Why I Don't Think You Need To 'Earn Your Easter Eggs/Food'

'Earn your eggs', 'Work off the chocolate', I am expecting to hear these sort of phrases thrown about this Easter. To me, it sends out the wrong message. It encourages guilt. It encourages us to think that food needs to be earned by exercising. 

The minute you exercise due to guilt, is the minute you are prone to losing the element of fun with your workouts.

I am not saying eat easter eggs in an abundance. What I am saying is that there is no need for this stigma of good and bad foods. 

Focus on your workouts and improving yourself. This may mean cutting out chocolate. It may mean that you reduce these so-called ‘bad foods’, but don’t label them bad. In fact, this could encourage you to binge on these foods more due to restriction.

Think of this. 

Scenario 1: you eat ‘good’ (and I am purposefully using the terms good and bad foods for purpose of the point) for 6 days a week. You then crave chocolate and decide you ‘earn’ it and get through a block of chocolate mounting to 500 cals.

Scenario 2: You fancy a bit of chocolate in the week and limit yourself to a square for the few days you crave it. This mounts to 50 cals. 

So enjoy your easter eggs. Eat them in moderation. Don’t undo your hard work in the gym, but still enjoy your chocolate cravings.

Go to the gym, but go to the gym because of your self motivation to reach new personal bests. Go to the gym for mental health improvements. Go to the gym for social benefits. Go to the gym for fun. 

BUT don’t go to the gym to satisfy a feeling of guilt. Be kind to your self. You don’t need that negativity in your life. 

Hannah x