There are two different types of people in the flexible dieting world- clean eaters and then the rest of us. That is one of the pros of flexible dieting. You get to decide what foods you want to eat. Some people prefer to eat clean 100% of the time and some people prefer to work in a treat every now and then. From my experience, what I have found is that it is crucial to treat yourself and to learn how to do it right.

Eating clean 100% of the time is not a long term, realistic expectation. We are all human. Life is full of remarkable foods and I encourage everyone to indulge from time to time. In fact, completely cutting your favorite foods out of your diet is only going to lead to resentment towards what your goals are. Any negative association towards your goals is only going to prevent you from reaching them. This can also lead to episodes of binge eating as well which we do NOT want. It is key for your mental sanity to find a way to work in your favorite treats. You deserve it.

Get creative. 

Sometimes some of our favorite treats tend to be those highest in fat. Instead of throwing in the towel and deciding you just can’t eat that treat ever again, find creative ways to make it work. For example, I LOVE french toast. I did not love how much fat was in french toast though. So I came up with a recipe that took away some of the fat but none of the flavor. I get to indulge and keep my macros balanced. Everybody wins. Check out the recipe here.

Make Smarter Choices.

Another favorite treat of mine is ice cream. I ran into the same problem, the fat content was just too high to fit into my macros. So now I opt for frozen yogurt instead. The taste and texture is the same as ice cream but has 0 grams of fat! Grab some sprinkles, caramel, and chocolate syrup and you have you’re very own macro friendly dessert.

Browse the Internet for Ideas.

If you have no idea how to transform your favorite treat into a macro friendly recipe, browse the internet. There are tons of recipes out there that can help you get creative. For example, here is a website that has TONS of protein packed treats. Try out some protein doughnuts and cookies the next time your sweet tooth starts acting up.

Treats are a very important aspect to flexible dieting. Mentally it keeps you in check an prevents your cravings from taking over control. If you want flexible dieting to be a long term lifestyle change for you, you have to get comfortable working in your favorite foods. This week I encourage everyone to find a way to fit your favorite treats into your macros.

Treat yo’ self!