Hi Gorgeous,
OMG what a week!

For those of you who caught my segment on the Dr. Oz show and spread the word on social media, THANK YOU! The feedback has been wonderful and it was an amazing experience. I will have the segment link to post on my fancy new website, which will launch at the end of this month, so stay tuned.

Now if you live in the northeast like me, you’ve been dealing with a LOT of snow this winter, and this week was no exception. I am putting together an amazing launch and building a new website–two projects that would take up a lot of time under normal circumstances–but try getting it done when school was down to one day this week, and anyone could crack under the pressure.

?So I’ll admit it–my workouts took a slight hit this week. But, my eating stayed completely on track. And this was in spite of having this out on the counter for 5 days:

Gooey, luscious chocolate cake. Staring me in the face all week. I had made it for my son to take with him to a birthday party, and what he did not eat he took home with him. After all my hard work I could not bear to throw it away, so I put it on the countertop and decided to test myself.

Guess how much of it I ate all week?

One slice.

I’m not just blowing smoke, here–I really wound up eating only one slice. Even I was shocked 😉

But it’s true.

So how was I not only able to resist temptation, but stare it down in the face and not even feel it in the first place? Here are my tried and true set of tools:
?1. Understand the difference between what YOU want and what YOUR BODY truly wants.

Your mind may think it wants a hefty dose of sugar, but your body probably needs is more protein and fat. So try the protein and fat route first and see if your cravings fall away.

My meals are consistently balanced throughout the week, so when I really want an indulgence, I let myself have it.

2. Ask yourself if you really, truly want that cake, or if your stress needs to be dealt with first.

Understanding the difference between the two can offer you a ton of insight. What I really wanted was a big fat cocktail every night this week, but I was good to myself instead and had some chamomile tea. Booze messes with my sleep and productivity the next day, which does not do me any favors under stress. So I opted out of booze so I could up my game at work.

Taking ownership of my actions also took my feelings of power and self-worth up a notch. I made sure to address my stress and try to keep things in perspective. It wasn’t perfect, but I did my best.

3. When you do have that cake, be present in the moment.

Snarfing down cookies standing at the sink or eating ice cream out of the tub in front of the freezer may satisfy an immediate need, but it also enables you to stay completely checked out of the experience. Mindful eating enables the brain to process nutrients on an entirely different level. So whether you’re having M&Ms, ice cream, cookies or cake, be present in the moment and really treat yourself. Put your treats in a bowl or on a plate, sit down at the table, and savor every bite. Let your body make the connection between your head and your stomach.

Eat slowly, taste each bite, and check in with yourself to see how hungry you are before and how full you are after you eat.

When I had my cake, I put it in a small ramekin, brought it over to the table, sat down with a napkin on my lap, and let the sweetness melt all over my tongue. My brain and my body enjoyed every minute of the experience. I scratched an itch, and then moved on with my life.

4. Be aware of shiny, pretty things.

I don’t normally have chocolate cake in my house, but every now and then we do. So it throws a curve ball into the works a bit. This is also known as the “shiny, pretty things” phenomenon. I liken this to seeing something super sparkly that winds up being an impulse buy. It’s something you never planned on buying, but it came across your path so you jumped on it. I didn’t think I’d have cake at home, but I did, so I had a slice. So I created space for it in my week by eating enough to feel satisfied but not so much where I felt like I blew everything. Just enough.

5. Practice, practice, practice.

All of this mindfulness takes experimentation and practice. Sure I still have times when I eat potato chips out of the bag, standing up at the counter 😉 But 90% of the time I take a plate and eat sitting down. Because if I don’t, it gets ugly quickly.

I also like to keep a food log every now and then to hit the reset button and see where my eating’s at. Food logs are an awesome way to take an objective but truthful look at what you’re eating. It’s a judgment-free zone that really gives you a window into what’s going into your mouth. And it helps me ask myself, “Whoa girl–do you really want to eat that??”

As always, if you have stories you’d like to share with me about your journey, please email me: esther@estherblum.com. I love to hear what you’re up to!

Have an amazing week,
Esther

PS! I have created some game-changing content to help you understand EXACTLY what you need to do to change your life— so my KISS Program will be going live March 30th.
Get on the wait list to receive priority access and exclusive deals not available to the public—> http://bit.ly/1w623pO

This does not involve any strict diet plans, calorie counting, 30-day detoxes, or any other unsustainable nonsense. In fact, you will come away with 3 sets of tools that will give you RESULTS when it comes to creating an eating lifestyle that is custom-tailored to your unique needs. #easypeasy
KISS includes a 4-week curriculum delivered by voice messages via email. I will walk you through my most successful techniques to help you know EXACTLY what you need to do for yourself each day so that eating becomes a non-event. Buh-bye stress, hello happiness!
Plus, I’m going to be sending you simple, easy, healthy recipes (90 in all!) every day to help you hit the refresh button on your eating.
Looking forward to hanging with you soon!
RIGHT NOW: Get on the wait list to receive priority access and exclusive deals not available to the public–> http://bit.ly/1w623pO