Don’t you just want a burger?

[Anonymous]

I’m always on track, eating healthy for a few days and then BHAM! I want a burger! And carbs! And cheese!

Why don’t I just want healthy food? What do I do? Is it ok if I indulge?

[Anonymous]

Yeah! But have 1/2 a burger! Why let others tell you your portion size?

[Anonymous]

Allow yourself 1-2 free meals a week. Not an all-out cheat day, just a free meal that includes more carbs and/or fat than you have been eating your diet.

[Anonymous]

Start exercising... I find that the more I exercise, the less I crave junk food.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Allow yourself 1-2 free meals a week. Not an all-out cheat day, just a free meal that includes more carbs and/or fat than you have been eating your diet.

Would one free meal a day work? Or just a few times a week? How badly would the impact my dietary efforts?

[Anonymous]

You have options:

- Have a burger with everything except the bun (low carb/keto)
- Have half the burger (portion control)
- Have the whole burger with everything (cheat meal)
- add fries and a shake (f it all, who cares)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yeah! But have 1/2 a burger! Why let others tell you your portion size?

I feel like you're less likely to fall off the wagon or binge if you allow yourself smaller portions of the food you're craving. Maybe just have a half a burger or a burger with just one of the buns.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Allow yourself 1-2 free meals a week. Not an all-out cheat day, just a free meal that includes more carbs and/or fat than you have been eating your diet.

Would one free meal a day work? Or just a few times a week? How badly would the impact my dietary efforts?

This really depends on what your dietary efforts are, what your goals are, etc. Usually a cheat meal is not going to derail your efforts if you're on a good plan for the rest of the week, but it takes some trial and error to figure that out for yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You have options:

- Have a burger with everything except the bun (low carb/keto)
- Have half the burger (portion control)
- Have the whole burger with everything (cheat meal)
- add fries and a shake (f it all, who cares)

i like you, pp!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Allow yourself 1-2 free meals a week. Not an all-out cheat day, just a free meal that includes more carbs and/or fat than you have been eating your diet.

Would one free meal a day work? Or just a few times a week? How badly would the impact my dietary efforts?

Did you read the post? 1-2 meals a week.

It really depends on your goals, but if you are going for reasonable, long-term and sustainable weight loss, a couple free meals a week will help you stay on track.

An example of a "free meal" would be a dinner out somewhere. Eat according to your diet that day, then go out for a reasonably-portioned steak dinner with perhaps a carb that would be off-limits on your diet. Don't go all out, just enough to satisfy you, then back to your diet the next day.

[Anonymous]

Do not cut anything out of your diet. It never works. Look at your whole week's food intake as a checking account. You have X to spend. Plan accordingly.

So eat a light lunch and have the burger for dinner and then have a light breakfast the following morning. If you know you're going to want dessert out with a friend and there is cake at an afternoon office party, pass on the cake. At first this takes a lot of mental planning, but it will become second nature.

My opinion is diets that make any food "not allowed' are diets that are going to fail in the long-run.

[Anonymous]

Op here. Thanks for your thoughtful responses. I’m not dieting per se, in order to lose weight. I am eating healthy to ensure my body gets all the nutrients it needs. I have high cholesterol so I also want to lower that through diet. Right now I am flexeterian. I drink a smoothie for breakfast, and eat stir fried veggies for lunch and dinner. After a few days of this I am craving “real food” so I indulge on a chicken sandwich for lunch. Today i ordered a chicken and cheese panini. But I feel guilty since I already had one on Monday. I don’t want the carbs and cheese to increase the omega 6 in my body and contribute to my cholesterol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Start exercising... I find that the more I exercise, the less I crave junk food.

I can vouch that I've never had that experience. Lucky you. Exercising makes me ravenous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. Thanks for your thoughtful responses. I’m not dieting per se, in order to lose weight. I am eating healthy to ensure my body gets all the nutrients it needs. I have high cholesterol so I also want to lower that through diet. Right now I am flexeterian. I drink a smoothie for breakfast, and eat stir fried veggies for lunch and dinner. After a few days of this I am craving “real food” so I indulge on a chicken sandwich for lunch. Today i ordered a chicken and cheese panini. But I feel guilty since I already had one on Monday. I don’t want the carbs and cheese to increase the omega 6 in my body and contribute to my cholesterol.

You need protein to feel sated linger. Eat an egg for breakfast or quinoa. Have the chicken but less cheese. Stir fried veggies is not enough. Add beans, eggs, avocado, grilled chicken, white fish etc.

[Anonymous]

I really don't see the issue. Have a burger for lunch and have a light dinner. Get it somewhere good, not a fast food place, or make it at home. I only eat them at home but I feel like 4 oz or so of grass fed 90% lean ground beef, a whole wheat bun, tomato, onion, and mustard (which is how I like my burgers) isn't actually unhealthy.