STORY OF MY LIFE. In all seriousness, after I lost the 40lbs, I became very restrictive, and never allowing myself to anything I used to eat because of that fear of gaining the weight back. To this day, I still have trouble treating myself. After my 20 mile long run a few weeks ago, I had subway for dinner instead of the pizza that I really wanted.
It can (and has) turned into a destructive behavior if you’re not careful, because now I will have a ‘bad week’ every now and then where I’ll eat everything, feel guilty about it, and then kill myself in the gym.
I think the best way to incorporate treats into a healthy diet is to plan for it. Know what you want, when you’re going to eat it, and make it count. If you’re going to eat pizza, it better be some darn good pizza. Eat enough to satisfy your craving, and call it done. Some people do a ‘treat’ once a day, once a week, or even once a month. If I had a treat everyday, it would be a lot harder for me to not eat more of that food. So, I like the idea of weekly/monthly cheats.
Do yourself a favor and indulge every now and then. Don’t drive yourself crazy. It’s still something I’m working on, but I’m getting better.
