For those of us who are chocoholics Easter can spell disaster for healthy eating....BUT it doesn't HAVE to. Your thinking on Easter kind of depends on where you head is at to begin with.
You may be at peace with not having chocolate over Easter.
You may be planning on indulging "just for one day".
You may be planning on indulging till all the chocolate is gone.
Where ever you are at it is YOUR decision. So own it :)
Know this though. If you are trying to lose weight option three is not for you!
If you know that it is going to be tough NOT to indulge here are some things to think about.
CALORIES vs CALORIES OUT
For a long time I refused to think about just how many calories were in those eggs...but here are some numbers in black and white.
Cadbury Mini solid Easter eggs: 12 eggs = 190 calories, 8g fat
Cadbury Creme egg: 1 egg = 160 calories, 6g fat
Lindt Chocolate Bunny 84g: 480 calories, 29.1g fat
Knowledge is power, if you know how many calaories are in the eggs you eat you may think again before eating them or at least you will know how many calories you have to burn off!
Speaking of which, here is a guide of how hard you will have to work to shift that extra chocolate - taken from Michelle Bridges "Crunch Time cookbook".
If you weigh 70kg, to burn off 500 calories you will need to:
Brisk walk for 80 mins
Jog for 45 mins
Weights for 90 mins
Swim laps for 50 mins
Cross trainer for 50 mins
Hard boxing for 40 mins
Tennis for 60 mins
Calories in need to be less than calories out so if you eat more, move more!
YOU DON'T HAVE TO EAT THE CHOCOLATE
Can you have one square of chocolate and then leave the rest of the block? Or are you more of the eat the whole block kind of person? If you are like me the strategy that makes the most sense is not to have any chocolate at all.
I have requested that no one gives me chocolate this year. I may indulge a little but it certainly won't be on the same scale as my usual "eat them till they all gone" approach!
Remember even if you are given Easter eggs you don't HAVE to eat them ;)
AVOID THE KIDS CHOCOLATE
Make sure you fill up on good healthy food so that you are not starving hungry when you walk past the kids half eaten bunny otherwise he may lose an ear and you may gain some kgs!
Be prepared, have carrots sticks cut up and ready to snack on, have the fruit bowl full!
DON'T GO HUNGRY
Skipping meals is setting yourself up to make unhealthy food choices. Draw up a healthy menu plan so you don't find yourself chomping on chocolate while standing in front of the fridge/pantry trying to decide what to cook. If you are eating good healthy food for breakfast, lunch and dinner you are less likely to go looking for the chocolate or if you do you won't be starving hungry so will eat less of it.
DON'T BE CHEAP
The cheaper the chocolate the nastier it is..... sorry, but it's true. If you are going to indulge go for a smaller amount of the good quality stuff. Dark chocolate 70% cocoa is the best choice, less sugar and less chance of you over indulging.
Regardless, have a wonderful Easter with your loved ones and enjoy the break!
Jen
x
