Counting calories is a little bit like counting the money you have in your wallet. Let's say you've got 1200 calories to spend in a day, and every $1 is 10 calories. With $120 you head out into the world to do business.
Money is a great metaphor for how we "spend" our calories, because a lot of the same emotional circuitry is used in our brains. For example, you may be salivating over a 500 calorie mousse when you only have $15 (or 150 calories) left in your wallet (or calorie "budget" to reach your goal). You could also salivate over a $500 coat when you only budgeted for $200 on a new coat. These feelings of "not enough" often rock t people into the overweight, or debt dimension.
Can you see how closely linked these are?
I remember reading an article about the correlation between people's BMI and the amount of debt they carried. Of course, there was a very strong correlation. So what about those other people who have a normal waistline AND a high level of debt- what have they figured out?ordo they exist?
Well, a study hasn't been written yet that I'm aware of... but from what I can gather in my own experience working with wide range of waist lines and economic backgrounds, it all comes down to balance.
For example, some people go into the holidays terrified they'll gain weight- they've done it in the past, or are already overweight and can't "afford" to gain any more. Others go in knowing it's just one day that they'll splurge, not every party, and they plan their "spending" accordingly by investing their time at the gym the day before to create an "investment" that continues burning calories attest for 48 hours, and follow up their splurge day with a few dieting days to balance out. By having a plan and sticking to it, they don't worry, because they don't have to.
But those who have a plan and find themselves unable to follow it are the ones that really struggle in situations like these, where multiple major food events float on the horizon. The thinking goes something like this: "well, imalready off my diet this morning, what's another cupcake at lunch?" These might be the same folks who say, "I'm already in debt with 2 cars, what difference will adding a motorcycle make?"
Obviously, if you want to get out of debt and you want to get the extra weight off, there is a world of difference!! It starts with your attitude and understanding of this, however. If you didn't have the dollars in your wallet, you wouldn't spend them. So, on this holiday season, try a new way of thinking using old school wallet wisdom. I promise you, it will take the weight off your shoulders in both departments!!