If you are going to "cheat" do it right.

I'm going to preface this by stating that you are not on a diet. You have changed the way you eat food. Because you have made those changes in your general, day-to-day eating, you can occasionally allow yourself something bad. If you are eating foods that are good for your body everyday, then it is perfectly acceptable to eat something you wouldn't normally allow in your kitchen. Moderation and rarity are key factors here.

Now that that's out of the way, let's talk about what it means to allow yourself something to eat that fucking tastes good. I cook every day. I have a routine. I know exactly what I'm consuming. On Friday afternoon I allow myself a fucking treat. Jim (my spousal equivalent) and I choose a restaurant somewhere in San Diego and have a good lunch. This accomplishes two things. It allows me to have red meat and/or bacon that I so crave and it keeps me from having that shit in the house. I know that come Friday, I can have a steak or burger and fries and that's my bad food for the week.

The reason I mention this is because you should consider what it is that you really want. I love red meat. I love bacon. I love cheese. I would do anything for a good milkshake or something with peanut butter in it. But these are not and cannot be everyday foods for me. When I want it, I know I can get it on Friday at lunch time. Choose a day and choose a meal for that day. Then include that in your food rituals. It helps with the craving. It allows for a meal without counting calories or fat grams.

Here's the other thing about doing it this way, since you are saving money by cooking at home, splurge and have a nice lunch. McDonald's hamburgers are fucking gross. If you are craving a burger and fries go somewhere where they cook to order and ask you how you want your meat. If you want Mexican go somewhere that has homemade salsa instead of Taco Hell. Mom and Pop type pizzerias usually have way better pizzas then PizzaHut or Papa Johns. You'll appreciate the food so much more.

Today, for example, I had my regular fruit smoothie for breakfast and then went to the Burger Lounge for lunch. Had a burger, onion rings, and a chocolate milk shake. I didn't eat a nasty Whopper or Big Mac, I had an honest-to-science burger. It was fucking awesome. Tonight I'm roasting a chicken and having fresh veggies for dinner. I've satiated my desire for food that is bad for me and I'm back on the "good for me" wagon.

Just think about it. You can eat what you want in moderation. You just have to figure out what that means for you, asshole.