7 in 7 Tuesday, May 7

7. LET YOURSELF OFF THE HOOK.
You've just eaten a cheeseburger and polished off the fries. Even if it wasn't reflective of your healthy eating goals, forgive yourself and move on, promising to eat better at the next meal. Self-compassion can lead to a better relationship with food and a healthier BMI, reveals new research from the University of Waterloo in Canada.

Lower self-esteem may lead to disordered eating (like bingeing) that causes weight gain. "Treat yourself like you treat a loved one: with encouragement and affirmation," says Dr. Shemek.

8. AVOID DIET SODA.
Artificial sweeteners are controversial. While some studies show that they don't affect weight, other research suggests that calorie-free drinks may cause weight gain by stimulating hunger. Dr. Shemek advises avoiding them completely.

"Diet sodas set the brain up for wanting more sugar, and many people get addicted to them," she says. Plus, ordering a diet soda can make you think you're saving calories there, so you might as well get the mac and cheese instead of a salad.


Thoughts or comments?

I don't get upset with myself when I go off program either. It is usually a decision I am fully aware of making when I do eat something like a burger and fries, and I know it will be a one time thing that won't happen again for a long time.

I quit diet soda a long time ago, and it is rare I will have one. Sometimes I'll share one with my daughter when we're together, with her having most of it. Usually I drink water.

I find that I do tend to beat myself up over my bad food choices, I hate that WW says to "track" it & move on, how can you track the fact that you binged & ate half a chocolate cake? I just have to pick myself up & start over, to heck with "tracking" it.

I seldom drink diet sodas, I do however eat way too many artificial sweetners. I put it in my coffee, in my iced tea, I cook with it, sprinkle it on my cereal, etc.

Track the best I can and move is my plan of attack. I’m in. Faced the scale at the salon this morning and reset button pushed as a new week begins I’m now smiling and tracking every bite.


As for diet soda, I do use a diet lime coke as my primary source of caffeine in the mornings. I then switch to herbal tea hot or iced depending on the weather. I do use Splenda in my tea.