The trouble with trying to resist tempting foods is the tendency that people have to elevate a certain food to such a high level that all they can do is fixate on it until they finally have to give into temptation. People rarely crave a stick of celery or a carrot batons it is always a big slice of chocolate cake, or a big bar of chocolate, or maybe a chunky choc-chip cookie. Sometimes it may even be an unhealthy meal such as a meat feast pizza or a large, greasy burger. This is not really that surprising, since such tasty treats are often pumped full of sugar, fat, salt and other chemicals targeting the part of the brain which makes you want more.
However, people are drawn to certain foods not only because of a physiologically-driven craving for 'bad' foods, but also because of the psychological relationship they have developed with food. A particular type of food may remind person of a specific event in their life which made them happy, and which makes them happy again. Turning to a particular food can be comforting, which can cause problems if it is not brought under control. It is all too easy to turn to ice-cream and chocolate when you are feeling depressed, but if you keep on doing so you are either going to put on weight or not lose weight, depending on what your goals are.
People on a diet tend to put themselves under too much pressure to avoid certain foods so that in the end all they can think about is the very food they are trying to avoid, making it even more difficult to avoid giving into temptation. There is always the option of choosing the healthier version of your favourite treat; lower fat, lower sugar, lower salt content. They may not taste as good as the real thing, but it may lessen the guilt which may be felt if you give into 'weakness'. Alternatively you may choose to have the real thing, but to have a smaller portion of it. Instead of buying the largest size bar of your favourite chocolate, you may decide to choose the snack size, so that you won't be tempted to eat the whole of a big bar in one go.
It may actually be beneficial to have a 'rest day' during the week, a day when you allow yourself to eat all those things which you don't usually allow yourself. It is something to look forward to and can help keep you motivated to stick to a healthy diet the rest of the week. Putting aside a day and incorporating it into your lifestyle also means it becomes part of your normal routine, making you feel less guilty about indulging. There is far too much emphasis given to resisting tempting treats when following a healthy diet, when in reality it is much easier to incorporate a little bit of naughtiness to help you stick to a healthy routine for the majority of the time.