I am very much a fat kid on the inside, meaning GIVE ME ALL THE CAKES, CANDY, PIZZA, SUGGGAARR! You know, all things horrible for me? I have learned that most of the foods I crave are either a result of a deficiency in my diet of a nutrient, or if I cannot get rid of the craving that there is a healthy alternative to whatever it is. The trick is mind over matter when it comes to nutrition. Clear your cabinets so you don’t see the foods that will steer you off track, I know when I see those Oreo cookies I am going to want them, so I just don’t buy them.

Same thing when you go out to eat, smells are tempting, especially when those in your party are eating something that you love to eat! I have found that ALMOST anywhere you go, there is something on the menu that can fit in to your macros. Again, it is mind over matter. Do you want food that will hinder your progress, or do you want to have that mental clarity that you just had enough willpower to stick to your plan? Most places will substitute breaded chicken for grilled chicken, if you ask they will put your dressing on the side of your salad for you, or if it is a dish that has a ridiculously unhealthy sauce but the rest of the dish is perfect for your macros, ask them to just hold the sauce.

I’m not saying to NEVER eat out or have a meal that doesn’t fit in to your macros, but I am saying there are ways around eating like crap ALL THE TIME. I am not one to embrace excuses, only because I used to be that girl, I had a reason to justify why I didn’t eat healthy. I’m not saying that every day of every week you have to eat to the exact gram of your macro breakdown, because without a cheat meal here and there you will literally go crazy. I have found that one cheat MEAL (not cheat day) once a week is good for me. I didn’t start out with this, I started out with a couple of cheat meals a week (2 or 3), then slowly started to kick cravings and limit it. Just remember to think when you go for that juicy cheeseburger, or ice cream, if you want to hinder the progress you have started to make. Make that mental game strong to get to where you want to be in your health journey.  Below is a list of some of the ways we have made traditional cheat meals healthier. If you want the actual recipes, let me know in the comments or shoot me an email.

Pizza

High carb – use an sprouted grain tortilla as your crust, use extra sauce and less cheese, then load up on your veggies.

Low carb – use cauliflower or zucchini as the crust, same as the high carb use extra sauce, less cheese, then pile on the veggies

Ice-Cream

Halo Top if you want an ice cream consistency

Arctic Zero for more of a frozen ice texture

Pancakes

Low carb – Try the recipe I posted in my post Guilt-Free Protein Pancakes

High carb – Use the recipe above and add oats in to the mixture

Pancake Syrup

Soy Sauce

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