MAKING CHEAT DAYS WORK WITH WEIGHT LOSS – Part II

The word “cheat” should be clarified or defined when you decide you are going to do it. If my mindset is, “Saturday is coming, and I’m going to eat as much as I want and whatever I want,” then you’re going to be in trouble. Cheats are not an excuse to eat as much of anything we want.

Cheating can also make food your enemy. Look, most people are not going to be perfect 100% of the time. So, instead, why don’t we redefine a cheat as eating something that, while not on the regular 3-meal plan, is a treat that is not going to be loaded with bad ingredients or sugars that will get your cravings going again.

Instead of sitting down to have a huge slice of blood sugar-spiking, craving-inducing cake that will possibly kick you out of weight loss and back into a craving cycle you can’t break, enjoy the Almond Power Bars, Fudgy Brownies, fat bombs, apple tart, lemon bars, pumpkin bars or one of the many dessert options we provide for holidays and special occasions. They are amazing and will help you stay on a great path for health and weight loss. You really need to redefine your thinking on cheating!

It’s a treat, not a cheat day. It’s something special, not a feast. If you begin to allow too many little treats off plan, then you’re going to need to get moving to help with your metabolism.

Go on a walk, do interval exercises, play ball with the dog, or lift some lighter weights.  Also, work your cheats around special events like weddings, birthdays, or anniversaries – not just the weekend!

Don’t indulge in junk or processed food as a cheat either. Instead, choose to make a really great meal at home when you are thinking you’re going to cheat on something. You are probably craving variety and flavor, not junk. Healthy meals that taste great are very satisfying and, oftentimes, many of the meals you pay a lot of money for when eating out just aren’t all that great. They are a disappointment.

Perhaps you’d rather make one of our recipes you haven’t tried yet as a special meal, and your cheat may be not worrying about how much you are having for that meal. The more variety and nutritious foods you eat, the less you will feel the need for treats or cheats. It’s when you eat the same boring food over and over and don’t get any variety that you start feeling deprived. Plus, you can’t live that way for life, so learn to get your variety in now.

You really do have to know yourself well. If having a cheat for you is dangerous and something you aren’t able to control right now, listen to that voice in your head. If you are able to plan a treat or cheat, tell yourself it is only for that particular meal or dessert, and then get back on plan with your next meal.