Balance days

Wow, that almost sounds like a circus act doesn’t it? But it’s not! It’s just the new healthy advice the Dutch Nutrition Centre came up with. The Dutch Nutrition Centre conducts projects and campaigns to promote a healthy diet pattern.

So, how does the balance day work?
Quite simple actually. A balance day is a day ‘less’ after a day ‘more’. Did you eat too much yesterday, then today will be your balance day. A balance day is NOT a diet day. On your balance day you will watch what you eat and move/exercise more. That way, things will balance out and your weight will stay the same.

When will you need a balance day?
When you have eaten too much, you can feel overstuffed. Do you need a balance day? Probably not! It all depends on your normal eating behaviour. When will you need a balance day then? Example: Normally you eat 2 sandwiches and an apple for lunch. But today you want something different. You eat 2 rolls with brie and another cheese, a packed of crisps and piece of pie. Instead of walking to work, you took the car/bus. It’s clear that you consumed more and burned fewer calories then you would do on a normal day. Time for a balance day I would say :)

It’s your choice, your responsibility.
Take a balance day, or just leave it. A ‘more’ day is not always easy to recognize. It’s so easy to eat something extra: cake on somebody’s birthday, an extra snack/packet of crisps, candy bar or a few extra pints or glasses of wine. If it’s just every now and then, that’s okay…. But if it happens on a regular basis, you will gain weight because of all the extra calories. You are the only one who knows what you really ate. Take your responsibility and take a balance day!

Note:
A balance day is not a diet day. So don’t skip meals! Eating very little is also out of the question. Just make healthy choices, do an extra workout or take a longer walk then usual.

Oh… and it works! I’ve been doing this for a long time now (so, it’s not as new as the Dutch Nutrition Centre thinks) and my weight is always the same…..well, almost always; the holiday season doesn’t count ;)