Cheat Day

Cheat Day!

I made my diet my bitch, then cheated on it... we're cool though.

Okay, so, but the food, am I right?  Nope, you're wrong.  How do you count calories and still eat good food?  Well, you can actually eat good food all the time, once you learn to prepare good, healthy meals.

But as for splurging, it's actually not so bad every now and again, just try not to go apeshit with it.  Every couple of weeks or so, I'll abandon the single chicken breast with side of veggie plate (I'm not really that boring, I'll try to put a few delicious concoctions up here to help get you started, should you be interested,) or single serve salad for some good prepared foods.  The last outting, for me, was pizza from Millie's (local joint with phenomenal pies,) and tonight I treated the family to Cookout...mmmmmmmmm...Cookout.  Anyway...

I got the Big Double Cheeseburger, a quesadilla, and a side of slaw with a large Cheerwine to drink.  Had them add lots of ice to the Cheerwine as I can't drink soda straight anymore, it's just too damn sweet.  The changes in your body chemistry that come from simple changes to diet and routine will amaze you.  And, on a side note, I am 'typing' this post up on my phone as the family finishes their meals, so, I apologize for any odd 'swipe'-related errors that might pop up throughout - will edit later.

But alas, did I ask the cashier at Cookout how many calories were in my meal?  Of course not.  I just know that between this morning's run and tonight's workout, I've got the calories counted for.  And even if I didn't, in this case, I lose between 2 and 6 pounds a week, so any misstep on account of even a weekly cheat day is easily remedied.  The wider gaps in spacing between are more to keep your body from acclimating to the nasty preservatives, oils, and other garbage in prepared foods.

Now, anything is acceptable on your cheat days, should you choose to have them, but I like to stay clear of the taboo fast food joints (McDonald's, Burger King, Hardee's, and the like.)  The main reason for this is ingredients and cooking methods.  If you've ever seen the documentary Super Size Me, you may have already given up certain fast food joints anyway.  But regardless, these cliche fast food "restaurants" tend to pack far more grease and unhealthy ingredients into their servings than a traditional restaurant or dive will.  There's also serving size.  Many fast food places have portions far larger than a normal person should be eating.  Avoid these, again, don't get reckless.

I can't say for sure that my meal from Cookout was any better for me than a 'Value Meal' from one of those other places, but I know it tasted better, had less grease and fat, and didn't feel so much like lead on my stomach, so I feel confident about my choice.  The pizza back a couple weeks ago, on the other hand...oh, yeah, I ate just a bit too much.  But, I recovered and got back into my routine rather than falling prey to old habits and bad choices.

It's up to you, really, where to go and what to get, but certainly avoid endless buffets and eating entire pizzas to yourself.  A little excess now and again is one thing, but falling back on the gluttony and ridiculous habits is something completely different and should be avoided at all costs.  It's worth the work, believe me.

I highly recommend against 'cheating' more than once a week (on your diet, asshole, not your significant other, never a call for that,) and try to keep mine to once a month, every other week (usually on a pay day,) at most.  The weight you lose, physically and metaphorically, from sticking to your diet and routine so much outweighs any temporary food related elation from such meals.  And soon, you won't even be able to finish meals like these... I could barely choke down the rest of my quesadilla after eating my burger and couldn't finish my side of slaw.  And, even watered down, I couldn't polish off my Cheerwine.  I laughed when my mother asked if I wanted a scoop of ice cream in mine to make floats like her and the kids were having... No, thank you... Way too sweet, way too heavy.

So, yeah, think it through, plan it out, and don't over-indulge.  The idea is to treat yourself to a small reward for all your hard work, not slip back into your old routine and abandon your new, healthier ones.   When you go so long without those old staple guilty pleasures, you'll find that you enjoy them so much more and in such more moderated amounts (less so much becomes more.)

If you ate your favorite dish every day, you'd most likely get tired of it quickly.  So, the truth in the opposite makes sense - if you wait a longer time-frame between indulgences, they'll be more rewarding.  As it so often is with great friends and lovers, absence makes the heart grow fonder.