“But I Love to Go Out for Ice Cream in Summer…”

Happy Summer! 😎

It’s officially ice cream season. 🍦🌞

Uh-oh. 🤪

“But I love to go out for ice cream in summer…”

I’ve been hearing this one since the beginning of May. 😅 

You want it because it is delicious but you also believe that it’s a “bad” thing to do. 

So you wind up in a conundrum. 😯 Relax.

🥰 Don’t feel torn about eating ice cream if that’s what you really want to do. 🥰

Stop beating yourself up and feeling as if you should not have had it once you’ve eaten it.  Enough with the regrets and the guilt! 

But how do you do this?

While I can’t give you an answer to exactly how much and how often you “should” have it, I can offer some advice for how to find that happy balance when it comes to eating it and feeling good about your decision. 👇

When faced with ice cream, it helps to ask yourself some questions…

🍦 Question 1:  Do I really want this?  Is it really worth it right now?  🤔

Because sometimes, when you pause and check in with yourself… you don’t.

You might like the idea of ice cream– but right now, today, in this very moment, you’re actually feeling quite content without it.  Maybe you’ll wait until next time.   It’s not now or never.  There will be plenty of other opportunities.

Or, you might decide that ice cream sounds delicious and it would make you really happy today.  So you make the conscious decision to enjoy some.  Own your choice without feeling bad about it.  Feeling bad kind of ruins the whole point of the ice cream experience.

Don’t make this about whether you should or should not.  Instead look at it as, you can, but do you really want to?  There is no right or wrong.  It is always your choice.   🤗

🍦 Question 2:  What is the minimal amount that will do it? 🤔

If you’re used to restricting ice cream or if you’re very hungry, you may overestimate how much you need to feel good.  If you’ve been practicing mindfully allowing all foods and aren’t starving, you’ll have better judgment.

We tend to think we need more to feel satisfied than we really do. 

How often do you regret eating too much ice cream?🥴

And how about eating too little? 😄 I thought so.

➡️ Tip: Order a small (or even a kiddie size).  I’ve been to enough local ice-cream shops to know that these are actually a very decent sized serving! If you’re used to ordering larger sizes, conduct a little experiment where you get the smaller size and then see how you feel after.  I bet you feel satisfied and happy with your decision. 😘

🍦🍧🍨🍦🍧🍨🍦🍧🍨🍦🍧🍨🍦🍧🍨

This can’t be about denying yourself.  It will not work.  If you look at it that way, you’re going to want it more.  It has to be about a 💫choice💫.  Give yourself the permission and freedom to have it. 

Flip your mindset from “I shouldn’t” or “I can’t” to “I can have ice cream if I really want it.”

When you reframe how you look at it, you just may have the groundbreaking realization that you might actually feel better not having ice cream than having ice cream. 🤯

I think most of us have a pretty good understanding of how detrimental excessive sugar can be for our body.  Does that mean having the occasional ice cream cone is going to ruin your health, cause a disease or kill you? 😵 Of course not. 

But everything we eat has an effect on our bodies, for better or worse, and over time our choices add up.

We are all free to make our own choices! 💓Do what makes you happy and what supports your values and goals.

Empower yourself by making mindful decisions and owning them.  Ice cream can fit into a balanced, healthy lifestyle if it makes you happy.  It’s the guilt and self loathing that are really damaging. 💗

Real ice cream is awesome… And so is this version of ice cream made from frozen bananas!🍌🍌🍌