty custard filled long john and take a big bite. Be mindful of your actions. Chew slowly and think about the flavor. Enjoy it, savor it. After all, food is meant to be pleasurable, just not abused. Maybe take one more bite, maybe you don’t. Either way, be mindful about how you feel. Acknowledge that the doughnut was delicious, and tasted excellent. Then ask yourself, do I need anymore of this treat to make me feel satisfied? Or have those needs already been met? After all, it’s really your mind you’re satisfying, not your body. Maybe you decide you want the rest of that doughnut, and maybe you decide you’ve had enough. Either way, you were mindful about the choice you were making. This helps set you up for regular personal awareness and in turn can lead to positive choices for yourself. When we think about what we’re doing, we’re less likely to make a decision that could impact us negatively.
Here is where physical activity or doing something fulfilling in addition, can be very helpful. Just a small dose of exercise can completely rewire your brain, so get out there and get moving! If there is absolutely no way you can take a short walk, hit the gym, or jump on here for a quick online Simplyoufit workout, then more then ever it is important to mindful of your choices. Before you choose to put anything in your body, healthy or unhealthy, ask yourself, “Am I really hungry?” or are you simply feeling unsatisfied? Bored? Lonely? If you’re truly hungry, then veggies or a piece of fruit will sound like the best meal you could ever have, but if the idea of either one makes you stick your tongue out, and you’re drooling over chocolate covered granola bars instead, it could be that you’re having mental hunger. We’ve all heard by now that sugar is addictive, right? But as with all things, moderation is key, and being able to catch the culprit (sugar in this case) before it takes control of you is the goal. You’re the sugar sleuth (caught em’ in the act). So don’t let it get away with your goals 
.