Cheat meals, everyone who is on a diet and is craving food is always looking forward to these, where they can just let loose and eat their favorite foods. Now, I used to use these a lot and I would look forward to them ALL WEEK. BE like, on this day, I get to have something that I enjoy and get that dopamine rush. As I down that Nutella crepe and/or philly chicken sub, I’d want that moment to never end. Now, looking back at it, that’s a pretty unhealthy way to approach food.
I’ve come to the point now, where I don’t really restrict myself at all from any food. I do eat healthy most of the day, but I will have some foods that would be considered “cheat” foods basically every day. Right now, I have some form of chocolate and a grilled cheese with potato chips almost every day. I could even fit in a burger or few slice of pizza into my calories if I wanted. I just make sure to fit it into my calories. This way, I don’t really crave anything and feel restricted. That always had a mental burden on me, I could crave something because I was restricting my calories so much that I could barely eat. So, to that point, I was already not eating enough, but I was also keeping myself from eating many food that I enjoyed. This was a double whammy. My cravings were out of control.
Another thing I’ve learned to do is find potentially healthier alternatives. For example, that Nutella crepe I keep talking about; if I get it from outside, it’s hard to control what goes on there. Now, if I make it at home, I can control. Now, I’m not elegant crepe chef. All I would do is, make a Kodiak protein pancake (these are delicious) put one or two servings of Nutella on it and top it off with a bit of kit kat and BOOM! Absolute deliciousness and I probably saved myself a few hundred calories. To be completely honest, It was just was good as if would have gotten it from outside.
Right now, I can eat regular potato chips with my maintenance calories; if I was every in a pinch and lowering my calories, I’d eat baked potato chips to save myself some calories. Or even better yet, smart pop popcorn.
I also love eating cereal. If you use almond milk instead of regular milk, you save yourself A LOT of calories. One serving of almond milk of only 30 calories. This is opposed to 2% milk which will be above 100. I eat it with Kellogg protein cereal which give me 15 g of protein.
I’m essentially eating food that I enjoy EVERY DAY. I eat cereal, grilled cheese, chips and some chocolate every single day. On top of this I make sure to also eat my fruits and vegetables most of the time. The rest of my diet is very healthy as well, food such as chicken breast, salmon, rice and egg whites with cheese.
Many people might be like, “oH bUt YoU sHoUlD bE eAtInG sTrIcT aLl ThE tImE…blah blah blah”. I believe it’s all about balance. That’s why I only make sure to get in my protein and the rest of my macronutrients, I just wing it. Now there probably is a benefit to getting in a certain amount of fats and carbs according to your calories. For me, that would make my life a bit more miserable. With my flexible diet, I am building muscle and losing fat. Most of all, I’m mentally very happy. That’s not something that’s talked about a lot, you have to be happy. If you’re shredded, but hungry and miserable all the time, what’s the point? It’s all about balance.
I mean sure, it’s fine to maybe go crazy every so often and eats tons of food, but if you eat food you enjoy every day, you won’t care to do that. Now, you might be thinking, “I can’t do that with the calories I have”. Well, I wouldn’t have been able to either, but THAT’S WHAY I ENOURAGE EVEYRONE TO LIFT WEIGHTS. Increase your metabolism and do a decent amount of cardio. Your body will be able to handle more food over time. I can go eat 3 or even 6 oreos as I’m tying this post and still be well under my calories for the day. I’ve made sure to get in most of my protein for the day and not be a slob. I even ate chocolate and cheese crackers. On the other hand, I also ate egg whites, chicken and had a protein shake which are considered “healthy” foods. No veggies or fruits today, I guess there’s always tomorrow lol. One again, it’s all about balance.
If you’re confused about how to calculate calories, here’s my link to everything you need to know about that: https://fitnessfinancetravel.com/calculatingcalories/
The idea of a cheat meal isn’t healthy. You should be enjoying your diet every day. Eat food that you enjoy and you’ll not really feel a need to go crazy for a meal or a day. Find healthier alternatives to eat every single day. It might be a little harder, but choose your hard (keep your mind out of the gutter). Either you struggle with being overweight or take the challenge changing your habits. Make sure to enjoy the process and love yourself all the time.
Disclaimer: I’m not your doctor. Please consult your doctor, nutritionist or any health care professional before making any changes in your own lifestyle. These blogs are just me sharing my knowledge for you reading entertainment purpose only. None of this is medical advice.