How about telling yourself, "I CAN have this", instead of, "Poor me, I CAN'T eat that"

Sometimes that is the message we tell ourselves about weight loss. We think it's all about deprivation and we sometimes feel sorry for ourselves when we have to make choices that differ from those around us.  This might be a stretch for some of you, but it's honestly the way I've come to THINK about food.  Since the very beginning of my journey, I tried to tell myself positive messages about what I was eating. On many occasions, when friends or family members were expressing sorrow or feeling bad because I couldn't have a piece of cake or one of the treats at a holiday party, I would come back with something like this: "It's okay... I brought a lot of stuff that I Get to eat.... I have butternut squash, or fruit, or oatmeal or whatever..."  There were really not that many times when I felt deprived, but that is mostly because of the way I THOUGHT and the messages I told myself.....and also because I always planned ahead and made sure that I had food that I was ABLE to eat without guilt.  

I think that we have to reprogram our mind if we are going to truly make life-long changes and instead of feeling "deprived" or "restricted", we need to find things that we CAN eat....and always be sure that we have those items on hand, either at home, or when attending a party or event.   Try it...just for today.  Try to change the mentality that Good choices don't have to mean deprivation.    Have a great day, my friends. It's Friday!!!!