Among other things, indulgence means: satisfaction, gratification, fulfillment, satiation and appeasement.
All those words sounds contrary to what you would expect to hear associated with dieting.
But, the truth is, eating something you truly enjoy and take pleasure in isn’t bad at all as long as it is done right. In fact, it is something you should allow yourself to do.
In diet circles, this indulgence in something you enjoy is often called a “cheat” meal. But a better and more complimentary term is “indulgence meal.”
The word “cheat” already has bad associations in our minds so the easy way around that is to call it something more positive and “indulgence” conjures up all kinds of pleasures in our minds rather than “bad” images.
Indulgence rather than conferring a negative tone implies some sort of pampering…something good that we are rewarded with because of our ‘good behavior” and a “job well done.”
The “indulgence meal” should only come as a reward/a result of and treat for hard work and effort that we’ve put already put in and we are proceeding to stay the course and stick to the plan.
Indulgence meals like all meals are personal. How often you choose to implement them is totally up to you but remember each one will have an effect on how slowly or quickly you move towards reaching your weight loss and fitness goals.
For many, the indulgence meal becomes an incentive and helps to keep them on track and following their plan the rest of the time. If it works that way for you, then use it as a powerful tool.
Before you begin incorporating indulgence meals into your diet, you need to consider a few things such as how often you will have it, how close your goals are and how much further you have to go.
Even if you are one of those who can easily move forward without any type of “indulgence meal” weekly…it’s still a good idea to reward yourself every two weeks or so.
On the other hand, if you struggle to stick to your plan, then enjoying an “indulgence meal” once weekly would probably be a better choice for you…but remember in order to avoid gaining weight during this meal you must pay attention to portion size and keep yourself under control during the entire meal.
Be aware that your diet needs will be in constant flux and changing depending on the results you are seeing.
You will also need to consider the “timing” of this indulgence meal and the time of day you plan on eating it.
There are a few reasons to enjoy this meal as your last meal of the day and they are:
You will relax and enjoy the experience more and won’t be rushing through as though you must get to the next thing scheduled.
Making it the last meal of the day prevents that “indulgence meal” from becoming an “indulgence day” which often happens to those who “indulge” at lunch or as a mid-afternoon snack.
Once done, they decide that they’ve blown their diets so they might as well indulge the rest of the day and pick back up on their diets tomorrow.
Once again…there are no rigid rules…you can have an “indulge day” if that’s what you want. But in the end you must still pay the price for the calories consumed and an “indulge day” will work against your efforts with its high calorie count while an “indulgent meal” can actually help you stay the course.
An indulgent meal should be something you are craving. It’s also smart to take into account trying to eat foods higher in carbohydrates and lower in fats. These foods have a greater influence on the metabolic rate and level of leptin release you’re-experiencing both of which influence the level of fat burning taking place in the body.
A large hit of carbohydrates helps to boost your metabolism and leptin higher which goes a long way towards maximizing your progress towards fat burning.
Keeping the fat low helps to keep the calories level under better control keeping you from over consuming a high dose of calories eventually leading to fat gain.
Done properly, the “indulgence meal” is a great way to boost your level of success and give you a nice mental break from the stressors of dieting as well.
It’s all about balance.
In my “Minimalist Exercise and Nutrition Program” I coach you on how to maximize both the efficiency and the effectiveness of what you are doing in both the gym and the kitchen.
Speak Your Mind