So... Is there really any good time to be on a diet?

Is there really any good time to be on a diet? I can find excuses to not eat healthy every season of the year just about. Winter is the easy one. Winter is full cravings for hot comfort food. Comfort food to me is normally something loaded with carbohydrates. Sometimes with cheese and meat or even fried cheese and fried meat. Think about what is normally served at a football watch party… carbohydrates, cheese, meats! But YUM! It isn’t just the cold weather and the need for comfort food; I can make excuses about the holidays… thanksgiving, holiday parties, Christmas, holiday treats. Oh those sugar cookies  and hot chocolate will get you every time!

Fall for me has tons of excuses too. I am a huge football fan! When you think of tailgates and football watch parties your normally don’t think of health. You think of appetizers and snacks with a side of clogged arteries. And drinking those empty calories! And when I drink it just makes me want to eat unhealthy food even more.

Summer everyone wants to be in shape and look good in their swimsuit. So why is it our calendar is filled with BBQ and social events that normally have unhealthy food. BBQs may have a fruit tray or a veggie tray surrounded by carb-loaded sides, grilled and sauced meats and plenty of desserts and even sugary summer adult drinks. The healthy food gets lost in the maze of tasty unhealthy food.

We weekend at the lake and the lake has plenty of temptations. At the lake it is perfectly acceptable to be drinking alcohol before noon. If you go to any of the restaurants on the water the menu is filled with a wonderment of carb, cheese, meat combinations! Onion rings, mozzarella sticks, potato skins, sliders, chips and salsa, spinach dip, cheese dip, nachos, hamburgers, French fries, chicken fingers… oh bar food!

So let’s see I have covered Winter, Fall, Summer… Spring what excuses do I make for Spring.

Spring is so short in Kansas City. Heck it snowed in May this year. So the comfort food excuse can extend into the spring months here. Spring has Easter candy! Yes I am 28 years old and still get Easter baskets. If March is considered spring to you, there is St Patrick’s day… um alcohol. March Madness parties. I can’t wait to sit down with my spinach salad and watch MUs basketball game tonight… said no one ever!

So this last weekend was a perfect weekend to have excuses. It was flippin 4^th of July. Let’s see BBQ, Beer, and Fireworks. Oh and to top it off, we went to the lake. Thursday, 4^th of July we had a workout at Fit By Burn. Despite being up really late Wednesday night from a 3rd of July party, I got up and made my 6:30 workout on a few hours of sleep. I slept through my alarm, I woke up 10 minutes before I was supposed to be there. I could have easily said “ugh I won’t make it in time” and skipped my workout. But instead I jumped up and threw on tennis shoes and a workout bra and rushed to my workout. I actually think I even wore the shorts and tshirt I was sleeping in there. Geez I hope I put deodorant on and brushed my teeth for the girls. I was a few minutes late but was able to jump right in on the warm up (run the liberty square 4 times). That moment I wasn’t so glad I made the workout. Then when I came back and looked at the board and saw the box jumps, rope slams and all the other “fun” activities Mendy had planned for us I was pretty sure I should have stayed in bed. But I knew I had eaten a burger the night before and most likely that would be on the menu Thursday night also since we had another 4^th of July party to attend. So we had an hour and 20 minute workout. And afterwards I did feel really good about going. 

Then I went to the college track down the road and ran 4 miles. I had a weird goal of running 4 miles on the 4^th. I use the term run loosely…. more like jogging… more like a mall speed walker would be able to keep pace with me. But hey I still did it. Then Friday we had a morning workout too and I attended despite being out the night before again. Friday we left for the lake. Last year I would drink TONS of frozen margaritas. This year we made a 5 gallon jug of water added 2 bottles of strawberry run and a couple packets of crystal light lemonade. Yes still not the best for the diet but still an improvement. I could have just used the excuse it is a holiday weekend and not worked out at all and ate whatever I wanted. I did show some self control and it was an improvement from last year. Not perfect but at least better than it could have been. So I guess a small win.

There is not a good time to be on a diet. There is ALWAYS temptations. Always situations that you can make an excuse. 

But …