Not feeling bad when we "stray" from our diet on occasion

I was watching Oprah the other day, and also doing some research about dieting/nutrition. And I've come to the conclusion that we really don't need to feel awful if we have a bad moment and eat something not on the diet, or go out to eat with friends, etc. It's simply not worth it. Just because we have a cheat day or moment, it doesn't mean we're not still on the diet! It doesn't mean we have to start all over if we have a bad weekend (or even week). What matters is that we are changing our eating habits, and finding some consistency with this diet for the majority of the time. One thing to keep in mind, like Kirsten mentioned in the last post, is that it is better to eat something over not eating anything. Not eating will cause our bodies to store extra fat, actually. So if you are out and can't find something on the diet (this was me yesterday), just choose the next best thing. Many fast food places have salads with grilled chicken and either a fruit/nut option, or corn/black bean salsa option. And if you use either lowfat or a 1/2 a pack of dressing, you're still doing LOADS better than eating a burger and fries (or nothing at all). If you really feel you can't eat out in a rush, grab a Muscle Milk at the gas station to get you by.

Also, this is a great tip: There is a diet out there called the "Every Other Day Diet." And it is quite effective for lots of people. Basically you have one day where you essentially eat whatever you want within reason (this is a "load" day), and the next day you have a very low calorie "clean" day. So if you have a day on this diet where you, say, have to bake Magic Cookie Bars for the Young Women, and then find yourself eating maybe 5 of them (ahem), the next day choose the most regimented items on the diet (fish or turkey over ground beef, for example). Don't make that your fro yo day. Keep it very clean and low cal. Plus if you add in exercise, you'll also notice that your body will be much more forgiving on the "cheat" days, and help keep you on track. I had a few cheats on and off this week, but I still managed to lose a pound, which was very reassuring (I started exercising more last week).

Since we are putting our bodies through something fairly extreme, we don't want to add the extra stress of feeling guilty when we slip up. Just remember to have a "clean" day the next day, and continue sticking to the diet as much as you can from there on. With that said, I still ate a fluffy, oven-fresh biscuit this morning, but I'm belly dancing tonight, by george! :P

I think we're all doing pretty awesome!