I often get questions like these:

Do you never eat out?

Don’t you eat pasta or pizza?

Don’t you crave junk food?

Of course I eat it, but I’m very selective, and when I do eat such things, I always cut back on other things that day and the next day. Without exception, the only thing I don’t eat is refined sugar, because no other food causes as much harm to our bodies as sugar.

It’s impossible to spend our whole lives on a diet. A diet is for 1-2 or 6 months, but it’s impossible and unhealthy to keep it going for years. The moment we stop dieting and return to normal eating, we immediately start gaining weight again. Therefore, just as in every aspect of our lives, we must establish balance in our diet.

This balance will bring us long-term health and stability in our weight.

So, how do we balance our day when we have a cheat day?

Who doesn’t love long Sunday breakfasts? If, during a “breakfast therapy,” I eat five slices of bread instead of two, or if I can’t resist and have a couple of pastries, I don’t consume carbohydrates in any other meals that day so that my body can convert the carbohydrates it received in the morning into energy and they can “get along” with each other. If I spend the other meals with a salad with some protein, nuts, fruit, yogurt, and plenty of vegetables, I end the day well. The next morning, I don’t have a fight with the scales.

By the way, I called breakfast therapy because long breakfasts with loved ones and the warm conversations that accompany them are medicine for our souls. They bring us happiness. Let’s not deprive ourselves of this wonderful pleasure just because we choose to eat healthily. Since we ate excessively at breakfast, let’s balance it out in other meals. Let’s make both our bodies and our souls happy.

I generally enjoy going out on Friday nights. With the happiness of having finished the whole week, Friday feels like the perfect day to prepare myself for the weekend. The time spent choosing a meal at a restaurant is dangerous. I don’t look at my spouse’s or friends’ choices; I make my own selection and order immediately. I usually order a soup as a starter, and then choose the most vegetable-rich, salad-filled dish. Red wine is my absolute must-have. It’s my source of joy once a week. That’s what Friday night means to me. I try to get rid of these indulgences with a good workout on Saturday morning, and then continue with plenty of water and clean eating the next day.

I’ve developed a routine of eating completely clean for 5 days during the week and enjoying the weekend for 2 days. However, it’s important not to overindulge beyond what I mentioned above on the weekend. Otherwise, all the effort put in during the week goes to waste. In the world, this is generally called the 5-2 rule. Many people maintain this diet, staying healthy while still enjoying what they want.

These one or two little getaways don’t necessarily have to be on the weekend. Sometimes we have weekday plans too. In those cases, since I’ve already used up my weekend plans during the week, I spend the weekend quietly.

In essence, by balancing our diet, without giving up the foods and drinks we enjoy, we can maintain our health and weight. Simply thinking more carefully about what we eat and drink, and planning our day, will suffice. And when we do indulge, let’s savor the pleasure to the fullest. Let’s eat mindfully, savoring the taste, so that it’s worthwhile and brings us happiness.

I wish everyone healthy, happy, and sugar-free days.

This article was originally published on www.hthayat.com on January 13, 2017, and is a quote from the site.