3 Realistic Ways to Cheat on Your Diet Without Ruining It
Cravings are one of the biggest reasons that people cheat on their diets. Whether you have just started dieting or you are trying to stay successful long term, the key is to be prepared for cheat times. Even people with extraordinary amounts of willpower still struggle with cravings. This is okay. What is not okay is to give in to an extreme craving, blow your diet and hate yourself. The trick to cheating on your diet is to satisfy your cravings instead of trying to fight them off or ignore them. That’s right, many diets don’t allow any deviations from the food plan but for some people this is impossible. With a few tricks and preparations you can manage your times of cheating on your diet without ruining it for good.
1.) If you have been eating salads and quinoa and just need some robust flavor, it is ok to add some barbecue sauce or seasoning salt to a meal. Yes, there are a few extra calories, but cheating with rich flavors on healthy food is better than ruining your diet with a meal filled with hundreds of calories. Hot sauces, mustards, pickles and salsa are all good choices for adding flavor to “boring” foods. Try condiments and spices before veering into a drive through and ruining your diet.
2.) If you have a sweet tooth and crave that sugar once in awhile, you can try the healthy things like a small bit of dark chocolate, or low calorie desserts. Did you know that the average meringue cookie has only 2 carbs and 10 calories? A chocolate fudge popsicle with no sugar added is only 40 calories! The first part of the cheating trick is to be prepared with low cal, low carb treats that you truly enjoy. The second is to truly savor the satisfying flavors by eating slowly and only eat the amount that you decided on. Cheat enough to get you through the moment but don’t turn it into a disastrous event.
3.) Buy foods in small portion sizes (like 100 calorie snack packs). Find some granola bars, protein bars, fruit snacks… even chips, crackers and candy and keep it in a box marked “In Case of Emergency Only!”. If you are battling cravings you can take the box out and sit for a bit before you decide to open it up. If you fill your stomach with a big glass of water and 15 minutes later you still feel the need to cheat, pick one item from your emergency stash, close the box and put the box away. Go somewhere else to eat the treat, like outside on the patio, or eat it while you go on a walk. Don’t eat it while checking email or watching tv or it will be gone before you know it and you won’t have enjoyed it.
Cheating on your diet is sometimes inevitable. The trick is to satisfy your cravings without going off the deep end and ruining your whole diet. If you are prepared with the foods you need, the tricks to follow and the right mindset, success will be yours. If you are getting a strong craving don’t feel bad. Take responsibility for satisfying your needs responsibly though more robust flavors, low calorie/low carb sweets and reasonably small portions sizes.
Pin this for later. . .
