This is probably one of my most frequently asked questions. What do I do when I go out to dinner for a friends’ birthday? What about during Thanksgiving dinner? Can I cheat on the weekends?
Sorry to say that the answer isn’t crystal clear. Of course you can have a cheat! The key is to be smart about it.
If you’ve been strict about fasting throughout the week, of course you can have a slice of birthday cake or maybe an extra scoop of mashed potatoes at dinner.
But that doesn’t mean you should splurge and eat everything in sight. You should try to eat as you would on a regular basis* so that the the only thing that changes is your “cheat meal”.
But here’s some good news, you SHOULD reward yourself with a small cheat once or twice a week! I allow myself to have a small portion of ice cream twice a week without noticing a change in my body! It’s all about the OVERALL trend of your diet and how you eat.
For example, if I’m going out to dinner with my friends, I still try to be strict with what I order. So, I’ll get made fun of for being the only one to order a salad at dinner. But then I get to enjoy a little bit of dessert, which I normally wouldn’t get to do!
At the end of the night, I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll be happy with your decisions. You’ll feel great for sticking to the fasting, for choosing a healthy dish for dinner, and for getting to treat yo’ self at the end.
It’s all about a balance!
*Most of the time you cannot control the timing of when food will be served/when you will be eating. Do your best to stick to your usual fasting hours! That’s all you can do!