How to ‘Cheat’ on a Healthy Diet Without Ruining It or Feeling Guilty

Food is one of life’s greatest pleasures, which is why we all need to allow ourselves to indulge in our favourite foods at times. If you are planning to kickstart a new, healthier diet in the new year, or just make some better food choices, you are not alone. A series of studies into what researchers have dubbed the "fresh start effect" have shown how The new year feels like a new beginning, which is why so many people often set lofty resolutions during these times. So, if you are kicking off 2022 by working on your fitness goals, or just making a pledge to eat healthier, more nutritious food, here are 5 expert-approved tips to enjoying your favourite foods from time to time without detailing your goals or demotivating yourself.

1. Plan your indulgences: Incorporating planned indulgences helps to give people something to look forward to, especially when following a stringent weight loss plan. And whether it's a piece of cake, a scoop of ice cream or a big juicy cheeseburger, scheduled splurges can also break up the monotony of restrictive eating, which can help you stick to your plan for the long term.

2. Lose the guilt: Feeling bad or guilty about indulging not only denies you pleasure, but it can also lead to emotionally driven eating. A single treat or meal will not derail your diet, but your response to eating the treat can cause you to lose control and fall off the wagon.

3. Choose timing that works for you: For some people, starting a diet plan by incorporating a daily or weekly treat meal makes sense. But others would rather hold off until an initial goal is reached.

4. Don’t turn a cheat meal into a cheat day: You might end up negating all your efforts for the entire week and demotivating yourself completely.

5. Indulge in foods you truly love: It’s important to choose foods you really enjoy in order to feel satisfied and keep you going. Eg. if you are craving a scoop of your favourite ice cream go for it and savour every bite, then commit to eating healthy all week.

6. Make healthier choices as you cheat: Pizza can be made healthier if you order a whole-grain crust, add a lot of veggies and order half the cheese. And ice cream can be a better choice if you get a sorbet or eat a healthy meal and then enjoy some real ice cream for dessert.