Cheat Day aka Treat Day Tips

You guys know I’m a sugar junkie. I love it ALL. It’s now holiday food season, and I figured it might be helpful to prepare for all the treats. If I allow myself a cheat/treat day, I tend to behave myself better through out the week while I’m on a “strict” meal plan. I was in the shower the other day, thinking about the Great Depression days and how sugar was a real treat. Yes, my sugar addiction goes so deep that I think about sugar in the shower. Cakes weren’t something you’d just go to any grocery store and pick one up. Ice cream wasn’t a whole section of 20 bazillion different flavors. You baked them. You stuck them in the fancy ice cream maker and waited patiently to have some. It was really a TREAT. And now… Sugar is everywhere! It’s in ketchup, salad dressing, milk, and you can buy a candy bar, or baked goods, just about anywhere. It’s hard to avoid, and it definitely makes only having one day a week of cheating seem rough.

In general, I eat pretty clean. I like my veggies, I love my fruit, and I don’t go out to eat as often as I’d like to. That being said, it doesn’t take much to go over in calories. I learned a long time ago that it takes me 10 minutes on the rowing machine to burn off one fun size Reeses peanut butter cup, in case you’re wondering that’s 110 calories. I’ll be honest, it’s no thing for me to want to eat two and still want something else. I don’t count calories religiously, but I try to pay attention and reason with my sweet tooth about which I’d rather have. I could have a chocolate bar, or I could have a yummy cup of tea that satisfies my sweet tooth. I could have Ben and Jerry’s Cherry Garcia (vegan of course), or I could have some unsweetened yogurt topped with fruit and nuts. The reality of the question I ask myself is, do I want the instant gratification of this chocolate, or do I want the delayed one of a lower body fat percentage? I wish I could say the latter always wins, but it doesn’t. So I continue to load myself up with tools to do better, or cheat better.

What is a cheat day?

If you’ve been in the health/fitness world for a while you probably already know what I’m talking about. I’d never heard of it until 2015 when I started following a meal plan. A cheat day is basically a day that you allow yourself to be a little relaxed. It’s okay to have dessert, or a meal that you don’t believe is the healthiest.

My cheat day is usually Saturday or Sunday. If I plan to go to the beach, I make that day my cheat day. If I know there’s a birthday party, I make that the day.

Cheat days can be dangerous for me. I HAVE to make a plan. If I just allow myself to be flexible with my food ALL day, I end up having waffles for breakfast, greasy tacos for lunch, and cake for dinner (only 3 slices). Then the next day, I crave all the salty, or sugary junk, all over again. Sometimes I have to go cold turkey, no sugar because a cheat day will throw me completely off and I’ll lose the eating good battle. What I’m getting at here is you’ve got to figure out what works for you.

Cheat/Treat Tips

• Make a plan – If you’re cheat day is Saturday, that’s the day. If you’re planning a meal, only have the meal. If you’re planning a whole day of less restriction, stick with that, but don’t over do it.
• Be strategic – If you know that your cheat meal is going to be a creamy Alfredo with garlic bread, put those carbs to use the day before you have a heavy workout.
• Portion control – Most restaurants serve large portions. Instead of eating the whole meal, try sharing with your date. Think Lady and the Tramp, spaghetti noodle romance. Lol! If you don’t have a date, ask for a box and save the other half for tomorrow.
• Limit sugar – Avoid the sugary drinks, soda and foo-foo coffees can sometimes equate to a whole meal’s calorie count. Unless that white chocolate peppermint mocha chip frappuchino is your most favorite thing in the world, it probably won’t satisfy your craving like something more solid would. (I’m pretty sure that’s why I weighed an extra 10 pounds back in the day.)
• Satisfaction – Find the thing that satisfies that sweet tooth, if you’re a bread person and that’s what you’ve been craving, have that. Once you’ve been satisfied, you shouldn’t need anything else.

Did you know that your first bite of food gives the most enjoyment and last bite determines your overall satisfaction?

Need more?

There are a couple other things that help me push through the week. When are my cravings, and what can I have instead?

Night time is typically when I want to snack. I want a little goodie when I’m all mellowed out for the day. If I’m really struggling with wanting something sweet it helps me to have my protein shake, or a smoothie, at night. Instead of having it after my workout, sometimes I’ll save it for the evening. I usually doctor mine up with half a banana and some peanut butter. If you blend it with a little ice, it’s almost like a chocolate peanut butter shake. It helps me to kill that sugar craving, and it’s healthy for me. Yes, it’s better to have an easily digestible form of protein after your workout. If you are consistently meeting your protein intake daily, your body already has the building blocks it needs in your system already.

I’ve been on the hunt for “desserts” that are way better for me than those peanut butter cups. Fruit is a big one for me but that’s not the only fix. I’ve made healthy banana splits, healthier peanut butter cookies, and a peanut butter dip that is delicious on fruit. Those are all “treats” that help me get past the sweet tooth. Find healthy options that don’t make you think you’re eating healthy.

Don’t beat yourself up!

Life is crazy sometimes and I have to remember to allow myself a little grace. It’s okay to have a little extra sometimes. Just focus on doing better with each choice you make. If all you can do is focus on eating right and not enjoy some of the smaller things, that makes being so strict with a diet even more difficult.