I get asked “How often do you get a cheat meal? You have to live a little.”
First off, the name itself dictates it is something you should not do. Cheating doesn’t work. It doesn’t work in relationships, it doesn’t work in finances, it doesn’t work in sports and it doesn’t work in nutrition. What they really mean to ask is “How often do you eat off plan?” The answer to that is when I have set my boundaries and allowances, when I am fully aware of the consequences, when I am able to accept the consequences and when I have planned it, not done it on impulse, and WITH something I know is not going to send me spiraling not only off the tracks, but into the next county. Oh, and very rarely when I am in Fat Loss mode!
What I really want to write about is the second sentence up there…”You have to live a little”
I lived a little…I lived A LOT…when I was morbidly obese. I lived a little when I was taking blood pressure medications to control my blood pressure in my thirties. I lived a little when I needed a seat belt extender on a plane, when my sunglasses would fog up because my cheeks blocked the airflow, when I couldn’t push my driver’s seat back any further…I was sure living a little.
When I was 275# at 5’8” and shoving food and alcohol in my face, no one ever asked the opposite question “Are you afraid of dying?” No one blinked an eye at the food choices then, but when you choose to eat a nutrient dense diet, avoid triggers and alcohol and work to make improvements on your body…somehow, all of a sudden, you are not “living”. Sorry dudes and dudettes, NOW I am living. My day to day IS living and building the best ME I can build. IF I choose to eat off plan, it is in a measured and controlled fashion because I know if I give myself an inch, I will take a mile.
So if someone tempts you to eat something you know you should not. whether you are trying to lose weight or build muscle, whether it is from Grandma “with love” or a family member or friend who likes to party, realize YOU are in control of your life. Don’t give anyone else that power. Make each choice with your goals in mind so that you CAN “live a little” longer in a healthy way. One that gets you closer to your goals, not further away.
