The Problem with Cheat Days
Let’s define what a ‘cheat day’ is first. A cheat day is when you indulge yourself in foods that are presumably not the healthiest or nutritious, but you munch it anyway because you enjoy it. You might feel you deserve a ‘cheat day’ because you’ve eaten healthily for a decent period of time and rightfully so, you’ve earned it right. So, what’s wrong with a ‘cheat day’?
What are you cheating when you say ‘cheat day’? Are you cheating yourself? Because that doesn’t sound like something anyone should do to themselves. Maybe you call it a cheat day because it’s not in sync with what you’re supposed to be eating. There is actually nothing wrong with indulging yourself with what you enjoy in moderation, so why call it a ‘cheat day’?
I’ve found through my own experience and listening to other people’s experiences that issuing a specific day the title of ‘cheat day’, takes away an individual’s freedom in some ways. The freedom to not worry about having a cheeky slice of cake regardless of the day and I believe this isn’t the most sustainable way to live. A human’s innate disposition is to explore and be adventurous, implementing rules on yourself that limit your freedom doesn’t quite seem like the best long term plan.
“Let food be thy medicine. Thy medicine shall be thy food.” — Hippocrates
So what is a good term plan? Instead of arranging specific days where you allow yourself to eat the greasy wonders of the world, enjoy a moderate lifestyle. Try not to restrict yourself by setting ‘cheat days’, just eat more nutritious food. My personal recommendation would be 70/75% of healthy and nutritious food and 25/30% of whatever you want. Instead of having a day or two of eating complete junk, spread it out over the week so you’re not stuck at home when your friends want to grab a spontaneous burger.
This black and white outlook on good food and bad food drives us to be overly conscious of what we eat. Many people will discover that when they eat junk on their assigned ‘cheat days’; they still experience a sense of guilt even if it’s something they enjoy. This comes from labelling certain foods as bad and so individuals might find themselves either going into extremely strict diets or completely give in and devour anything that comes into sight. Instead of looking at food with a ‘bad and good’ perspective, try remodelling it to a ‘good and better’ approach.
As a health and fitness coach, I’ve found over the years the struggle people have with adhering to a diet and it’s mostly the diets bound by specificity. Eat this on this day and eat that on that day, but make sure you don’t eat this at all until this time. Creating such a mentally taxing regime will probably help the person for a few months tops; this type of lifestyle isn’t sustainable or enjoyable.
I like keeping the solution simple, enjoy whatever you desire in moderation. Be conscious of your eating habits, consume nutritious foods more and moderate yourself on foods that can do more harm than good if eaten excessively. If you notice you’re giving in to your compulsion for junk, more than you’d like, try not punishing yourself. Stay positive, keep trying and stay consistent. Just continue eating better foods more often and carry on. Indulging yourself a little here and there allows you to satisfy your cravings and continue your day with a more tranquil state of mind.
Maintain an appropriate relationship with food and be good to yourself. Take off the diet chains from your ankles and ditch the idea of ‘cheat days’ from your mind.
