As a dietitian, many clients come to me mostly for weight loss purposes. One of the most important messages I teach my clients is that achieving weight loss isn’t about depriving yourself of less healthy food choices, but finding balance in your life to enjoy those foods in a more moderate fashion. 

Let’s use sweets as an example. There are three types of people when it comes to eating sweets. There is the person that can enjoy a small piece of 70% or higher dark chocolate daily to cure a sweet tooth, someone that needs 5-10 pieces at a time to feel satisfied (this is me, by the way) and someone that cannot have any sweets because it leads to a night full of chocolate, ice cream, candy bars etc. 

Related: Sugar Cravings — Causes and What They Might Mean

I personally do not buy sweets for my house because that makes eating in moderation difficult for me. Instead, I go out for dessert once per week, as I’ve found that this helps me find a balance between healthy eating and eating foods that feed my soul (anything chocolate!).

Keep in mind that no one is perfect, and there are times that my clients (and I) will overindulge. In these situations, remember that no one is a perfect eater and that it’s important to be kind to yourself. Instead of throwing in the towel after a slip up, brush yourself off and focus on making the next healthy choice with your eating habits. No one meal or slip up will ruin all of your efforts. 

Also, when you indulge, do not think of it as “cheating.” There is nothing wrong with an indulgence from time to time. Telling yourself that you are “cheating” when you eat foods that are not considered healthy often leads to a downward spiral of continued overindulgence and a massive feeling of guilt.

Related: Are you struggling in your relationship with food? 

Food, while meant to give you energy and prevent disease, should also be enjoyed with people you love and from time to time, should fuel your soul. Finding that balance is the key to health, because too much of anything isn’t necessarily a good thing!

For more information on how to find balance with your food choices and how to see results without fad dieting please reach out to FFC Park Ridge’s registered dietitian, Alicia Huggler, MS, RDN, LDN at ahuggler@ffc.com.

Post written by FFC Contributor and Registered Dietitian Alicia Huggler.