How I live without guilt and Valentines Day!

Ahhh today is Valentines day. As Hubby Ninja and I refer to it as, Happy American Heart Day. We are the last of the true romantics clearly! I already told him yesterday to not even think of buying me roses (to me they are cliche) and said we will just do a quick lunch, no fancy stuff and not to purchase a card, Hallmark have enough money! 

One thing however I wouldn't turn down however, is chocolate. Its definately my weakness (along side my Lorna addiction!) but I have learnt that its a sometimes food (good old cookie monster saying there) and that eating it everyday will only make my arse get bigger. If only there was a chocolate invented that shrunk your arse, Id be all over it!!

Which leads to me to my post regarding how I live my life. I have always been of the belied that the word "diet" is a swear word and that one should not deprive themselves of anything. In saying this however, I do not mean you should eat the chocolate or obsession everyday (wait up, I must get off the Lorna site daily, maybe this can be one of my goals!!) but moderation is definitely the key. When someone goes into any sort "diet", they go into this all or nothing mentality...They deprive themselves of all of life's little pleasures (and I dont just refer to food here either) however when they crave it so bad that no strength of a willpower muscle will hold them back, they get hold of that thing they crave and devulge to an extreme. Which then gives them the guilts for eating it and than we go back to the old mindset of, "oh well Ive fallin off the wagon, may as well continue this way!" Im guilty of this in the past, I could never seem to get a balance. I was the "Ill start again on Monday" chick. 

Using the word Diet is setting yourself up to fail. Diets are short lived. They come and go like the wind and are not sustainable in the long term. You need to think of your journey as a LIFE STYLE change and learn to incorporate lifes pleasures so you dont binge eat or do reckless things that can destroy all your hard work. I personally live by the 80/20 rule. 80% of the time, I eat clean, exercise and do all the right things by and for my body and I allow myself 20% of the time to enjoy lifes pleasures (eg a glass of red, some chocolate etc) WITHOUT GUILT. This way, I dont binge and I enjoy it and I dont become the "Ill start again Monday" chick!

In Brisbane, our group went to a San Churro (anyone not heard of this gem, its temptation city, no lie) for coffee after dinner and some after dinner delights. I had a choc sundae and I seriously made sure that when I ate that sucker, I enjoyed EVERY.SINGLE.MOUTHFUL! I did not regret it because I had been good all week with food and water, I had walked everywhere that day and I was doing so to enjoy something I will never be able to enjoy again (San Churro aint in Adelaide!). I wont lie to you, I did pay for it in the morning, my stomach did not like me, I think during Mish's workout, I wanted to bring it and breakfast back up, but I would not allow myself to feel that guilt. It did however remind me how far I have come on my journey, before 12wbt and through it. I now know the difference between feeling absolutely fantastic and feeling absolutely like crap because of how I have fueled my body. 

 Sweeten thy Soul...Fatten thy arse!! MODERATION IS KEY!

So if your Valentine or secret admirer sends you chocolates today, make sure you enjoy at least a small piece. However remember to actually enjoy it, dont scoff it. Enjoy the taste and feel of it and I promise you, you will be satisfied by simply enjoying lifes little pleasure with restraint!

Happy Valentines Day Ninjas!