It was renowned weight loss guru Dr. Howard M. Shapiro who said that “deprivation is counterproductive.” In his book Picture Perfect Weight Loss 30-Day Plan, he says that you don’t necessarily have to restrict yourself to certain foods to lose weight—you just need to have a better relationship with your food and with your body.
Agree! Here at FN, we understand that having to give up your favorite desserts forever is downright unjust, so we came up with a compromise. Here are three ways you can still enjoy your food without sacrificing your goal weight:
1. If you've munched on your favorite glazed doughnuts, you should… hit the treadmill this weekend.
According to LiveStrong.com, a regular-sized doughnut may contain as much as 255 calories. Add the two that you plan to finish off and you’ll have amassed nearly 800 calories. The best way to burn those doughnuts off is by spending time at the gym this weekend. Schedule an appointment with your trainer tonight before you get a chance to back off tomorrow morning!
2. If you've indulged in an eat-all-you-can dinner, you should… change your exercise routine.
It doesn’t take long for the body to adapt to an exercise routine. Consider the sumptuous dinner your cue to do something to challenge yourself. In fact, according to FitDay.com, you should be switching things up every month. Don’t push yourself to do something that would strain your muscles, but don’t take it too easy either.
3. If you regularly chug down softdrinks, you should… do high-intensity interval training.
Don’t feel guilty whenever you take a sip from your favorite soda. Just work the calories off by signing up for a fun but high-intensity interval training program (which Shape incidentally says promote a healthier heart). Besides, it’s not a punishment when you’re having so much fun, right? Bring a friend and you won’t even notice the time fly by.
(Photo of doughnut by William Jones via Flickr Creative Commons; photo of plate by F Delventhal via Flickr Creative Commons; photo by Yortw via Flickr Creative Commons)
