Mardi Gras is a celebration of parades, balls, festivities, and usually over-indulging in food and drinks that lasts several weeks and culminates on Fat Tuesday (French for “Mardi Gras”), the day before the penitential Christian season of Lent. Fat Tuesday is the last day to delight in high calorie food and drinks before committing to living a more pure and prayerful life during Lent, the period between Ash Wednesday and Easter. During Lent, the sacrifices made and services provided to help others remind Christians of how Jesus ministered to others while refusing temptation.
New Orleans, Louisiana is the epicenter for Mardi Gras celebrations, and many other towns and cities throw festivals too. Krewes (private organizations) host balls and sponsor parades. Beaded necklaces are tossed to parade onlookers. Rich foods are devoured in large quantities.
Of course, the timing of all of this debauchery coincides with many people breaking their New Year’s Resolutions. If you have ever tried to resist crawfish étouffée or king cake, you’ll completely understand! However, my friend Kathryn has found the key to success. When I read her post on FaceBook, “About to eat my gumbo with cauliflower rice… I am sure that is sacrilegious… #TryingToStayCloseToAMealPlanDuringMardiGras,” I had a light bulb moment! The answer to making goals work is all about balance! Genius! Thank you, Kathryn!
Overcommitting to something sets us up for failure, but finding ways to bring balance between our existing habits and desired habits will yield a much higher success rate. If Kathryn had completely denied her tradition of eating gumbo and rice, she would be left feeling a bit empty. This could set her up to look for something to fill the void, and that could lead to overindulging in another area. Guilt can pile on after that, and sometimes we don’t make the best choices when looking to make ourselves feel better. It can become a downward spiral, and before we know it, we have derailed our progress toward our goals.
Choosing gumbo with the low carb cauliflower rice allowed Kathryn to partake in her tradition within a framework of healthier eating choices. That’s a win-win in my book. If your goal is to save more and spend less money, maybe setting up a small spending reward when you reach a saving milestone will provide the incentive needed to keep saving. Trying to exercise when you’d rather be watching tv can be fixed by occasionally doing them together. Exercise during the commercials, or download episodes of your show and watch them while at the gym on a treadmill or a stationary bike.
We all have the power to build better balance in our lives. With a little creativity, we can find ways to achieve our goals! Remember that we are not meant to be perfect, but we can be better! Read more about the paralysis of perfectionism here.
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Dan says
It is all about being conscious of what you want to eat, and then bargain with yourself. Do it quietly or people will talk about you.