After more questions than I can count about HOW I eat donuts AND stay in shape, I decided to write up my Donut Laws to teach you how YOU can do a donut yourself!
? Donut Law #1: RELAX!!! DO trust me on this…eating a donut does NOT give you an instantaneous donut ring around your waist, nor does it make you a BAD or UNHEALTHY person. Keep in mind: The goal is to find a balanced and sustainable nutrition plan that you can do FOR LIFE!! It is NOT to constantly feel like you are ?crash dieting? so hard you are perpetually deprived and unhappy. DEPRIVATION leads to BINGING…BINGING leads to YO-YO DIETING. Time to break the cycle. So take a chill pill, get that donut ready, and enjoy #SundayFunday!
? Donut Law #2: DO NUT forget your PROTEIN FIRST! ??Chug a protein shake BEFORE you reach for a Maple Long John to ensure you don’t go overboard. Not only will the water in the shake fill you up quickly, but protein is the most immediately satiating macronutrient…which means it will make you full FASTER than any of the others (carbs and/or fats). By filling your belly with protein and water, you’re less likely to reach for more than one!
? Donut Law #3: DO eat slowly!!! The faster we chomp that little ring of heaven, the more likely we are to want another, whether we are really hungry or not! Try to chew 20-30 times per bite.
? Donut Law #4: DO NUT make this a daily occurrence! Choose one day a week for starters to enjoy a donut (in moderation and following the rules above). Over time, and after you feel comfortable that donuts are NOT a slippery slope, you can indulge more often than once a week.
? Donut Law #5: DO NUT forget the 80/20 trick! 80% of your cals should come from clean foods each day. 20% can come from not-as-clean sources (like a donut). This allows you to create a balanced and healthy lifestyle that you can sustain FOREVER…withOUT feeling deprived!
On that note, as the wise Yoda one said, ?DO or DO-NUT. There is no try.? Or something like that…whatever. Just go grab a donut and give it a try!
Xoxo,
Heidi
Related reading:
Macro Tracking For the Win! All of Your Questions Answered
Eating with Macros: A Day in the Life
Gluten-Free Maple Bacon Protein Donuts
Eat More, Lose More: Settling The Fresh vs. Fast Food Debate
Heidi-Approved (& Macro-Friendly) Fast Food Picks
National Rice Krispie Treat Day || Eat Up
31 Responses
It’s hard sometimes to add some trigger foods to the menu, once a week. Like you said, you always want more. I have lost 29 pounds following your extreme transformation book and feel wonderful. It is amazing how just by changing a few things here and there, weight loss is possible. I have done it without much exercise, but now I feel like I can do more than I used to. I love your posts and learn from every single one.
Forever grateful to you and Chris!
This is soo funny. Thanks for sharing and making me laugh. I do appreciate all your tips and humor.
How to roughly estimate a doughnut macros????
Hi Kay: You can get the cals and macros for a donut on MyFitnessPal, calorieking.com, and other websites 🙂
Thank You! I didn’t think about having a protein shake before the donut. I always have a glass of milk, but that doesn’t always fill me up. Thank you for being an inspiration to this mom of four!
I LOVE this! This is my biggest struggle. Feeling like I can’t ever have a treat when I’m trying to be healthy. This makes me feel better!
Thanks Heidi I Can go to the Donut shop now & buy one and not feel so guilty….
Thanks so much for sharing! I love having a donut every now and then. learning to not feel guilty afterwards is difficult! Appreciate your perspective!!
LOVE THIS ? Post!! Love that you tell us how we can treat ourselves while staying on track! Can’t wait to grab one!!
Thanks for the tips – I could eat the whole box! I used to feel so bad if I ate a donut like I would gain 5 lbs by the end of the day! Thanks for explaining it – and I will only get one. Another trick I have is to buy the mini donuts (not the bag)! but the 6 pack and i let myself have one a day (powdered) dipped in coffee, and I am not on day 10 of a 6 pack and have 4 left! so I gave into my craving but did not even have one a day! Thanks Heidi!
“The goal is to find a balanced and sustainable nutrition plan that you can do FOR LIFE!!”
I love this! So much truth when you say it can turn into bing eating when on an extream diet. I love being able to enjoy a snack WITH my 4 kids and be able to teach them balance.
-Jamie White