More often than not, when you come across someone who’s dieting they’ll tell you that they occasionally allow themselves to have a cheat day. This could be once a week, once a month or whatever, but the idea is that they’re allowed to have a cheat meal/day and not feel guilty about it.
Okay, I understand you’re dieting all week and working hard to do it, so the least you deserve is a day or a meal where you can pig out and the calories don’t count. I don’t necessarily disagree with the idea, but I don’t completely support it either; I’m somewhere in the middle. Also, the idea that calories ‘don’t count’ is ridiculous.
While I’m more of an ‘everything in moderation’ type person, I can see why a cheat day is preferred by some people. It gives you something to look forward to at the end of the week, or whenever it’s scheduled into your calendar and it feels rewarding. I feel though that if you start working with this mindset, maybe you’re dieting for the wrong reasons. It’s not right to diet because the reward is a nice juicy burger on the weekend. It seems then that the entire approach is wrong. Someone trying to lose weight should make it a point first to eat healthier by incorporating more whole foods into their diet, and then use those eating habits along with calorie restriction to drop the weight.
Whether your goal is to lose weight or to simply start eating healthier food, understanding that everything in moderation won’t harm you is a good way to start. I’ve had a sweet tooth my whole life, and as many times as I’ve tried to restrict myself from anything artificial and stick to fruits it just doesn’t seem to work in the long run. Once in a while I need to have a bite of chocolate, and it doesn’t help that my mom bakes some of the worlds best deserts on a daily basis (she runs her own baking business). If I decide to go cold turkey, I know in the back of my mind it’s just a matter of time before I cave.
If you make the time and effort to work out roughly how many calories you’re going to take in on a daily basis, you can simply factor in something you consider a treat and make sure it’s still within your caloric limit. On the other hand, sometimes we’re just presented with a situation where it’s almost impossible to know how many calories you’re consuming. Say there’s an office party with tons of food, or you’re out with friends for dinner, or anything like that, and you don’t want to be the person sitting doing mental math counting the calories in 12.4 grams of this food or that food. The point is don’t make it a big deal; enjoy whatever it is you’re eating and understand that a bit of flexibility in your diet is important. It keeps you sane, keeps your sweet tooth in check and doesn’t result in a pig out session on the weekend where likely the calories you’ve been cutting can be consumed in one sitting.
Consider the bigger picture and remember that everything in moderation is the key.
Today:
Snatch push press + overhead squat – 1+2 for 3 sets working up to a heavy set
Power clean + push press + push jerk – 60% for 3 sets
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