Pick up any diet book these days and it will tell you what to eat and what not to eat. Eat a turkey burger, not a hamburger. Drink red wine, not a vodka cranberry. Eat fruit for dessert, not that chocolate cake. If I subscribed to this theory, I would walk around all day thinking about what I could and couldn’t eat, feeling deprived and depressed! What if one day I just want to eat that chocolate cake? If you approach life thinking about all of the things you can’t have, one day you’re going to snap and binge on that chocolate cake. Trust me, I’ve been there.
Is there an alternative to this way of living? Absolutely, 100% YES!
Yesterday a co-worker approached me at the end of her shift to tell me that she was craving something really bad, and she told me that she needed me to talk her out of eating it. You’re not going to believe it, but I told my coworker to just go ahead and eat that unhealthy food. One hamburger (or whatever your vice may be) is not going to kill you.
I should warn you though, there is a catch. I also told my coworker to order something healthy – like a side salad, some sautéed spinach or grilled asparagus – and to eat that first. Eat that entire bowl of veggies, and THEN start in on your “unhealthy” food. Chances are, you probably won’t be able to finish that whole hamburger after your big bowl of veggies. Approaching your cravings this way will kill two birds with one stone – you’ll get a full serving of vegetables, AND you’ll get a little taste of that food that’s nagging at the back of your mind.
Next time you want those vegan nachos or some chocolate chips (my two out of control addictions right now), eat a salad first. Then fully enjoy some (but not the entire plate) of those vegan nachos. You don’t need to feel guilty, it won’t ruin your diet, and it certainly won’t kill you. It’s great to be healthy 100% of the time, but life is boring if you don’t do a little living!
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