Cheater Cheater!!

I think cheat meals are crazy important.  I cheat once a week, sometimes twice.  My cheat meals often indulge a craving that isn't satisfied by other means .  Sometimes it is as simple as breaking my eating schedule (such a rebel).  Since I'm in maintenance mode it's a little easier to cheat and not feel guilty about it.  I am also incredibly choosy about where I cheat.  I'm not going to waste calories on crappy food; it's not worth it.  I have a handful of restaurants that make me drool just thinking about their menus.  Happy to share my list and my favorite menu options if you ask nicely.  (PS-- It IS possible to eat at a restaurant and not cheat)

In the beginning, I attempted to avoid cheating.  I don't recommend it.  I began to obsess on cravings and my healthy food stopped satisfying me.  A few weeks into the journey, I  introduced cheat meals.  A cheat meal is just that. . .ONE meal.  It is not an entire day devoted to eating crap. For me it was often not even a full meal; it was dessert at my favorite restaurant or a cookie from Whole Foods (I clearly have a sweet tooth).  Some people, including me,  plan their cheat in advance.  I think this is a fantastic idea as long as you don't obsess on the meal.  I knew a girl once that would spend the entire week talking about what she was going to eat for Friday cheat meal.  Not only was this completely annoying; it couldn't have been helping her.   Lately my cheat meal has been Sunday brunch (that's a whole other blog; the food in this town is amazing). 

If you are trying to lose weight and you're cheating more than once a week or still having cheat days, you might want to rethink your priorities.  Cheat days don't really help you, do they?   You gobble up all the crap you want in a 24 hour time span only to see the scale either go up or stay the same.  How about how you feel after an entire day of eating junk?  It's not worth it if you ask me.  My craving to stay in smaller sizes definitely outweighs my craving for cake.  


My advice for cheat meals. . . 

• Stick to one meal per week. 
• Stay on track with diet and exercise before and after the cheat.  You'll feel better
• Don't use a cheat as a reward for doing well.  Reward yourself with non-food items (I prefer shoes and new workout clothes, but I'm kind of a weirdo).  
• If you don't feel like cheating, don't!  I sometimes change my mind at brunch and order fruit and a salad (my brunch companion hates this). 
• If you really only want dessert, then only get dessert.  My  mom says it's okay to eat pie for dinner (or lunch or breakfast). 

Cheating can get out of hand quickly.  Be careful and choosy with your cheats. Everything tastes better in moderation.  

A tiny and quiet shout out to the person that helped me learn about cheat meals.  Through trial, error and many conversations we figured out what worked for me.  Most of what I learned came from these conversations.  Thank you for your knowledge and your support.