Why Cheat Days Are Sabotaging Your Health
You've heard the term "cheat day". Maybe you implement this phrase into your own vocabulary regularly. But what you may not know is that having regular cheat days is doing more harm to your health and your body than you may know. The entire concept, even, of having a cheat day tells me that there's something deeper going on in the first place that you may want to inquire of.
Hope you all had a great labor day and enjoyed time with friends or family or even just some YOU time. I feel it's fitting to talk about cheat days today. Because oftentimes after a holiday that included good food, but food you may not typically let yourself eat, you may be feeling the need to cut back today or eat "clean". And if so, maybe you considered yesterday your "cheat day". If so, I'd love to share with you why cheat days are holding you back from living a free life that comes with listening to your body with food.So it's not that eating the foods you would on a cheat day is harmful in and of itself, which is what you may have thought when you first began reading. No, it's the actual concept of having a cheat day in the first place that's the problem.
You see, cheat days tell me that on other days you feel the need to restrict, to not honor your cravings, to not listen to your body. Cheat days tell me that you feel there's a morality with foods, that some foods are good and others are bad. Cheat days tell me that you feel the need to justify eating something you enjoy but feel guilty about.The problem with all of this is that diet mentality has a hold of you and that your relationship with food (and probably your body) is not at a good and healthy place.Can you relate to this mentality?
CHEAT DAYS LEAD TO GUILT DAYS
Now let's talk about how cheat days make you feel...You go through your week being "good", eating salads every day out of an obligation to "health" and get to Saturday, your designated "cheat day" only to be so deprived of anything flavorful and find yourself unable to control yourself around food. You eat past fullness because you couldn't pay attention to how the food actually tasted, all you knew was that you deserved it after a week of dieting. You go to sleep feeling guilt, shame, and regret for your cheat day and vow to do better tomorrow.
I feel for you, friend. I know how it feels to restrict your body from good tasting food, food that actually has health benefits if not nutritionally but mentally even. But I also know that this life of living for "cheat days" is not one of joy or fulfillment and can keep you stuck in a disordered eating pattern.Your body wasn't made to have cheat days. I always like to think back to the times before diets were ever a thing and women just ate freely. You can embrace this lifestyle even today! Dieting is not a prerequisite to health.
BREAKING THE CYCLE
Breaking the cycle of cheat days starts by not restricting on any given day. It starts by honoring your cravings, eating all types of food, and getting rid of any morality you've placed on food. It starts, simply, by getting rid of the word "cheat". You have full permission to take that word right out of your vocabulary.One small step to embrace right now is to simply notice your words around certain foods, either said out loud or even the things you say in your head. Notice if you say certain foods are "good" and others are "bad". Challenge your beliefs around food. And know that there is room for all foods in a healthy diet!Then get rid of that concept of having a "cheat day" by implementing a food or drink that typically would be included on your cheat day. For example, if that was ice cream, have a bowl of it on a Wednesday or other day during the week. I love what Kylie Mitchell suggests when working on getting rid of food rules!
WITHOUT CHEAT DAYS, YOU CAN ENJOY ALL FOODS ON ANY GIVEN DAY!
What joy comes when you give up cheat days and embrace a life that includes all foods on any given day! You can go out to eat with friends during the week and not worry about eating something on your "good" list. You can be a guest at someone's house and have peace that no matter what they serve you will be grateful. You can listen to your body, honor your cravings, be intuitive and cultivate love for your body by not shaming it with food.I hope you're encouraged today, that you don't have to live each week eating boring food or foods that you aren't craving only to wait until your cheat day and then feel out of control. I hope you're encouraged that trusting your body IS a thing and you TOO can learn to be at peace with food! Did this post resonate with you?
I'd love to hear from you and hear your story! You can email me at victoria@victoriayatesnutrition.com or comment below so we can all learn from each other!Have a wonderful day!