Saturday, March 15, 2014

Ask Anna - avoiding the "All or Nothing" Mentality and a Chocolate Recipe

Dear Anna,

I am so happy I am doing the Beit Bari 8 Week Challenge.  I've been doing pretty good with the goals most days but I've had a few slip-ups.  Ya know, that doughnut calling my name in the morning?  Well then I feel so bad about it.  And then my slip-ups seem to turn into a whole day of bad decisions!  Any suggestions?!

From,

A dedicated Beit Bari challenger


Oh man, the dreaded all or nothing mentality.  I am totally guilty of this, especially lately, and have tried to get myself out of this habit.

First off, nobody is perfect.  You are not (and sorry will never be) perfect.  Therefore, you will not always reach your goals 100%.  Planning for failure can actually be a great way to succeed.

Then you might want to take a look at how you are going about the rest of the challenge...

  • Are you being too strict on yourself?
  • Are you eating enough throughout the day for your activity level?
  • Are you enjoying foods you eat or feeling deprived?

Maybe you need to incorporate a few more 'indulgences' into the week.  Focus on these and enjoy them...don't feel guilty about it! Food and health should be enjoyable and without a positive attitude during this Challenge you probably won't be successful.  

So next time a slip-up happens, give yourself credit for all the other goals you're meeting and give yourself a break.  Reach out to others in the Challenge and unload your guilt...they should be able to put things in perspective (one doughnut/cookie...heck even one week of bad eating doesn't ruin everything!!) Decide to continue on with these changes and move forward.  You have a lifetime to 'be perfect' and achieve good health.

One of my favorite ways to beat cravings when they come up and 'indulge' on a daily basis is with this gem...

No-Sugar Added Dark Hot Cocoa



Ingredients

  • 2 T dark cocoa powder
  • 8 oz water
  • optional: unsweetened almond breeze/milk, cinnamon, instant coffee packet, stevia

Directions

  1. Heat water in the microwave.  Add cocoa powder.  ENJOY.
  2. Optional:  add in splash (or more) of almond breeze/milk, dash of cinnamon, packet of instant coffee (morning boost!), or stevia packet.
I love having this at night before bed or in the morning on the weekends with coffee added.  It's a great way to get your chocolate fix for under 30 calories (depending on toppings).

Well almost 2 weeks of the Challenge done!  Keep up the good work...and keep any questions coming!

Beit Bari xo Anna

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