Good news! Eating pizza could actually help you make your goal weight—so get ready to have a nice hot one delivered in about 45 minutes. I know what I’m having for dinner tonight!

OK, OK, so it’s not like pizza has all of a sudden become better for you to eat than, say, a salad.

But a recent study did prove that those who allowed themselves a day of indulgence while dieting were more likely to stick to their diets long term.

How It Works:

According to Men’s Health, the study proved that after two weeks of dieting, the participants who had eaten whatever they wanted on Sundays were more motivated to keep up their diet plan throughout the week.

This proves that a little indulgence never hurt anybody. Plus, it gives you something to look forward to throughout the week, dropping pounds all the while.

The idea of designating a specific day for your favorite not-so-healthy foods is an important one.

“The key is to plan ahead and designate a specific day for your rule-breaking,” study author Rita Coelho do Vale, Ph.D told Men’s Health. “That’s because giving in to a spur-of-the-moment donut can make you feel like you blew your diet—and might as well abandon it completely.”

Flickr | hepp

There’s no denying that maintaining a healthy lifestyle is still going to take discipline and determination, but at least there’s light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. Because you’ve always got that slice of pizza coming for you at the end of the week!

A Chef That Lost Over 100 Pounds Eating Pizza

Not a believer that pizza can help you lose weight?

One NYC chef took it to the extreme and started eating only pizza for lunch every day. The result? He lost over 100 pounds. Chef Cozzolino said, however, that one cannot eat an extra large, cheese, sausage and bacon pepperoni everyday from your local chain pizza restaurant.

Using fresh ingredients, he was able to control the sodium, fat and carbs on his pizza. Everyday, he made a simple (but incredibly delicious) Margherita pizza for lunch.

Getty Images | Rachel Murray

“My pizza is something that comes from the Mediterranean diet,” he says in the video below.

With natural ingredients, the pizza he makes is about 570 calories. The crust includes only 4 ingredients: yeast, sea salt, water and flour. And because he doesn’t snack on carbs or other indulgences in the evening, he says he was able to achieve his weight-loss goal and has much more energy to play with his son.

The Best Way To Reheat Pizza

If you’re going to attempt the pizza diet, then you’ll probably want to know the best way to reheat a slice of cold pizza.

Even if you don’t mind cold pizza, I think it’s safe to say that warm, fresh pizza is better than leftover cold pizza. We know that the microwave is a quick solution, however, it leaves your pizza soggy and disappointing. The oven is a little better, but it still isn’t quite the same as eating it fresh. Not to mention it can take 20 minutes to reheat.

Flickr | joo0ey

So, what’s the best way to reheat a slice of cold pizza? It’s not the microwave, or even the oven, but the best way to reheat a slice of cold pizza is on the stove. The reheat time is super fast, plus it keeps the crust crispy, while melting the cheese and other toppings perfectly.

All you need is a skillet, and a lid to cover your pizza in the pan. Check out the full instructions —it’s really that quick and simple. You’ll never eat soggy microwaved pizza again.

Our Favorite (and Easiest) 2-Ingredient Pizza Dough Recipe

Making dough from scratch can be overwhelming. In the video above, Chef Cozzolino let’s his homemade dough sit for over 24 hours before making his pizza. If you have less than 20 minutes to make homemade dough, you should definitely try this recipe from The Slow Roasted Italian.

Ingredients:

1 cup Greek yogurt

1–1 ½ cups self-rising flour (If you can’t find self-rising dough, no worries. You can use 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tsp. baking powder, and ¾ tsp. of salt).

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl until it is all blended together.

Once it’s combined, take the dough out of the bowl and knead it on a floured surface for about 8-10 minutes. If it is a really sticky, just add a little more flour.

Then form it into a pizza shape. Brush with olive oil, add toppings, and put straight into a 450°F oven for 10–12 minutes.

Bon appetit!

[h/t: Men’s Health]