How to Indulge the Right Way
Diet and fitness are key components to living a healthy lifestyle, but we’re human and sometimes we just need to indulge! YOLO, right?! The good news? There are healthy ways to do so. At Driven Fit + SWS, we believe in the occasional indulgence just as much as we believe in a whole-body approach to wellness. Our Tampa personal trainers share how to indulge the right way.
Diet vs. A Diet
First, let’s get one thing straight: your diet is all of the foods you habitually eat. EVERYTHING. A diet is different. This is a special course of restricted intake, generally to lose weight or for medical reasons.
To lose weight, you must eat fewer calories or burn up more calories than you need. Some personal trainers believe that great fitness results can only be achieved by also overhauling your eating habits. But a complete overhaul may actually hinder your results causing you to feel too restricted.
“Cheat Days” to Cut Cravings
As part of our wellness program, we encourage “cheat days” to satisfy those cravings. Now, keep in mind, this doesn’t mean you completely throw your diet out the window!
Enjoy one of your favorites from one of these categories:
- meal
- alcoholic drinks
- a dessert
It probably won’t be hard to pick how you want to indulge, but you will need to choose a day where you can easily relax your normal dietary restrictions.
Do You Indulge on a Diet?
Let’s get real. Our staff is no exception when it comes to enjoying cheat days. Here are some of their favorite Tampa area indulgences…
- Meal: Mac & Cheese from Steelbach Tampa
- Alcohol/Dessert: Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream Spirits Irish Cream Brownie
- Meal: Trio Dip with chips and veggies from Green Lemon Tampa
- Alcohol: Casamigos tequila on the rocks with a splash of soda and lime
- Dessert: Crème Brulee from Bern’s Steakhouse and Strawberry Ice Cream from Dairy Joy
- Meal: Eddie & Sam’s Pizza in downtown Tampa (extra crispy, plain cheese or Sicilian)
- Alcohol: Sugar-free Red Bull Vodka or Splash Cranberry
- Dessert: Banana Split from Dairy Joy
- Meal: Seafood Alfredo
- Alcohol: Ice-cold Yuengling at World of Beer
- Dessert: Ice Cream from Dairy Joy (Vanilla or Apple Pie)
- Meal: Eddie & Sam’s Pizza or Burger from Burger Culture
- Alcohol: Normally no alcohol, but if he had to choose it would be a whiskey on the rocks
- Dessert: Swedish Fish and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream at Dairy Joy
It’s OK to Indulge
Boredom and deprivation are words that may come to mind when going on a diet (or trying to stick with one). Remember: you can achieve your health & wellness goals – as long as you indulge with food the smart way.
In an otherwise healthy diet, eating a couple of slices of pizza or a piece of chocolate cake isn’t going to throw you off. After a week of workouts at our South Tampa gym, a reward-based cheat meal or cheat day may work for you.
Just remember our tip to pick one category, not start with one and then spiral into all three…Indulging the right way means that you’re otherwise able to execute a well-planned diet and maintain the caloric intake needed for your individual weight loss.
Driven +SWS
We use a hands-on approach to whole-body fitness and work closely with each client, whether you’re just starting your fitness journey or you’re a seasoned athlete. We’ll create a well-rounded plan that’s customized for your health goals.
We offer intensive programs that focus on transformation, rejuvenation, and restoration through personal training, massage therapy, and chiropractic care. If you are interested in learning more about our various programs and services at our South Tampa wellness studio, please call or text (813) 440-3016.
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