First of all let us start by saying the title doesn’t mean you can go out and overload on high calorie, luxurious foods and still expect to lose weight. You won’t! Saying that, there is a way to eat the foods you enjoy (naughty) and still get the results you want. It’s called moderation.
Many people we know end up going on faddy diets which can end up causing malnutrition. They want the quickest results possible (normally weight loss) and don’t care what it takes to get it. Unfortunately, diets are not sustainable normally meaning they don’t work.
Just because you may of lost weight on a diet doesn’t mean it’s working in your best interest. For example, If you don’t eat for 3 or 4 days you will lose weight. Does that mean it’s working?… No! Of course not. It’s bloody dangerous and hazardous to your health.
There are people who choose to eat pretty much nothing day after day and once they have lost a sufficient amount of weight they start eating as normal again, but become dumbfounded when they put the weight back on.
Let us explain why this can be… Rapid fat loss causes severe reduction in a hormone known as leptin. The drop in leptin is detected by the hypothalamus (a section of your brain) and the starvation response initiates. The starvation response will remain until leptin and body fat levels return to their previous state.
If this proves anything it’s that you need to keep eating. Food is not the enemy, food is fuel. If you have the foods you enjoy in moderation you can remain healthy and keep a tight waistline.
We know people understand the meaning of moderation and we know that it’s difficult to only have 2 or 3 biscuits. Most of the difficulty comes from being left unsatisfied which can leave us craving more.
Here is an example of ‘naughty’ in moderation:
* 1 total 0% yoghurt (170g) – 97 calories
* 2 crushed up Oreo biscuits – 90 calories
* 1 tablespoon (10g) of flax, sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds with goji berries – 55 calories
* 2 handfuls of blueberries – around 25 calories
A pack of six Oreo biscuits is 270 calories. The snack in the example is around 267 calories. It has a balance of healthy and naughty, tastes great and leaves you feeling satisfied.
Never look at convenient as ‘I’ve ruined all my hard work now’ or ‘It’s Wednesday and I’ve messed up. Oh well, I’ll start again Monday’. This will make you inconsistent and you will always look at food as a chore.
We will always promote natural products and sensible eating, but we do understand that sometimes naughty convenience foods are necessary. Always remember that one cake can’t make you fat and one salad can’t make you thin.
Thank you for taking the time to read today’s blog. If you struggle with anything we have mentioned feel free to comment or contact us.
Stewart & Kate (SMPT)