With today's trends of diets, people have been forced away from carbohydrates, sweets, alcohol, and other guilty pleasures. This deprivation and denial only leads to bingeing, overeating, guilt, and another resolution to lose weight. So why do we put ourselves through the same cycle over and over? It doesn't have to be this way.
There is no reason why you can't enjoy many of your favorite indulgences, without feeling guilty. By not restricting your favorite foods, you actually increase your willpower automatically. With a few simple adjustments to your normal routine and lifestyle, you can start experiencing the pleasure of eating and still lose weight.
We all have "discretionary calories," thanks to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Dietary Guidelines, which suggests that 10 - 15 percent of your daily calories can be used for some dietary cheating. But before you race to use up your quota, keep these ground rules in mind, to prevent your cheating from backfiring.
- Get over your guilt. It's unattractive, and makes you feel like crap, but more importantly, it will prevent you from connecting with your true feelings about food. Instead of focusing on your guilt, have what you really want in moderation, and keep portions under control. The occasional splurge is not going to hurt you - it's the all-you-can-eat buffets and supersized servings that are doing the damage and expanding your waistline.
- Don't be a closet cheater. Cheat in front of friends and family. Exposing your secret indulgences in public, takes away the irresistible allure, and with it, most of the temptation. One of the most important skills to have is to learn how to splurge, and then go back to eating healthy right away. The philosophy is, do it, splurge, enjoy it, and move on with your life, getting back to your healthier habits.
- Don't associate cheating with weakness. Just because you had a few servings of dessert, it doesn't mean you are weak or that you've lost your will-power. Look at it more as a conscious decision that you made. You were in the mood for it, went for it, and now you're moving on. Don't obsess! Dwelling on your indulgences with guilt and regret, does nothing but diminish your success.
- Leave your perfectionism behind. Often times, just knowing that we are not perfect, we slip heavily into other-oriented perfectionism, such as weight loss. When we lose weight, but don't reach a desired goal weight or appearance, we become frustrated and dissatisfied, which then leads to a regain of the lost weight. If we measure our lives by perfection, we are unable to see the everyday successes, even the small ones. And if we measure our weight by perfection, we deprive ourselves of being happy with our bodies. Making a conscious choice to be content with a healthy weight and body, even if not model-thin, is a necessary choice to ensure long-term success.
- Give in to your cravings by learning the secrets of substitution. You can succeed in your goals while indulging, as long as you keep good nutrition in mind. Some of your favorite indulgences can be substituted with low-calorie, low-fat versions without giving up taste. If you are going to indulge though, choose foods that also provide a benefit, like dark chocolate, for all you chocoholics. Dark chocolate contains "flavonoids," which provide a number of health benefits. Among these benefits: they improve digestion and stimulate kidneys, they have powerful antioxidants that protect the body against the damaging effects of free radicals, and they have mood altering chemicals that can reduce your cravings for sweets, fatty foods or salt. Avocados are rich in fats that raise good cholesterol levels, and popcorn is a healthy treat if it's air popped and eaten without butter. Jell-O is fat-free, and even more satisfying when topped with fat-free whipped cream. It's low-fat, it looks good, and tastes good!
- It's okay to skip certain meals. If you're not hungry, then you shouldn't eat. How many times have you mindlessly picked, when you were nowhere near hungry? Many of us are emotional eaters, and eat to soothe ourselves, even though we are not hungry. Once you separate physical hunger from emotional hunger, and know your body's signals when it needs food, such as stomach growling and beginnings of a headache, then you'll be far less likely to overindulge for emotional reasons.
There is no longer a need to mourn the loss of your favorite guilt foods while dieting. The bottom line is, if you indulge in moderation, you'll save yourself a lot of calories and fat. So put on some soft music, close your eyes, eat slowly, and savor every bite.
Katie Olivia Rose is an avid fitness and weight loss enthusiast. Get more great quick weight loss tips for FREE at http://www.QuickWeightLoss-Tips.net.
