Now, that we had a couple of bank holidays in the UK (and some more to come) I decided to talk about a very gentle topic which is: a cheat day. Sounds dramatic and scary to all of those who need to be on a diet due to health or weight problems. It was a scary subject for me too, but I have learned to cope with it. Hence, this article ?
I believe that you would feel the same as I felt while having those cheat days. I felt guilty and sad that I couldn’t keep up with my diet resolutions. But this stress was not motivational, it did not push me to fight harder with my body weight. It made me give up my resolutions for some time. It was a similar effect that with binge eating. You had a cheat day (maybe only a single dish) and it made you want more. This becomes a vicious circle. Why, you may ask? Because you so much do not want to have a cheat day that you feel like you are deprived of something good, something you love. This makes you crave it so much that you have a cheat day eventually. And the whole process begins again!
How to deal with it? Well, first of all you need to realize that it is not the end of the world if you have a treat once in a while. I’m not saying everyday (however, if you feel like it, that’s perfectly fine), but maybe once a week a nice dessert, or once a month a cheat day. If you do not feel guilty when you eat a nice piece of chocolate cake after dinner with your friends once a month, then you will not fall into this vicious circle of breaking your habits for a longer period of time.
Second thing is to make sure that you are not making a forbidden list in your head. You know how it works with all of us: if something is forbidden then it is more tempting. So, you either let yourself a treat, without feeling depressed or you change your mindset –> “It’s not that you cannot eat something, it is that you don’t want to.” Believe it or not, this sentence can do magic. The little sentence that you say to yourself makes you really feel that you do not want to eat this cake or some crisps. Additionally, when you have this attitude you will feel less guilty when you do have a cheat day.
Now, after those pieces of advise I would like to tell you something about my attitude to cheat days. I admit, I am making cheat days once in a while. I believe that when I eat something that I want to I will not be stressed about my diet. What is more, I feel more like I have a healthy diet with some treats instead of a restrictive diet. However, when I do have a treat (it does not have to be sweet, I prefer something savory lately ? ) I make something at home. Then I know what are the ingredients. And, I can improvise in the kitchen – which makes me relaxed.
Did I help you a little? Do you have any questions or you feel like you need to say something. The comment section is there for you ?