I’m fully aware of the cheat day concept.
Being good all the time and then having a day when you go crazy or even cheat meals, where it’s ok to regularly have something really fattening because you’ve been good the rest of the time. This sounds very similar to being good most of the time is good enough, which I know is my slogan, but that isn’t the same as cheat days. The difference is your own perception. Well, being good most of the time is good enough and if you slip-up, which I expect you to do, that’s ok because you will get back on track. There is never an issue with slipping up, there is only ever an issue with stopping.
Regular slip ups are ok because you’re still on the journey and I guarantee what will happen is your slip-ups will become less over time and the slip-ups themselves won’t be as bad as they used to be, and the good days and the good food will just become more and more regular until slip ups aren’t really slip-ups, they are indulgences that you have planned for. The problem with cheat days or cheat meals is they are a regular occurrence that’s going to happen constantly. These cheats will become a regular part of your life, this is a problem. To put it into perspective, one cheat day could easily undo all the good work you’ve previously done over the last 6 days. Most certainly any cheat meal is going to destroy any good work done that day, you won’t lose weight this way, with regular cheats the best you can hope for is to stay the same.
So, slipping up, getting it wrong, going back on track, that’s ok. Regularly expecting to cheat, that’s not good. Subtle differences I know but differences all the same.
Key Takeaways:
- Cheat days or meals can easily undo the progress made during the rest of the week;
- Regular slip-ups are part of the journey and will lessen over time, becoming planned indulgences rather than cheats; and
- Expecting and planning for regular cheats can hinder weight loss and become a problematic part of your lifestyle.
