When it comes to sweets, my family doesn’t play around…we love them! And it’s no surprise that ice cream is one of our absolute favorite things to eat. We all seem to have very different taste when it comes to ice cream, but my wife and son are more likely to agree on a flavor. They usually go for the classics, but I’m more likely to want something a little different!
I love ice cream so much that when I pop one of those pints open it’s honestly so hard for me to stop – I usually end up finishing it in one sitting, or come pretty close LOL don’t judge! Halo Top Creamery is one of my go-to ice cream brands. Besides their great flavor options, the fact that they are all 370 calories or less per pint is amazing! It’s a light ice cream, and you would never even know it. This way I can finish the entire pint if I desire 🙂 and only have a third amount of the calories than I would with another brand. I just don’t feel as guilty eating the entire pint when it’s my Halo Top!
We recently introduced Nate to the brand and I was nervous at first, because he’s super particular with his ice cream and usually only eats 1 or 2 specific flavors and brands, but the first day he tried it he loved it. He liked how creamy and smooth it was, and I must agree…something about Halo Top’s ice cream is just creamier and I love that. His favorite flavor so far is the Cookies & Cream, mine is the Jelly Donut flavor, and my wife loves the Sea Salt Caramel. We each tend to always grab our fave flavors but then end up sharing once we’re snacking at home.
Since I entered my thirties, I’ve definitely noticed that I can’t just eat junk as much as I used to like when I was younger, and it’s much harder to keep the weight off if I’m not watching what I eat and working out during the week. But it’s a struggle! It’s hard to constantly keep that clean-eating routine all week, and then you have that mid-week day (especially during the hot summer), when you just want a cold, yummy treat. I mean how can I deprive myself from ice cream after coming home from a hard day’s work?! I’ll come home, go for a dip in the pool, then be outside playing with Nate and he finally says to me “Daddy, let’s have some ice cream!” That’s when the internal struggle begins. Should I? Shouldn’t I? Should I just wait for the weekend when I’m allowed to have my sweets and snacks? It’s no fun having to think this way, so I decided there should be a fine balance with everything and I was going to stop “shoulding” myself. With Halo Top Creamery the answer’s easy. I have the ice cream with my boy and enjoy my summer day! Whether I eat a few spoonfuls or the entire pint I honestly do not feel guilty about it at all, and it’s so darn good and it hits the spot and fulfills that weekday craving of mine!
I feel like the little voice in my head telling me “you should be doing this” or “you should be doing that” appears far too often. Besides my mid-week ice cream cravings, I’ll get the guilt of feeling like I should be doing yard work instead of enjoying the pool, or I should be cleaning the house and being productive instead of enjoying a lazy morning in bed, or Nate should really have dinner first before he has some ice cream. I was happy to be a part of the Halo Top Creamery “StopShouldingYouself” campaign and throw that little voice in my head out the window! LOL And in doing so I’ve come to learn that if I do just what I feel like doing in that moment, life is that much more enjoyable. I’ll get to the yard work eventually – I always do. The house will get cleaned when I’m in the mood to clean, and if Nate wants a little Halo Top before dinner, so what, what’s the difference what order he eats his food in as long as he eats it?!
When you stop “shoulding” yourself I feel like you can actually be more productive and these little moments of the unexpected can make life that much more exciting and enjoyable. Plus, when I’m actually in the mood to do yard work (and there are times when I am in the mood!) then I’m more likely to not be so miserable doing it and the entire project gets done, instead of starting something when I’m just not feeling it. It actually in-turn makes me more productive when I do things on my own internal time and when I’m ready and in the mood! Like right now, it’s lunch time and I should probably have my grilled chicken that I made for lunch, but it’s 90 degrees out and all I want to do is go sit on my back deck for 20 minutes and have some spoonfuls of my wife’s Halo Top Sea Salt Caramel! LOL So I’m going to! #stopshouldingyourself