For those of you who know me, you know that I don’t eat cake that often. And when I do eat cake I am very selective about the cake that I eat. One of my favorite cakes to indulge is the cake that Marina bakes. She is a high school senior and the niece of my best friend. I hope that one day when she has finished high school and college she opens up her own bakeshop. She is THAT good! (She doesn’t even know that she’s getting this “shout out” - she made the cake for her senior class prom fundraiser and I am happy to contribute!)
When do you splurge? I often tell my clients that “going off” should be meaningful and deliberate. If you're going to indulge in some guilty pleasure, then the absolute most important thing is that you truly, fully enjoy it.
I believe that a too-strict eating plan can seriously backfire (hello, binges). When it comes to allowing yourself some leeway, moderation is key. But what does "moderation" even mean? Maybe it means a weekly cheeseburger. Or maybe it’s one every 3 months—minus the cheese and bun. I believe in “cheat days”. You can enjoy foods on your “no-go” list in small quantities on occasion to avoid feeling deprived and binging on forbidden foods later on. But beware, your cheat days aren’t every day.
When you “go off” be sure to take action to get back on track. Here are a few easy steps:
#1) Hydrate with plenty of water. Salty foods like fries or chips need plenty of water to help your body de-bloat.
#2) Stay away from added sweets especially after a sweet splurge.You don’t need the coffee with sugar after the rich piece of chocolate cake.
#3) Exercise- high fat foods and rich carbs make you feel lethargic with little energy to spare. Take a class or hit the weights and have a good sweat.
#4) Don’t skip meals. Often people think they should not eat after a splurge in order to save calories. This often backfires and causes over eating. Eat sensibly and smart with plenty of protein, healthy fat and high fiber carbs and healthy grains.
#5) Get back on track. You know that you don’t eat this way every day. Don’t say to yourself “Well, I’ve done the damage already, what’s another days worth of bad eating”. You don’t want to get into a downward spiral. Your body will balance things in about a week’s time. Get back on the weight loss track which will keep your body healthy.
For more information and help getting back on track after a splurge contact me at rachel@livehealthynyc.com
