"Legalize" Your Favorite Foods

Do you think certain foods—ice cream, cookies, chips, or pizza—are “bad” foods when you are on a diet? If you designate your favorite, high-calorie foods as forbidden, your desire and cravings for them may increase. Furthermore, if you call yourself “bad” when you slip and eat your favorite, “bad” foods, that downward spiral of shame and guilt may cause you to eat even more. Please give yourself a break, and don’t beat yourself up about your food choices, which are just that—choices, not a sign of a character flaw.

To avoid feeling deprived, give yourself permission to eat small amounts of your favorite foods occasionally—with “regular infrequency,” as Bob Wright would say. Plan to eat your treat foods once in a while, and build them into your meal plan. For example, you may decide that Saturday is “ice cream day,” or Friday night is pizza night. If you have difficulty limiting your portion sizes of tempting foods, keep those foods out of your house. Instead, go out and purchase a small amount of your favorite food, and then take it home to enjoy it slowly and mindfully. Look up the calories in your treat foods (maybe try www.calorieking.com ), so you’ll be well-informed as you develop your eating plan.

What treat foods would you like to include in your eating plan?