Author: Chris Dunne
Originally Published August, 2017
Eat cookies. Lose weight!
The title of this article may have you thinking 'what the #%@!’ It's true, there is a way you can have your cookies and eat them too. The biggest concern we hear from people is that they either have kids and it's hard to eat healthy or they don't have time. Those are excuses; if you want something bad enough you'll make it work. At the end of the day though, we all need to live life and enjoy eating.
So you may be asking, 'how in the world can I eat cookies and lose weight?' You can take a few approaches; intermittent fasting being a great option (checkout our article linked). With intermittent fasting have an alotted feeding window so it's easier to get full and you may actually eat less. This means if your macros (protein, carbs, & fat) allow, you can make room for cookies or other treats.
If intermittent fasting isn’t right for you then you can use meal timing as an alternative. If you’re craving something sweet then we'd recommend eating sugary foods at the end of your workout. These sugary foods are utilized as fuel to help your body recover and replenish glycogen levels after a taxing workout. Depending on your body type and macros, we suggest 25-50 grams of carbs post workout. Make sure you are still getting an adequate amount of protein in (approx. 25-50 grams).
Our last approach is carb cycling. There are different variations, but ultimately you can have high, medium, and low carb days. On the low to medium days we recommend staying extremely strict and getting your carbs from healthy sources such as fruits, veggies, and whole grains. On higher carb days, you can then throw in sugary foods such as cookies, pop tarts, etc. We still recommend doing so after a workout. High carb days are primarily found to land the day before or of the most taxing workout of the week.
Ultimately, we suggest you eat a balanced diet and if you want a treat then use common sense and eat small portions. Exercise cannot outwork a bad diet. Make sure to consult a health professional before starting a diet or training regimen.
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