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Eating and exercising should be fun and pleasurable, but for most people they are the cause of guilt, confusion, and moodiness. I firmly believe that information overload from magazines, TV, and online sources couples with a lack of basic knowledge of nutrition and fitness to scare people away from doing what they need to get healthy. There are so many tips, tricks, and gimmicks of easy ways to eat and lose weight that people believe it’s difficult–if not impossible–to get in shape and take control over eating on their own with good, old-fashioned hard work.

I know. Boring, right?

Food and Exercise Are Not Enemies

We all know the basic principles of a healthy lifestyle: exercise and eat fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, and not many sweets. Yet we keep expanding. Why?

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that there is such a negative connotation attached to food and exercise. Too much food is “bad.” I ate too much food, therefore I am “bad,” and today was a “bad” day. I need to exercise to undo the “bad”–therefore, exercise is my punishment.

Food is not the opposite of exercise, and exercise is not the opposite of food. They don’t counteract each other, and they are not enemies.

Don’t Panic!

Next time you feel a panic attack coming on because you ate a stale cookie left in the break room, remember:

• There are 3,500 calories in a pound. You have to eat an EXTRA 3,500 calories to gain even one pound from an indulgence. I don’t even think professional hot-dog eaters can do that.

• Do the next right thing. One slip up does not mean your whole day is blown, so you might as well eat whatever you want. Instead, get right back on track, and that cookie will soon be a far-off memory.

• Who told you you weren’t allowed to have a cookie? Banning foods will only leave you craving more, so think of that little snack as your treat for the day. Savor it. Enjoy it.

• You decide how you feel. Your first instinct may be to call yourself a failure or retreat into a funk for the rest of the day, but make a conscious decision not to let it get to you. Forget it happened, and move on.

• Take a walk, even if it’s just a short one around the block. It’s a great way to clear your head and burn a few calories. DON’T get trapped in the “I’ll work off all the calories that were in that cookie later” mindset–it applies a negative connotation to both food and exercise. That’s what you are trying to get away from.

Be Nice to Yourself

Ease up on yourself. Food is fuel for your body to do the things that you love. Food is fuel to get through your workouts, which are an opportunity to improve your life and protect your health while helping you look good and feel confident. These are great things–great things that should be enjoyed.

Don’t think of your healthy lifestyle as a pass/fail test. It’s a linear road. If you have an off day, you don’t have to start back at the beginning. Make a little mental note of what slipped you up that day, and move on. You’ll never be perfect (I certainly am not), but by focusing on moving on and doing the next right thing, you’ll notice those little slip-ups get fewer and farther between–and that is what success is.

[Any personal advice on how others can ease up on themselves? Do share!]

(Photo by who.log.why)