I love seeing pictures of foods when people post their meals on social media. The deflating thing is the comments that come with the pictures;
‘I have these when I need something a bit naughty’
‘This is my cheat meal’
‘I know these are bad but they taste so good!’
It’s amazing the connotations that people assign to a meal or food – which is a huge problem! The assigning of negative language to foods or meals.
The whole ‘cheat day’ thing – it’s quite preposterous too! The premise that because you have been ‘good’ for the week entitles you to a debauchery fuelled day. Which typically extends to a weekend. This will usually be a super high calorific affair and take you well over your calorie target. Undoing the effort you have put in leading up to that point!
It’s done because the days you have been ‘good’ are so over-restrictive that you need to break free. Over indulging on the food that you have been declaring ‘bad’ and off limits! Rendering the whole week pointless.
Labelling these cheat day is merely a justification. Escapism from an over restrictive diet that features irrelevant food rules.
There are no bad meals or foods- remove morality from your food. A pizza, some chocolate, and beer can be part of a healthy diet!
Trying to obey these food rules puts you in a predicament. Having eaten something that is erroneously off limits then puts you in the mindset that you have slipped or fell off the wagon. You find yourself in a cycle of being on or off your diet.
What you have to remember is that this dieting thing is a numbers game. Hitting X amount of calories for the amount you move. And doing so over the week will achieve results.
As for this cheat day/meal – there is no cheating physics! You can in no way cheat your body!
It is always counting – even if you are not!
Cheat days are the reason you are spinning wheels and getting nowhere. Stop cutting out things from your diet you enjoy. I say again; Pizza, Chocolate, Beer, Ice cream can all be part of a healthy diet! Notice I said ‘part of’ not ‘all’!
And if it is the case where these foods are the full range of your diet – It’s time to have a word with one’s self and address that!