Does the temptation to cheat bother you? Of course I’m talking about with food here. I get it, when it comes to dieting the purpose is to cut out all the bad foods and avoid the bad cravings at all possible causes. However, let’s be real here, how enjoyable is your life without the occasional consumption of the bad things?

If you’re like any other normal human being, you’re going to have cravings when you’re dieting. And to me, when eating healthy, there’s nothing more annoying than trying to talk yourself into saying “no” when you simply just want to enjoy some buttery popcorn.

There’s no fun to be had in life if you’re constantly having those annoying conversations in your head about how many calories you’re going over, or how processed a simple food item is. This is why I think cheating is okay. You need to cheat! No, I’m not proposing this as an everyday occurrence, but I’m a strong believer in everything in moderation, and that includes moderation.

Here are a few instances that I consider perfectly fine to cheat on your diet:

around the web

7 Comments

  1. On a vacation is not a good time to “through all diet rules to the wind”. The purpose of engaging in healthy lifestyle habits, like eating healthy foods and eating in a moderation are “habits” that need to be followed no matter where you are. If I work hard to look good in that bikini it’s not just for that 1 week I’m in Cuba, it’s because I want to look and feel good all year round. Yes, partaking in the local cuisine is fine but you have to be smart about it. Coming back with 100s of photos is fine. 5lbs + I don’t think so.

    • @Fit_MissC: Where are you vacationing at? It seems like you issues with food that you can’t let your down, figuratively, for a week on vacation. No one is likely to binge on vacation if she is on swimsuit shape.

      • @Patrick: My response is to the author and their point about “indulging” on vacation. There are many different types of people who read this blog (some in swimsuit shape all year round and some on the journey) and they are getting health tips from the information presented here. I’m just saying that healthy eating is a lifetime habit and shouldn’t be thrown out the door just because you’re on vacation. Moderation and mindful eating is the key to success in enjoying the multitude of food options that exist.

      • @Patrick: I understand your point. Moderation is key, and that’s with every instance I listed on here. I definitely am not saying go on vacation and binge. Most dieters still know how to remain cautious, even when they are “cheating.” The point I’m making is that you shouldn’t have to over think what you’re eating when you’re on vacation.

  2. I have a cheat day once a week. Usually my cheat foods would be gourmet stuff but sometimes it’s the deliciously bad stuff.

    It’s an integral part of my plan actually: it prevents binges. I take a Zen and the art of good food approach to my cheat foods.

  3. This is a agree with. Cheat days should be measured attempts to allow yourself to indulge in whatever makes you feel good mentally although food may be contrary to your new diet. But if you have a lifestyle change instead of a diet cheat days aren’t likely to be binge days

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