Is Your Cheat Meal Turning Into A Cheat Weekend?

May 6, 2010 - PRLog -- This article is aimed to you who are already following an exercise and nutrition plan, as you may be more familiar with some of the terms used here, such as "cheat meal"!

So, you are ok during the week. You've done your food shopping for the week, you've even pre-cooked a few meals, you're filling out your food journal nicely and sticking to the plan is actually easier than you once thought.

Then, the weekend arrives. There are after work drinks at the pub on Friday, a birthday party on Saturday night, and Sunday is supposed to be your cheat day.

How are you going to make it to Sunday unharmed?

It's ok during the week, but once you have a drink, or sit down for a meal, or have some "mean" person offer you a piece of cake, the monster takes over, and it's impossible to stop!

Or is it?

How can you avoid your cheat meal turning into a 3 day cheat bonanza?



1/ Your cheat meal is moveable!

I know what you're thinking… No way! Well, yes way. It doesn't have to be the same day every week, even though this may help from an organisational point of view. But if you want to have dinner with friends on Friday night, or you have a birthday party on Saturday, and let's say your cheat meal is  supposed to happen on Sunday, wouldn't it make sense to move your cheat meal to Friday, or Saturday? Notice I said OR. OR means one or the other, not one and the other! Choose what tickles your fancy the most and allow yourself to fully enjoy the experience. The following day, simply keep sticking to your food journal as planned.



2/ Fully enjoy your cheat meal.

A square of bitter 90% cocoa chocolate is not a cheat meal, and, if I know you well, it's not what you really really want to have. Your cheat meal is the time to have anything you want, I repeat, anything you want, and allow yourself to fully enjoy it. This is not a time to be careful and tip toe around food. Guilt shouldn't be a part of it. Imagine that! And if guilt shows its ugly face even for a second, you want to punch the crap out of it, and then keep enjoying your well deserved treat. The more you enjoy it, the easier it is to just get back on track and keep following your nutritional plan.



3/ Be human.

"I know I'm human Anna, what's your point". My point is that if you are human, and most of you probably are, then you are not perfect, whatever your idea of perfection is. And the thing is, you don't need to be. While it's useful to strive to do your best and be the best you can be, mister perfectionism could be sabotaging your efforts. So, what if you overdid it on the profiteroles, or had a few too many slices of pizza? Does that mean that all of a sudden you are going to turn into a ball of fat? Does that mean that all your workouts and all the healthy meals you've eaten to day are in vain? Or that you'll never be able to be the size you want to be? You know it doesn't make sense. And if it doesn't make sense, as Judge Judy says, it's not true.

As long as 80% of the time your diet consists of healthy, wholesome and nutritious foods, 20% of the time there is room for treats.



The most important thing is that you never ever give up.

Your ability to quickly get back on track will largely determine your success.

So, avoid dwelling on the past. Maybe you cheated on your nutrition plan, skipped some workouts, or maybe you have had a more serious lapse in your behaviour for whatever reason. Beating yourself up isn't the answer and it isn't going to get you any closer to achieving your fitness goals.

What will help you is to tell yourself "so what!" and start afresh as you continue to keep in mind the end result you are working towards.

Whether you want to be leaner, stronger, more toned… whatever your objective is,

What can you today in order to get one step closer to achieving your goal?

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Anna Aparicio is a IINLP/Hypnosis Accredited Mind Coach, Speaker and Educator based in Dublin, Ireland. She uses cutting edge Neuro-linguistic Programming, Hypnosis and personal development tools to develop profound transformation in you, fast.