1. Go Ahead and Snack!

The experts all agree: eating five small meals a day, rather than three big ones, is a great way to keep your metabolism rocking and keep you from feeling hungry. As a born snacker, this is one of my favorite diet rules to break! Be sure to keep healthy snacks, like fresh fruits and veggies on hand, and feel free to snack away!

2. Feel Free to Indulge!

A little indulgence once in a while won’t hurt, and it certainly won’t ruin your diet. I know it goes against years or diet advice, but this is another diet rule to break, one that you can use to keep from feeling deprived, this more likely to give up on your diet altogether. A good indulgence? A small piece of dark chocolate, melted on your tongue? A not-so-good indulgence? An entire strawberry cheesecake.

3. Eat Those Carbs!

The Atkins Diet is so wrong, on so many levels. First, you need carbs to function properly. I mean, hello, fiber is a carb! So go ahead and break this diet rule, too. Eat carbs, but eat them smartly: choose green veggies, beans, and wholesome whole grains over, say, French fries.

4. Skip the Scale!

If you’re following a healthy diet and exercising like you should, you’ll find that your fat is being replaced with lean muscle… marvelous! But keeping in mind that lean muscle actually weighs more than flabby fat, the scale may not be the best way to track your dietary progress. A better bet? Your clothes! As you lose weight and tone up, you’ll notice your clothes will fit differently, or (better yet) not at all, which is a much better indication of success than a number on a scale.

5. Enjoy Your Exercise!

Who says exercise can’t be fun? This is another diet rule to break, right now. Find an exercise you enjoy, anything that gets your heart thumping, and you’ll be on the right track. Swimming, bouncing on the trampoline, dancing, whatever! Keep your heart rate up for 30 minutes, and it counts.

6. Embrace Your Body Type!

Contrary to what fashion magazines and reality TV say, we’re not all meant to be a size 2. So here’s another diet rule to break - embrace your own body type! If you’re fit and you’re a size 10, then love those curves! As long as you’re fit and healthy, there’s no need to starve yourself or make yourself miserable to fit some stupid media-driven stereotype.

7. Brag about It!

You know what else? It’s totally okay to boast and brag about your awesome diet success! Ignore the diet rule that says you’re supposed to be demure and only talk about your weight loss if someone asks you about it outright. You lost weight through hard work, so go ahead and brag a little! You’ve earned it!

With so many diet rules to break, the myriad of other rules you have to follow don’t seem so daunting, do they? Which of these diet rules will you break first, and why? Or is there another diet rule you’ve already broken you’d care to share? Please do!

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