Am I guilty for cheating? I guess it all depends...
For as long as I can remember I have had a love affair with chocolate. It didn't really matter whether it was a dark truffle, a salted caramel toffee, a piece of almond bark, a good piece of chocolate cake or a hard chocolate chip biscotti. This indulgence was akin to finding the holy grail. I didn't "closet eat" or "binge eat" - I indulged selectively; at a dinner after a satisfying meal with family and friends or on a family member's bday or anniversary. But I have to be honest, this created a bit of an inner conflict. If I ate dessert at every meal after a while the jeans that I spent too much money on would not fit and I would feel awful! I felt that I was cheating by eating these "forbidden" foods. So was it worth it, to cheat? Can you have your cake and eat it too?
Some say that giving yourself days of indulgence is giving yourself a needed break from your "diet". These cheat days are a relief valve that help you stick to healthier foods. One might say that healthy eating requires some willpower and so to reward your constraint, it helps to have one scheduled day (or meal) per week where you're allowed to eat some of thetreats you've been avoiding. And then you get back on your "diet".
On another side, the phrase "cheat day" sets up enjoying a meal as something forbidden. Separating foods into "good" and "bad"categories encourages you to associate eating with guilt and shame. I am sure that this is what I have done in the past: instead of enjoying everything I eat, I feel bad about myself when I eat something I consider "bad." Working on myself and with others, I have learned that this is all too common.
I actually think that "cheat days" sets you up for destructive and unhealthy eating habits.
I believe that a "diet" is a way of life and not some way of restricting food that you like. Eating the foods you like is about creating a balanced lifestyle. Following a healthy diet means including a number of foods-all of which are consumed in moderation. If weight loss is the goal, this usually means three square meals a day with planned snacks, incorporating treats but in smaller portion sizes. Eating a balance of foods-with none of them off-limits or labeled "bad"-is the best way to reduce the kinds of cravings that can lead to a binge. I have noticed amongst my clients that when people stick to a balanced weight loss diet, the tendency to occasionally overeat actually goes down over time. Here are 3 tips for healthy eating without "cheat" days:
1. Listen to your appetite- if you want a bowl of pasta, then have a small bowl.
2. Enjoy treats from time to time- enjoy a cookie or a piece of chocolate or an ice cream cone if you desire.
3. Savor every bite- don't eat on the run or standing up while multi-tasking, be mindful about what you are eating.
Make every day a great day by listening to your appetite, periodically adding in some of your favorite foods in small portions, and savoring each and every bite of everything you eat.
I would love to hear from you so contact me at rachel@livehealthynyc.com