While I strive to avoid heavily processed foodstuffs and snack treats, I know it’s not realistic to think I’ll never again indulge my sweet tooth.
If I find myself overcome with desire for a gigantic muffin or an entire pint of Ben and Jerry’s, I might be able to talk myself down from the ledge, but sometimes jumping headfirst into a carb-frenzy is the only way to get it out of my system.
For individuals who are trying to take the fast-track to weight loss, giving into one urge can sometimes be a slippery slope, but for those of us who are focused on the big picture, occasionally indulging those urges can actually help tame the beast within.
Be Here Now
People sit in movie theaters across the country shoveling popcorn into their mouths, virtually as unaware of the stimulus to their taste buds as they are of their over-taxed hearts beating in their weak little chests.
If you’ve made the conscious decision to eat something you know to be of sub-optimal nutrition, you’d better savor every bite. And that’s easier to do when you’re giving your food your full attention.
Don’t Have a Cheat Day
I know some people who will eat clean all week, then give themselves a cheat day to satisfy their pent up cravings. While this is obviously better than eating crap all the time, I find it more sustainable to spread my indulgences out through the week. If I have ice cream on Monday, onion rings on Wednesday and a piece of cheesecake on Saturday, I’m able to keep my cravings from building up to the point where I have to go completely wild on the seventh day. This approach usually keeps me from waking up with a full-on junk food hangover and having the “I’m never doing that again” conversation with myself.
Be Real
Of course it would be better for my body to never eat any of my favorite junk foods again, but life ain’t ever gonna be perfect. Even with four or five treats a week, I’m still eating clean around 80% of the time (I eat a lot!). Since my workout schedule allows me to consume large amounts of calories, I could get away with eating a lot worse than I do and still stay lean. However, nutrition is about more than one’s body fat percentage. Luckily, I’ve managed to keep both of those things in check, even with my occasional penchant for ice cream.