The One Time You SHOULD Indulge (Even if Youre Trying to Lose Weight)

Everyone has their one food: Maybe all you need to do is see a photo of French fries, and suddenly you're salivating and wondering about the next time you can dig in to a salt spree. Even if you're desperately trying to stick to a healthy-eating regime, it might be worth it to just give in to the craving so you don't overdo it later. But how can you tell when it's smart to indulge and when it's just de-railing your weight-loss efforts? Michelle May, M.D., author of Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat: How to Break Your Eat-Repent-Repeat Cycle, founded the "Am I Hungry" program to help people learn about mindful eating—and she has an ingenious little litmus test to help you figure out if those French fries need to happen.

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When you're facing down a craving, May suggests asking yourself if you "really, really, really" want it. Yes, each "really" counts. "When you're hungry and deciding what to eat, if something pops into your mind, you might think, 'Hmmm, that wouldn't be the healthy choice for me,'" says May, who recommends then asking yourself: "But do I really, really, really want it?"

If the craving is just a flicker—because you're bored or distracted or someone in your office brought in a birthday cake—then the "really" test will help you clear your head for a second. Of course, there is the chance that yes, you absolutely, really want that cake. In that case, May says you have to tell yourself, "If I want it that much, I'm better off eating it now, with full permission, and no guilt." Then, she recommends sitting down and enjoying it mindfully.

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The key is to not ever let one food have any power over you. When you see a food as "bad" or "indulgent" or "forbidden," it'll drive you nuts with desire. "You will continue to obsess over that food, and it really ends up leading to even stronger cravings," says May says. By letting yourself have the food—in those times when you really, really, really want it—you take away its hold over you.

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