Indulging - Does It Make You Feel Guilty?

When Jillian Michael's said in our recent interview with her that she hates the idea of a cheat day, I cheered. Instead, she said, have a little of what you love every day. What I hate about diet food marketing is that a) it's always pitched to women, and b) it always makes us feel like indulging in a little treat is misbehavior.

Let's get something straight: Eating a piece of chocolate is not what gets most people in trouble. Eating the entire box of chocolate is.

Take, for instance, the new Fling candy bar. Marketed again, only to women, its tagline is "Forever Is Overrated." I suspect this is a nod to that old female-centric saying, "A moment on the lips, forever on the hips." Another slogan, "Naughty, But Not That Naughty," sends that message that treating ourselves is bad. They even say, "Your Boyfriend Doesn't Have to Know." Eating food only in private? Now that's a red flag.

Look, if you want to eat low-cal chocolate, then I'm not going to be the one to stop you. But if the real thing is the only thing that does it for you, go ahead and eat it. In public. In front of your boyfriend. Without guilt.

Then get yourself to the gym to work it off. Fitness, like life, is all about balance.