How you can you include treats and still hit your fitness goals?
If a friend asked you, "what should I do if I want to lose body fat?" what would your advice be?
Would it include something along the lines of "cut out all added sugars like treats and desserts"?
What if I told you that you could still enjoy treats and still hit your fitness goals?
The common conception on how to lose body fat is based on restriction. It's focused on eliminating foods and telling you what's off limits. It's true that in order to lose body fat you have to be in a calorie deficit. A calorie deficit just means taking in less energy (eating less food) than you burn, for an extended period of time. When you do this, your body taps into body fat to use as energy.
We're told to avoid desserts and treats and thereby create a calorie deficit. And it works in the short term.
If you do that, you can lose weight.
But as you may have already experienced, losing the fat isn't as much of a problem as it is to keep it from coming back.
This illustrates a major hole in this restriction model for fat loss. It works but only when you never eat sweets. It's possible, of course, but it's not realistic for most people. Would you want to swear off cookies, cakes, brownies, and ice cream forever?
No? Me either.
You've put yourself in a trap. You lost the fat by being super strict about not having sweets, so when you do, the body fat comes right back.
So how can you include those oh-so-delicious treats and still make progress?
When someone tells you that you can't have something (or even when you tell yourself), let's be honest, that thing becomes even more appealing. You grit your teeth and set your jaw in determination to be strong. You flex your willpower when you're out with friends and family and they ask if you want some dessert.
It's working. Until one day, when it doesn't.
You give in and have that treat. For a moment, it's glorious. But then the guilt and other negative emotions creep in. "You messed up," they tell you. "You failed." You might even rationalize that since you've already made a mistake, you may as well go all out and have all the treats you've been denying yourself.
The truth is, actually you didn't mess up. You didn't fail.
This is just what happens with an overly restrictive approach.
What if you take a less restrictive approach?
Well, you still need to be in a calorie deficit, there's no way around that. However, instead of focusing on what you can't have, let's focus on what you can.
Choose highly nutritious and satiating foods for the main part of your meals. Lean sources of protein such as chicken, fish, and beef (as well as non-animal sources) are great options. They're full of vitamins and minerals your body needs. Plus their protein content means they'll keep you feeling fuller for longer. It takes longer for your body to break them down in digestion.
It's equally important to include plenty of vegetables and fruits. The veggies are filled with vitamins and minerals, too. But they're also very low in calories. You can eat a giant bowl of a colorful salad and get tons of nutrients without ingesting a ton of calories. The volume of the food will help you feel fuller longer too. That giant bowl of colorful veggies will sit in your stomach as your body extracts nutrients to use.
Fruit is similarly good for you. Since they tend to taste sweeter, they can help keep your sweet tooth occupied.
The majority of your meals should be like this. Foods you like that are packed with nutrients and that will keep you feeling satiated. This will help reduce your cravings for snacks of all kinds.
Now comes the part you've been waiting on.
If you allow yourself a small treat daily, then you'll never feel deprived.
How do you do that without erasing your calorie deficit? Portion size is what matters here.
In a flexible approach to eating you can truly have any food you want. You just can't have as much as you want or as often as you want.
You have to moderate the sweets, that's just reality. Rather than turning the dial all the way to zero and declaring you'll have no sweets or turning it to ten and going full Cookie Monster, find somewhere in between.
So, just what is it about treats that we find so appealing?
The obvious answer is they're delicious. And that's correct, they're designed to be hyper palatable. The combination of sugar, salt, and fat is hard to resist. They're full of calories but not nutrients, and they're not satiating. It's a little bit of a bait and switch on your brain and body. We evolved to enjoy the foods we do because they're nutritious and filling. But these hyper palatable sweets signal that nutrition is on the way, but it's not, so your body doesn't really get the "we're satisfied" signal that tells us we're no longer hungry.
How can we hijack this back?
Practice setting yourself up for success. Eating plenty of protein, veggies, and fruits ensures your body is getting the nutrition it needs and feels mostly satisfied. This puts you in a good place to have something sweet, in moderation.
If you're feeling satisfied and you don't feel the urge to have the treat, then obviously you don't have to.
But if you do, moderation is the key.
There are a few things you can do to limit yourself.
Savor. Enjoy your treat slowly and consciously. Sit down with very limited distractions so you can savor every bite. Being mindful really helps. Have you ever been eating while watching a movie and before you know it, the whole thing was gone? That's mindlessly eating. It's not that it's inherently bad, it's just very easy to consume a ton of calories in a short time that way and not even realize it. Eating mindfully means you're fully enjoying your treat. When you're satisfied, stop. No need to wait until you feel stuffed.
Serving size. Most sweets come in packages that are far larger than the serving size listed on its nutrition information. If you find yourself not stopping until the package is empty, you have a couple options.
Buy single-serving packages. Instead of a pint of your favorite ice cream, you can get one of those small containers or an ice cream bar. If an empty package is your way of judging you're finished, then single-servings gives you that while limiting calories.
Another approach is to measure out a small amount and put it in another container. Instead of eating straight from the ice cream carton, spoon out a small scoop and put it in a small bowl.
A third option is to simply share. Split the treat with someone else instead of each of you having a full one.
Second favorite. If you know that right now you just aren't ready to limit yourself on your favorite treat, that's okay. There's nothing wrong with avoiding it for now. You can replace it with your second favorite - something you're able to enjoy almost as much, but it's easier for you to stop.
Be kind to yourself. There's no magic here. It takes some practice to learn to apply moderation. You don't learn moderation by avoiding temptation completely. When you have a little more of a treat than you would've liked, take a breath. You didn't fail. You didn't ruin anything. Just get back on track with your next meal. Don't try to make up for it.
That's about all there is to it. Focus mostly on nutrient-dense foods (protein and veggies and fruits) to make up the bulk of your meals. Enjoy them. Focus on what you get to have, not what you're missing out on. Then, if you want a treat, have one. Knowing you can have it takes away the "forbidden fruit" aspect that often fuels both desire and shame about it. Just be mindful and present when you're having your treats. Manage portion sizes in the way that feels most manageable to you.
Comments