If you’re going to maintain a long-range healthy diet strategy, you’ll have to figure out what it looks like to cheat periodically. I know it sounds crazy. Why does a cheat day or cheat meal work? People fail at dieting because they deprive themselves indefinitely. When you deny yourself, you enhance the cravings. If you don’t figure out a way to constructively embrace the cravings, you’ll fail. The truth is, if you’re going to lose weight and get healthier, you’ve got to change the way you routinely eat. You must eat better, but what helps you stay on course is to know you can periodically enjoy something removed from your healthier regular diet.
There’s nothing wrong with having dessert. The challenge is you must pace yourself. You can’t eat it every day and you don’t eat the whole cake. Make plans to enjoy that dessert you crave. By planning, you’ll avert the impulse buys and eats. When you go out to dinner with friends, plan to share a dessert or eat a smaller portion of a dish you’ve been craving. Know it’s something special and not the everyday meal. It’ll help you keep on track the rest of the week. This strategy helps me stay on task; it’s a great maintenance strategy.
