It depends. Maintaining metabolic health over the long haul requires that the way we eat be sustainable. For people who think they can’t live without certain foods, that may mean they cheat on occasion (perhaps a weekly sweet treat). For someone else, being sustainable may mean no cheats ever, in the same way someone trying to quit smoking can’t cheat. For some of us, sweets and processed carbs are like cigarettes. We must go cold turkey.

We also need to keep in mind that when we cheat we are shifting our biochemistry in the direction of fat storage, at least for a while. That should motivate us to keep any cheats to a minimum.

If you do decide to have an occasional cheat, here are some guidelines:

• Buy just one serving. Don’t buy a carton of ice cream thinking you’ll have a scoop on occasion. Go to the ice cream shop and buy one scoop in a cup. Don’t buy a box of cookies; buy just one cookie.
• Avoid the thought process, “I’ve blown it for today, so I might as well wait until tomorrow to start eating right again.” The sooner you are back on the wagon the sooner your biochemistry gets back into energy-burning mode, and the sooner your reward center stops clamoring for more.
• Get a small portion. Most of the pleasure comes in the first few bites.
• Make yourself accountable to someone else. If you find yourself at a social event with a lot of bad food around, let someone know you don’t plan to eat it. That helps stiffen will power.
• At social events bring something for yourself that is tasty and satisfying so you won’t be as tempted to eat the other foods on offer.
• Don’t cheat with something that will trigger cravings. I know that if right now I were to eat a single Oreo cookie, someone would likely find me, hours later, passed out in some back alley surrounded by Little Debbie brownie wrappers, a half-eaten Twinkie clutched in my Dorito-stained fingers. So, I don’t eat Oreos.
• Watch out for carb creep, where we gradually increase our carb intake until it starts to affect our metabolic health. Set definite boundaries and have someone hold you accountable.