Free Meals: A Guide to Treating Yourself

Congratulations!  You have been on your lifestyle change journey for over a month and a half now...or at least you've been reading about going on that journey for over a month and a half now.

I believe it is time to cover how to treat yourself in a balanced manner.  This means, you can eat what you'd like - depending on your level of self control and psychological sturdiness on a diet.

There are two ways to treat yourself:

• Daily.  In this option, you can set aside a certain amount of calories per day to dedicate to your favorite treat.  This number is up to you, as long as you have met your protein and fat requirements for the day. The best part about this meal is that if you allot a certain amount of calories for it, it's not a cheat and will not prevent or conflict with weight loss.
• Once per week.  Save this for a date night, a movie night or maybe even an event or birthday party.

If you choose to do a daily treat, consider the following three things before you go ahead with the treat:

• Control.  You must have enough self control to stop yourself after the allotted calories per day.  It's smart to save the treat until your last meal in BOTH options.  
• Labels.  Make sure you're using the labels and that you know how to read them correctly.  There are often multiple servings per bag, so look for something that fits into your daily requirements.
• Filling.  Choose something that is filling!  Don't eat 4 pieces of chocolate and call it a day.  Look for things that are lower calories and high in fiber because they'll taste great AND fill you up!

If you chose to do a weekly meal:

• Combine your favorites.  It's often recommended to enjoy a portion of an appetizer, a main course and a desert during your free meal.  So, combine all of your favorite foods!  Don't be afraid of this meal - your body and your mind will be very grateful.
• Save it!  Don't have your cheat meal for breakfast, because you'll just want to treat yourself all day long.  Try and wait for dinner, or even later.  Also, DO NOT literally save your meal for later. Throw away the leftovers or give it to the dog in the alley.
• Don't count calories.  It's unnecessary to count the calories in this meal, so forget about 'em!

REMEMBER:

• It shouldn't be a cheat DAY.
• One meal will not derail your weight loss goals; multiple cheat days will.
• Your diet doesn't have to be boring. Check out these tips!

If you don't feel as if you need a treat or a cheat, then don't! Wait until you absolutely need a break, or save it for an event!  The holidays are right around the corner, so be conscious of these dates in correlation to your treat timing!

iSwipe Wisely Tip: If you want more treats, get in the gym more! 

What are your favorite treats?

XOXO, 

Ms. Wisely