Burnout and Personal Thoughts

Hi. This past week I’ve been really tired for some reason. I think I’m experiencing some form of burnout especially mentally and I’ve been stuck in this low and exhausted mood. While this blog is a personal project and I didn’t really set a specific schedule for it, I felt that I should keep it going every week otherwise I end up skipping over some of the meals I want to share. Turns out I just didn’t have the energy to post last Friday. At moments like these, having a sweet treat really helps me feel better!

How I Incorporate Sweet Treats into My Diet

Well, to be honest with you, I’ve been having sweet treats all week. When I decided to eat healthy and start my weight loss journey for real last year, I tried to reduce my consumption of sugar. However, I soon realized that it was too difficult for me. I mean, I just love a good sweet treat, who doesn’t? At times though, I acknowledged that I needed to be mindful about this. I couldn’t just eat some dessert and expect to lose weight just like that. I had to put in the work. I bought a walking pad back in May because as a hijabi living in a place where the weather can get either too hot or too cold or too sunny, I didn’t like having to get ready, put my hijab on and leave the house. But I needed an avenue to burn all the extra calories I was consuming. Walking helped me tremendously. Even more than running or going to the gym. Whenever I would do anything strenuous, my body took that as a signal to eat more, anything and everything! It became this constant unhealthy cycle of eating a huge scoop of ice cream on a waffle cone and then stressing out over exercises I should do to burn it all off at once. It was unsustainable but… I still love having something sweet each day. I decided to reduce my dessert intake to one a day and it had to be one serving. Over the past few months, I have modified and added on to this set of sweet treat consumption rules. They include having the dessert after a meal to reduce the blood sugar spike, incorporating any movement after (walking is best) but even simple things like calf raises if I’m seated or some squats if I’m too lazy to do anything for longer. I believe I have been able to come to a good balance and now I get to enjoy desserts daily while still losing weight and maintaining my cravings.

Cost-effective Desserts At Home

There is an ice cream shop near my apartment that I frequent. However, lately the weather has been too cold for me to step outside without any plans. I figured why not just order some cones and an ice cream tub from the grocery store so I can enjoy it at home? So that’s exactly what I did. The ice cream I purchased had pieces of chocolate truffles embedded in a smooth creamy decadent chocolate ice cream that’s perfect for the sudden intense chocolate cravings I get. I was also surprised that I was able to get waffle cones from the grocery store that were this delicious. Crispy and sweet while the ice cream sat in it without the cone turning soggy. These days, I’ve been having it while walking on my walking pad and watching a Korean drama- literally killing two birds with a stone as I burn the sugar in my body while consuming it!

I Love a Good Belgian Waffle

I typically try to eat before 7-8pm everyday and stop eating for the rest of the night, partly keeping to intermittent fasting times but also I just get hungry early. But one of the days, even after I had a full dinner, I was craving something sweet. I initially wanted pancakes but I realized I ran out of eggs at home to make any. I suddenly remembered that my sister had made homemade waffles a few months ago and froze them for me since she took her waffle maker with her. She had made Belgian waffles sprinkled with pearl sugar, my favorite kind of waffle. Its crispy on the outside and soft and doughy on the inside. I took them out of the freezer and air-fried them till they were ready. I added some fresh strawberries and maple syrup, with a slice of butter on top. A simple waffle dish but exactly what I needed to satisfy my sweet craving.

Mindful Eating and Balance is Key

I’m so happy that I don’t have to restrict my diet by avoiding desserts because I don’t know how I would be able to keep it going. The most important thing for me is to be mindful in the way I eat it and make sure to reduce my blood sugar whenever I do. While it has been a long journey to get to this phase, I believe that achieving a balanced diet with both healthy and indulgent foods makes it so much more exciting and manageable. Also, with everything life throws at us, sometimes we need something that will make us feel better, happier and enjoy the sweetness of life even through the hardships. With moderation, we get to enjoy sweet treats in a way that doesn’t make our bodies feel horrible after! I think there’s a comment section around here somewhere. If you see it, please share what desserts you’ve had this week!

Side note: I ended up talking about desserts today because I just really wanted to draw my ice cream and waffles digitally! I think I love drawing desserts more than savory food 🙂

Love, Noor ❤