Home   >   Food   >   Eating Pizza Can Help You Lose Weight. It’s All About Balance.

Eating Pizza Can Help You Lose Weight. It’s All About Balance.

By on January 24, 2015
Eating Pizza to Lose Weight

Written by: Jodi Lebrun

We had takeout pizza for supper last night.

Whaaaaa?!

Well, some of us did. I did not.

Why am I telling you this?

One of the most popular questions that I get asked is ‘How do I resist every day food temptations? There’s always something that I want to eat that I know I shouldn’t…’

The short answer is, ‘You don’t. It’s not possible. Temptations are everywhere and you’re going to have to learn how to cope with them.’

It’s about balance. It really, really is.

When I began my weight loss journey almost 16 years ago, the first thing I thought about was all the food (that I loved) that I’d never be able to enjoy again.

Never. Ever. Again.

And then I played a sort of a game with myself. I told myself that I’ll eat whatever I want, I’ll just eat less.

I told myself that I could pretend that the first bite I took was actually the last bite and ‘how good it was!’ This trick works really well with desserts – it gives you the ‘freedom’ to try a treat, but to not overdo it. It also allows you to bypass any thoughts of never being able to eat a particular food again.

Take the bite, savor it and then move on.

I told myself that ‘being able to wake up each morning excited to get dressed’ far outweighed over-eating regularly. I may have mentioned that by the time I’d put on my extra 50 lbs I was living in my husband’s t-shirts because that’s all that fit? Yep.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s so much more to losing the extra weight than what I’ve shared above BUT I’m trying to get the point across that no matter where you are on your journey ~ whether you are a vegetarian wanting to be a vegan or a busy working mom who somehow put on an extra 30 lbs. ~ telling yourself that the only way you’re going to make a change is by doing something extreme or unattainable (you know you’re going to eat pizza again some day) is NOT the way to go about making permanent changes.

I can tell you with complete honesty that even eating exactly the same way you are now – but eating less – makes a difference.

Each bite that you DON’T take sends the message to your Spirit that your health is important and that you’re trying.

Each healthy new food that you enjoy – the one that crowds out another food that isn’t serving you – sends the message to your Spirit that you’re willing to do whatever it takes to get back on track.

Each time you purposely say ‘no thanks or I’m good or let’s go for a walk instead’ you are sending the message to your Spirit that you are strong enough to make different choices than you have in the past.

Back to the takeout pizza and the fact that it’s been 16 years since I lost 55 lbs. and I still have to consciously (and very mindfully) make decisions every day that affect my health. This is part of who I am and it’s the part that keeps me healthy, vibrant and able to wear whatever I want.

It’s just pizza. I can have it any time I want. I didn’t want it last night but my kids and hubby did and while I make 95% of their food choices for them as the caregiver and chef, I can’t always say no. That’s not fair to them – mainly because on most nights they eat the crazy green meals that I put in front of them without a huge amount of complaining. They do complain but they know if they don’t eat it I will put my foot down on the pizza!

Remember, it’s all about balance.

Are you wondering what I had instead?

While they ate greasy pizza (yes, pizza gets greasier as your mindset shifts to one that enjoys fresh food, sorry!) I downed a thick smoothie that I made from banana, honey, cacao nibs, almond butter and kefir. The kids were trying to get me to share with them…it was heavenly. And I told them no.

The best part? I survived.

I may even eat the pizza next time. But I won’t enjoy it!

It’s all about balance.

 

becky

Jodi Lebrun is a multi-passionate mama to 4 who is finally following her own big dream of becoming a personal empowerment coach. She is currently training with her siSTARS at The S.W.A.T. Institute and hopes to one day have a thriving community of fearless, creative women who are so busy manifesting their own dreams that they forget to pick their kids up at school.

If you’d like the inside scoop on just what it takes to become an empowerment coach while wrangling 4 kids and running a home daycare, head over to her site to learn more!

 

About simply...woman!

We encourage spreading the message of knowledge and wisdom. We appreciate and thank our featured partners for their articles. All information provided on Simply…Woman online magazine is for reference only; the content is based on the authors’ experiences and therefore is not intended as a substitute to the services of a fully qualified professional. Although every reasonable effort is made to present current and accurate information, Simply…Woman makes no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information.