I sometimes hear from people who are concerned about what will happen when the cravings or fatigue hit when they are on the Medifast diet. They often wonder if this means they are not going to lose weight that week or if they are going to gain weight. Worse yet, they worry that this will be the catalyst that drives them out of compliance and puts them at risk of quitting altogether.
It is my opinion that the fear of cheating is sometimes worse than the cheating itself. I believe cheating is a fact of life on any diet. And often, it’s not the cheating that sabotages you, it’s the fact that you don’t come back to compliance quickly or just don’t pick up where you left off. I also think how you cheat is more important than if you cheat. So, in the following article, I’ll offer some tips on how to handle the urge to cheat and what to do if you decide to go ahead and give in.
Know that it is normal: I find that many people who are considering Medifast think that those who are highly successful never cheat and always deliver perfectly. I don’t think this is the case. I believe that those who are successful stick to the diet until they get the results they want. And this means that when they cheat, they pick up and move on. It is absolutely normal to have bad days. But the key is not to let those days turn into several days that drive you to quit.
Try to distract yourself before acting: Let’s say you have a sudden craving for a piece of fudge and you just ate your lean and green meal. My first course of action would be to do something else. If possible, the optimal thing is to go for a walk or do something physical outside the home. If this is not possible, brush your teeth. I realize that brushing my teeth makes it less likely that I will cheat because I don’t want to contaminate my clean mouth, as silly as it sounds. Another thing that I will try is to put on some new jeans that fit me very nice because of the weight loss. This can sometimes work to shake you off any desire to cheat. You can also try writing in a journal. Sometimes just describing the food and how you feel about it will be enough of a release to take your attention away from it. Finally, you can post to one of the forums on the company’s website and ask for advice or just for someone to listen. Sometimes just getting a little friendly encouragement will keep you going.
If these things fail, look for safe alternatives within the diet: Let’s say you’ve tried all of the above and still want that fudge, the next step would be to try to find something on the Medifast menu that would work as an alternative. I’m thinking particularly of the brownies or soft serve. You can also try one of the Medifast-approved snacks, such as Jell-O or Popsicle.
If you’re going to cheat, immediately move on to the next meal: I understand that sometimes that long-awaited food is calling you and nothing else is going to satisfy you. If this is the case, try to eat a small portion of the meal instead of having a colossal eating session. It’s my personal opinion that you can also savor it if you’re going to cheat. Why do it if it’s not going to be nice? Once you’ve made the decision, allow yourself that small, temporary pleasure and put it behind you. Don’t waste time or emotional energy feeling guilty or worrying about it. What done is done. Now is the time to move on. Return to the diet for the next meal and just continue. Because honestly, the real risk is allowing this to derail and throw you off the diet. So it’s vital that you go ahead and get back to compliance without making a big deal about it.