Tips and tricks for when you’re tempted to cheat Medifast

I sometimes hear from people who are concerned about what will happen when cravings or fatigue kick in 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 is the catalyst that will knock them out of compliance and put them at risk of quitting altogether.

It is my opinion that the fear of cheating is sometimes worse than cheating itself. I think cheating is a fact of life on any diet. And oftentimes, it’s not the cheating that sabotages you, it’s the fact that you don’t quickly come back to compliance or simply pick up where you left off. I also think how you cheat is more important than whether you cheat. So, in the next 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 what 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 recover 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 prompt 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, 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 me less likely to cheat because I don’t want to contaminate my clean mouth, silly as that sounds. Another thing I’m going to try is to put on some new jeans that fit really nice because of the weight loss. This can sometimes work to get you out of 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 in one of the forums on the company’s website and ask for advice or just have someone listen to you. Sometimes just getting a little friendly encouragement will get 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 works as an alternative. I’m thinking particularly of the brownies or the soft serve. You can also try one of the Medifast-approved snacks like 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 is my personal opinion that you can also taste it if you are going to cheat. Why do it if it’s not going to be nice? Once you have made the decision, allow yourself that small and temporary pleasure and leave it behind. Don’t waste time or emotional energy feeling guilty or worrying about it. What done is done. Now is the time to move on. Go back to the diet for the next meal and just keep going. Because honestly, the real risk is allowing this to derail and kick you out of the diet. So it is vital that you go ahead and re-comply without making a big deal about it.