My best friend’s father has lost a nice chunk of weight in the last few years – so proud of him! When I asked him how he did it, he said his doctor provided some simple advice.. Eat less and move more. His doctor also asked him what is his favorite food, to which he responded easily, “chocolate milkshakes” and his doctor suggested have one milkshake a month. Not weekly or daily, but do not deprive oneself of a favorite food. Enjoy it as a monthly treat.

Well it worked! He is down in weight, has created a sustainable change and it didn’t “hurt” that much because he never deprived himself or felt like he was on a “diet.” He truly created a lifestyle change.

So what is your favorite food? That one item you love, sometimes space out thinking about and crave? Enjoy it…monthly. Not daily. Not weekly. Not just because. Enjoy it monthly because you want it and savor it…then move on.

I think I have a few favorites on my list…See’s dark chocolate bordeaux is coming to mind…and I do tend to walk in that store monthly for a treat…

Eliminating all food from your diet rarely gets you far. We usually find a way to sneak things in and often when we avoid foods for too long, when we indulge, we go BIG. HUGE. So instead of a bingeing moment, lets catch it before things get out of hand. I enjoy 2-3 chocolates instead of 5-6.

So enjoy that chocolate milkshake once a month Larry! And keep up the great work!