Tamsin talks maintenance and The Four Day Win

Eden and I continue our NutriSystem maintenance through the summer, as we negotiate our way through summer-social commitments (why do they all somehow involve yummy food!?) and nasty hip injuries (Feel better soon, Bargainista). If you’re looking summer reading that doesn’t involve torrid romance or scandal, I’ve got a book for you!

I’ve been reading a new book by one of my favourite writers – “The Four Day Win: End Your Diet War and Achieve Thinner Peace” by Martha Beck. The concept of small wins isn’t new; it’s a simple method of breaking a goal into digestible pieces (pardon the pun!) that you can accomplish over a four-day period. You can do this with help quit smoking, start an exercise regimen, tackle chores around the house, or your entire to-do list. Martha Beck applies the concept to gradually changing the way we think about food and our bodies. She talks about rewarding yourself for a 4-day win with something you love (a pedicure or massage), and then creating another goal. (OK, it’s much more introspective than that, but I won’t give it all away.)

In general, I’ve been pretty good about staying the NutriSystem course – but bags of chips (Miss Vickies, plain or jalapeno) bring challenging times. You see, I still find myself struggling as an emotional eater. In my case, I’ve noticed that the better I feel, the more permissive I am about “treating” myself with food. I feel so good about where NutriSystem has helped me get to that I am determined to undo my self-sabotaging habits. This book has got me thinking about stomping out my self-indulgent, reward eating by gradually sneaking in small changes.

I always admired people who are able to give up white flour, white rice, and potatoes (way to go, Donna Papacosta). Seemed impossible to me! But I can see how achievable that could be by taking it 4 days at a time. Maybe that’s be a longer term goal for me.

In the meantime, I’m continuing to eat NutriSystem meals a few times a week and starting to chip away at my conscious, healthy eating goals 4 days a time. Can’t wait to treat myself with a pedicure – less fattening than those chips!