Finally Understand the Cheat Day Idea

jmmsunshine

I don't call it cheating - I call it choices. And kudo's for recording it. I was shocked to see what "unrestricted eating" looked like for me. I found that after each time, I made different choices the next time - and overall they were healthier. I keep trying to remember, this is not a "diet" this is all about choices I'm going to make for the rest of my life to have a healthier me.

questionablemethods

After a week of so-so eating (desperately trying to stay under my calories, feeling RAVENOUS and usually going over a tiny bit and feeling angry with myself) yesterday I just found myself feeling so cranky and so defeated. So, I decided for dinner I would say "eff it!" and I went out to pizza with my boyfriend. I ended up not even eating my whole pizza (they were Neapolitan personal-sized pizzas). Then, we wanted dessert, so we got cupcakes. I decided NOT to buy ice cream at the grocery store because then the leftovers would just be in the freezer the next day.

This morning I feel SO much better. I just needed to let myself have an unrestricted meal. It wasn't even that crazy but mentally I feel revived and able to re-focus my efforts.

Good job logging it and way to recognize what you needed and not let it spiral downward into just giving up all of your good habits.

Elokyn

I'm going to post something that my sister said on here to me when I asked about cheat days, because I think it sums it up perfectly.

I don't really like the terms cheating, or "being naughty", or anything that puts a negative connotation on eating. To me these things signify "diet", and I'm not on a diet, I'm on a new way of life - If you look at it from a lifestyle change point of view, those things just don't make much sense. Eating better should be a lifelong thing, and become routine, and hopefully (eventually) won't be a daily struggle. So if you're eating healthy overall, and you want a cheeseburger (or anything else) one day, than eat a cheeseburger - just work it off afterwards or adjust your day otherwise 4 out of 5 meals being healthy in a day is ok.

I would also say eventually you won't want that stuff anymore - I already don't like coke anymore, and I didn't stop drinking it for any reason - just because I liked tea better. I also ordered a pizza today, and it was the first time ever I wished I didn't eat a pizza - it was just unsatisfying and slightly disturbing.

People who live healthy lifestyles "naturally" probably don't sit around saying "Oh, I can only eat cake on Friday"....they just incorporate healthy decisions overall to make less healthy food ok every once in awhile. You really have to think about whats going to happen when you reach your goal - what you're doing today, should be something you're able to continue at that point, and forever, or else you'll be lost and won't know what to do. Are you doing to do cheat days for the rest of your life?

Annnddd I don't believe in rewarding yourself with food (partly for the reasons above)....a cheat day says "If i'm good all week, I can splurge Friday" and turns your motivation to the cheat day rather than being motivated because you're doing a very good thing for yourself. Intrinsic motivators seem to work out the best usually

However, I suppose if you're having a hard time starting off and its impossible for you to resist cravings, a cheat day might be a better alternative because without one you wouldn't have a real rule and might splurge everyday.