This simple and effective rule is a challenge and strategy I use in my 12-week Nutrition and Lifestyle Coaching Programme. With this strategy we believe there’s no such thing as foods you shouldn’t eat. Allowing yourself tiny indulgences throughout the week is a better way to lose and
maintain weight than cutting out certain foods entirely. The Two Treat Rule is sort of an overarching way for people to still enjoy their favorite foods but follow a healthy eating plan and still have success following that plan.
Reap 100 % the Benefits
You may have heard of the 80/20 rule – that if you follow a diet plan for 80% of the time, you will reap 100 % of the benefits. What’s more, the Two Treat Rule will give you self-control around the foods you love while turning healthy eating into a lifelong habit. When food becomes “forbidden” it becomes intriguing, and for many people: obsessive. I say, have that treat, then it doesn’t become so obsessive and you can go for a while without it. When we strategically PLAN that treat, it becomes so much more enjoyable and satisfying.
“Two small treats throughout the week compared to the entire week of eating really healthy and nutrient-dense food is not going to make a dent in your progress as long as it is kept to those two portioned-controlled foods,” Registered Dietician Amanda Baker Lemein explains. When it comes to meals, focus on quality over quantity While you are allowed your two treats a week, your regular meals should center around non-starchy vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins. This is what we learn in the 12-week Nutrition and Lifestyle Programme.
Give Yourself Power Over the Foods You Love
When you use the Two Treat Rule effectively, you learn to have power over your favorite foods instead of them having power over you. It’s simply a way to demystify these favorite foods and take away some of their power by normalizing them and also making healthy eating much more sustainable and realistic.
The Two Treat Rule:
- Don’t bring the treat in your home: Keep high-calorie foods off your grocery list. Instead, use your two treats a week as an excuse to get out of the house and grab a bite with family and friends.
- Keep it to one serving size: Don’t use your two treats a week as an excuse to overindulge, especially if you are trying to lose weight. One serving is enough to temper your cravings and learn portion control in the process.
- When it comes to meals, focus on quality over quantity: Your regular meals should center around non-starchy vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. One rule is to always fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables at both lunch and dinner, but you can always include more
- And above all, ENJOY those two treats!!!