Diet temptations seem to target us all. For me, when I get busy, that is when temptations seem to hit. While sweets and candy may be the downfall for some, others may feel that they are putting up a fight against food every night as they sit on the couch and unwind. Whatever temptation is hardest for you… let me tell you, they are common diet temptations for us all! We have to be honest and aware of these diet temptations to know how to attack them and conquer them.
5 Common Diet Temptations
1.) Overeating
This is plain and simple: YOU EAT TOO MUCH! This may be a blatant disregard for tracking and portion size, or it is simply “trying” to track and eating just a little more. THERE IS NO TRYING TO TRACK! You either do it or you don’t. Don’t fool yourself. If you don’t track what you actually eat, you aren’t dialing it in and hitting your goals.
Tips to beat Overeating: prep your food and prepackage the amounts you will eat. Pack 8 oz of chicken and only 8 oz. Also for meals at home, put away the food after you serve your portion. You weigh out your taco meat, measure your black beans, and spoon out some salsa… then put the extra away. You won’t graze them and take “just a little more.”
2.) Sweets
Sweets can be a temptation in your diet that can really be tough to overcome at first. So right off as you start your journey, NO SWEETS! Don’t even entertain the thought. Grandma might be offended, but pass on the pie if you are starting out. This is one of those occasions where your best option is to flee, yes run away! Sweets not only pack a load of sugar and calories (that won’t fit in your budgets or deficit) but they are also so tricky mentally. We tend to crave sugar unlike any other food. And once we start, it can be hard to stop! So don’t even start.
Tips to beat sweets: Clean out your house. Get rid of it. If someone else in your house is not going to get rid of the sweets, then at least tell them to really hide it. You don’t want to know about it. You may think you’re tough, but when it’s 4 pm and dinner is not for a couple hours that bowl of M&Ms will be calling to you… that one little handful leads to another, then a bigger one, and before you know it that bowl will be empty.
3.) Snacking
Snacking, like overeating, tends to be a problem when you’re not truly tracking. You take a little extra of this or that and don’t record it. Maybe somebody brings a treat into the office and you decide that “a little won’t hurt.” Or maybe you work from home and food is always around you. This quick stops to the pantry add up and will undermine your efforts almost instantly.
Tips to beat snacking: BE HONEST WITH YOUR TRACKING! If you didn’t account for granola bar in your day, don’t eat it. “A little bit” does hurt and will make a difference. And if we’re honest, it rarely stays “a little bit.” Finally, plan snacks you like, look forward to, and keep you full. High-protein snacks are great way to accomplish this and even adding thoughts to your snacks can really help keep you satisfied.
4.) Night Time
Tips to beat Night Time Hunger!: Plan something you really look forward to for after dinner. I again like to pick something that’s high in protein and maybe higher in fat. This will again keep you full for longer, in the protein will help your muscles repair as you sleep. Some great options are: Shakeology (with PB maybe), whey shakes, cottage cheese, greek yogurt, protein bar, etc. Don’t be too afraid of carbs at night if you have tracked them in your day. If your overall carb intake is within your budget, a few carbs after dinner will not ruin your progress. One of my favorites is popcorn from my Whirly Pop. Finally, drink some water. Dehydration likes to make you think you are hungry. Grab a big glass, fill it with water, and drink.
5.) Weekends
So you’ve done great all week? Congrats! Don’t let the weekends undo all your hard work. I think weekends can be tricky for a lot of people because they are a variation from our normal schedules. You may be at home for more of the day so those temptations like snacking come into play. Maybe you often see friends that don’t quite have the same nutritional goals you have. There can be a lot of pressure from family and friends to just eat what everyone else is eating. You’ve got goals, so stick with them! Plan your weekends out ahead of time and know what temptations might come up.
Tips to beat Weekend temptations: Like I said above, plan your weekends out. Have Saturday and Sunday logged into MyFitnessPal before Friday’s ever over. Know who you’re going to see in what you’re going to be doing. Don’t let having a full/active weekend be an excuse. If you know your buddy Brian is not going to have any healthy options for you when you watch the game on Sunday, volunteer to bring something. A good go to option is a fresh veggie platter. You can eat tons of bell peppers and baby carrots without even putting a dent in your budgets. Whip up some Greek yogurt ranch dressing and you’re good to go.
BEAT THESE DIET TEMPTATIONS
Having a plan is what’s going to allow you to overcome any of these temptations. Be honest with yourself. You know if you’ve been cheating yourself by eating a few bowls of cereal every night. Reflect on that and make a change. Whether you need to lose 100 pounds or only 20, you still have to hit your nutritional goals for today. We’ll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. So don’t feel sorry for yourself! Get honest and get a plan!
Need a coach?
My email: coachwayne@teamripped.com
IG: @wayne_wyatt
