Diet Cheating
We?ve all done it. We?ve all started a diet and before the first week is complete we give ourselves a reason to eat that piece of cake at the birthday party, or to get fries instead of a salad. Sure, that?s fine if you want to be on the downward spiral to weight gain, not weight loss. So since we all cheat while on diets, why do we do it? Little did you know, cheating on a diet is actually great for your diet. What!? Did I just say that? Yes, cheating on a diet is great for your diet when done correctly. Here?s why:
Start with a lifestyle diet?
To begin, we need to make sure we are on the same page about what a diet actually consists of. I?m not talking about a diet where you eat only cabbage for three weeks, or starve yourself on nothing but juiced fruits and vegetables. Your diet should consist of eating more healthily ad exercising more often and something that is obtainable for a lifelong program.??Fad diets may be successful temporarily, but lifestyle diets are what maintain weight loss and good health. So, once you have your diet planned, it?s time to start thinking about how to cheat.
How to cheat on your diet.
When planning out a diet, you need to be aware of when, what, and why you are cheating. Cheating on a diet is only successful when planning when you will cheat. Spontaneously cheating will be followed by more spontaneous cheating, and more spontaneous cheating, and eventually lead you to fall off the diet ladder.?So, plan your cheats. Set a cheat day or cheat meal. Having a set day and meal that is planned for cheating will allow you to fulfill your cravings without going overboard.
Why should you cheat on your diet?
You must think it sounds crazy to cheat on a diet. When is cheating ever good- especially when you?re trying to lose weight? Planned cheating on a diet is great because it allows you to stick to a diet without giving up so easily. Starving yourself of your favorite fattening foods, sweets, or carbs you are used to overloading your body with before your diet will cause you to crave these types of foods more. Instead, allowing yourself to look forward to a craving each week will allow you to resist spontaneous cravings other times.
The key trick to?diet cheating?is control and consciousness. Having conscious control over what you are eating will lead you to a more successful diet. It?s okay to splurge sometimes and have that ice cream cone at the park, or your favorite Mexican restaurant down the street. Just remember when splurging, plan it out to prevent overboard cheating. For those of you who may not like the word cheating think of it as a reward! 😉
Good luck on your path to a healthier lifestyle! Have you had success with cheating on a diet?
I?m Beth Waters. My family and I have taken on the challenge of living a healthier lifestyle. In doing so, we pay attention to our diet and exercise as a family more frequently. My hobbies are writing about health and fitness for medical companies like?Liberty Medical?and my?blog. I enjoy cycle classes at the gym and indulging in a good piece of angel food cake!
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