Beware of the Easter Bunny

Easter is literally on our doorstep, which means chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate. 

For some of us this is a very dangerous time. You’ve set some goals at the start of the year as part of your new years resolution, and you’ve just started feeling good about getting into a routine. And then Easter comes along and it’s like walking into Temptation on The Biggest Loser. Chocolate finds you wherever you go. In the supermarkets, in the office, even at the gym. Friends give you chocolate as gifts, but you really wish they hadn’t as you know where that chocolate’s headed… yep, straight to your thighs. 

I'll be the first one to admit that as a chocolate lover, this is VERY dangerous territory for me. In fact, last night my Easter eggs caught me at a weak moment and I ended up indulging in much more chocolate than I should have, to the point where I physically could not eat any more as I felt so sick. Ring some bells?

Bad dietitian you might say, very bad. But let’s be honest, regardless of my profession, I’m still human, and I know how easy it is to get sucked into the Easter chocolate fest. So here’s my survival guide on getting through Easter without putting on weight (possibly this time it’s do as I say, not as I do..)

1. Out of sight, out of mind

One important strategy I must share with you is the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ philosophy. If you buy Easter eggs and place them in a bowl on your kitchen bench, then all I can say is best of luck to you, and fat chance those eggs will stay there for long. 

Sitting Easter eggs out on your kitchen bench right under your nose is like dangling a diamond ring in front of a woman. It’s just too much of a temptation not to go there. My recommendation is that if you don’t want to be tempted by Easter eggs, don’t put yourself in a position to be tempted. 

Place your eggs at the back of your cupboard or somewhere where they cannot be easily seen. Yes you know where they are, there's no kidding yourself there. But by placing them in a hidden location, you won't see them when you wake up, you won't see them when you get home starving, and you won’t be tempted to nibble on one while you're cooking tea.

So what’s the point in buying them in the first place, you ask? Well it’s not that I’m saying not to buying them, but by storing them ‘off limits’ it means that when you do happen to feel like one, you’ll be more likely to be in control of your behaviour and more likely to savour and enjoy the chocolate, rather than just wolfing it down like a labrador because you’re either starving or bored.

2. Do you really need it?

I think often we get sucked into the Easter craze, so much so that it seems un-normal not to overindulge in chocolate over the Easter period. And if I was to say, like I have to my family and friends in past years, "I'm not eating any chocolate this year", I would get hit with looks you'd never hope the wind would change on.

Have a think about why you eat chocolate at Easter. Is it because you want to fit in with everyone else, and not feel as though you are missing out on something? Is it because every time you walk into the supermarket you are bombarded by chocolate Easter eggs and you give in to temptation? Is it because it's a norm in your family, and maybe your husband would murder you if you took away chocolate from his Easter? Or is it simply a great excuse to eat chocolate and not feel guilty, because, it’s Easter and that’s just what you do, right?

A great book by Dr Rick Kausman called If not dieting, then what? explores some of these relationships we have with food. One of his empowerment cards (available for purchase on his website) says "I can have it if I want it, but do I really feel like it?" 

Think about the meaning of this sentence. Next time you reach for an Easter egg, think to yourself, do I really feel like it? Do I really need it? If the answer is yes, enjoy it and let that moment last. If the answer is no, put it back in the cupboard and distract yourself by doing something else. 

 

3. Good things come in small packages

Portion size is critical when it comes to chocolate. Let's do a comparison:

• A mini egg (the small eggs that you buy in bags of about 20) will set you back around 150kJ and 2g fat. 
• A hollow small egg (the ones you by in the cartons of 12) has 450kJ and 6.5g fat.
• A bigger egg (the ones you buy on their own, about 15cm tall) has 2840kJ and 36g fat.
• And a tall bunny (about 30cm tall) has 3300kJ and 43g fat.

Then there’s my brother's favourite - the huge dinosaur egg. This one contains a whopping 15470 kJ and 208g fat. Yep, that works out to be about 178% of someone’s total daily calories and 3 times the recommended fat intake.

So what’s the moral of the story? Choose your portions wisely. Bigger eggs mean more calories, more fat, and more chance that you’ll gain weight. The other thing to remember is that when eggs are portion controlled, you don’t eat as much. I personally find (yes from chocolate eating experience) that once you break into one of those big eggs or bunnies, it’s very hard to stop. There’s always an edge that needs breaking off. And of course it’s absolutely essential that you need make it level all the way around. Until you accidentally break a bit off that forms another jagged edge.. (get the picture?)

 

  
4. The old 'antioxidant' theory... don't be fooled

I could not keep count of the number of times I have heard people justify drinking red wine or eating dark chocolate by saying that it's got antioxidants so that makes it ok. 

Now don’t get me wrong, if every Australian drank wine in moderation (ie. 1 glass a day) and only ate 1 square of chocolate a day then us dietitians would be very happy chappies. Unfortunately many of us eat and drink much more than this and we know that this can result in health problems. 

So is chocolate good for us? It’s true that chocolate has health properties. Studies have shown that chocolate can reduce blood pressure, increase insulin sensitivity, and act as a  protective mechanism against cardiovascular disease. The antioxidants in chocolate are called flavonoids. And the darker the chocolate, the more flavonoids there are, which is why if you are going to eat chocolate the darker you go the better. Darker chocolate tends to be more bitter and stronger in flavour than other chocolate, but this is a good thing as chances are you won’t eat as much. 

But when it comes to the antioxidant excuse, chocolate and red wine don’t come through as the winners. Fruit and vegetables take trophies, and we all need to eat more of these. You can read more on antioxidants here. 

In terms of chocolate consumption for health, eating small amounts of dark chocolate has been shown to have health benefits, but as chocolate is high in fat and high in calories, if you can’t stop at one or two squares, it may be best not to have it at all. 

5. Don’t eat chocolate for breakfast

This might seem like a pretty self explanatory concept, but I know there are some of you that will wake up on Easter Sunday and tuck into your giant Easter egg first thing in the morning. I know this because believe it or not, I used to do it as a child myself! (Bad dietitian once again). 

So I remember how disgusting it made me feel and how by doing this it also ruined my eating habits for the rest of day. I used to justify it by thinking that it was ok because it was just a substitution for another meal. But I now know that it doesn’t work that way. Substituting a meal for chocolate doesn’t work because chocolate doesn’t have the protein or fibre in it to keep you feeling full until your next meal and you will end up eating a lot more calories in the long run than if you had stuck to your normal eating habits with a few treats on the side. Studies have shown that people that eat a nutritious breakfast are more likely to eat well throughout the rest of the day. So don’t change your habits just because it’s Easter. Your stomach will also thank you for it!

6. Stay active, but don't think by exercising you can eat whatever you want

Seeing as we've just discussed the kilojoule and fat content of Easter eggs, I think it's fitting to remind you that this is a time that you need to stay active. In case you haven't noticed, the days are getting shorter and the sun is coming up much later. Winter is fast approaching, and when you combine that with Easter it's no wonder that the kilos will start creeping on.

Those of you that do group fitness classes or have a personal trainer will know that trainers love to talk in calories. They’ll be talking Easter eggs in your classes and telling you how many eggs you’re burning off as you pump iron in BODYPUMP or cycle away in RPM. But be very very careful. Don't get into the mindset that so long as you’re exercising it's ok to eat as much chocolate as you like. I won’t even delve into how much exercise it takes to burn off an Easter egg as chances are if I tell you it will make you cry. What you need to know is that it takes a lot of exercise to burn off a few little Easter eggs, and although it’s great that you’re exercising, you’ll still be likely to gain weight if you overindulge. 

Summing up

All in all I hope this post has given you some food for thought. Easter is only a few days away so make sure you have a plan and set some boundaries for yourself. Remember there is plenty more to Easter than chocolate, so enjoy the non-food related activities that Easter brings and take the focus away from food. Go get yourself a massage, catch up on sleep, get some sunshine, absorb yourself in that book that you’ve been desperate to read or just enjoy spending time with friends and family. Think of your holidays as a way to rejuvenate your mind and your body, and don’t forget to maintain that healthy lifestyle that you’ve worked so hard on.

Happy Easter 

 

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