I LOVE cupcakes.
Especially the kind that comes with heaps of vanilla buttercream frosting. And I have to be honest... if you put one in front of me, I'd have a hard time saying "no, thank you."
Don't get me wrong, I don't see cupcakes as "bad." In fact, I don't put the foods I eat into "good" or "bad" categories. Instead, what I do is label them as foods that I should eat either "most of the time" or "sometimes."
That way, nothing is off limits.
How did I arrive at this decision? By carrying out two mini mindset experiments with (what else?) my beloved cupcakes.
Here's what I did:
Mindset Experiment #1: Cupcakes are evil and make you fat. Stay away from them at all costs.
With this experiment, I could go for 3-4 weeks without craving for a single cupcake. And then out of the blue, BAM! It would hit me like a ton of bricks.
And when it did, I'd be thinking about them for days, all while trying to get them out of my mind... until I'd finally cave in, walk into the store and end up leaving with a box of six of my favorite flavors (hellooo, super-weakened willpower).
I'd then proceed to binge on more than half the box.
What happened: Guilt. Lots of it. And a massive sugar crash. And then more guilt.
Mindset Experiment #2: Cupcakes are pretty energy dense and high in sugar, so I'll have just one a week. No biggie.
With this experiment, I allowed myself to get my cupcake fix more regularly, and I chose to have one a week, making sure to stick with my "most of the time" foods about 80 percent of the time and usual 3 to 5 workouts a week.
What happened: Ordering just one cupcake took a little bit of practice and getting used to, but I felt more in control of the situation because I didn't let myself get to the point of craving badly for it. I was allowing myself to eat something that I knew I'd really enjoy.
And, I knew that I could have another one pretty soon (i.e., in six days, to be exact).
My conclusions from these experiments: Giving yourself permission to eat what you want (even if you're used to labeling them as "bad"), as long as you know where your choices fit in your diet and lifestyle will make you a whole lot happier (and saner!) than cutting them out of your life completely.
A minor disclaimer: It's never a good idea to keep copious amounts of your "sometimes" foods at home. We both know what's going to happen. Been there, done that and it usually doesn't end very well.
If you're used to avoiding "sometimes" foods like the plague and then going on an out-of-control binge when your willpower runs low, give my Mindset Experiment #2 a go -- you might be surprised with the outcome.
What sweet treats do you have trouble resisting? Let me know how you handle your cravings in the comments section below!
You don't have to resort to crash or restrictive diets to lose weight. In fact, you shouldn't. I show you how to drop those jeans sizes in a healthy, sustainable and stress-free way with my free, Lose 4 Pounds in 4 Weeks Without Going On A Diet email course.
Photo credit: Brian Chan