FEED YOUR BODY RIGHT: SHE GIVES HERSELF A DIET DAY OFF
Sandra Hameroff was having a hard time losing 40 postpregnancy pounds—until she started taking time off from her diet.
Shortly after the birth of her son, Noah, Sandra got serious about shaping up, determined to return to her prepregnancy weight of 100 pounds. She started using her cross-country ski machine four times a week. She also went on a strict diet, allowing herself no more than 1,300 calories a day and denying herself a lot of her favorite foods, especially pizza and french fries. As a result, she found herself on the brink of a full-scale binge more than once.
When a sympathetic friend learned of Sandra’s efforts—and her list of forbidden foods—she made a suggestion: “Why not give yourself a break from your eating program once a week? You’ll tame those cravings before they permanently undo your diet.”
The next Monday through Thursday, Sandra was a model of gastronomic self-control, amazing even herself. Then came Friday, and with it, her old favorites: pizza, ice cream, and a hearty dessert.
As radical as it sounds, indulgence was just what she needed. The next day, Sandra resumed her stricter eating plan with greater enthusiasm. Soon after, her husband got into the act by taking her to dinner on Friday nights, which only served to make her splurges seem even more special. “I looked forward to them,” she says. “They made my diet easier to stick with.”
Four months later, Sandra stepped on a scale and discovered that she had lost all 40 pounds without guilt or giving up the foods that she loved. As a gift to herself, she hired a personal trainer to help her get in the best shape ever. “She brought me to a new level of fitness,” Sandra says.
WINNING ACTION
Give yourself a break. As we all know, dieting is hard work, and temptation is everywhere. Instead of trying to fight the urge to splurge all the time, allow yourself a chance to indulge those fat fantasies every now and then. Just remember that you have to be on the wagon 6 days out of 7.
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