Lately, I've been consumed by thoughts of cakes and chocolates and sausages/hot dogs, burgers and fries (and ice cream). It's a daily and constant battle with myself to stay on the straight and narrow!!! All I've been telling myself is, "Joania, you don't need it, you've come too far, don't do it!!" I've also been talking to a few people, in hopes of getting some advice to help me through this and a lot of them have said the same thing, "Joania, you need to allow yourself a 'cheat day', that will solve all of your cravings!" I just don't believe that will solve things, if anything (for me, anyway) I think it will just set me backwards, reverting to my old ways (see picture above taken on Canada Day -July 1, 2008, enjoying a jumbo sausage!).
Then I started thinking to myself, "who the heck came up with this "cheating" concept anyway? Why does it have to be called "cheating" if you slip up and have something sweet whilst on your healthy journey?" What if you have a small sweet morcel and then got right back on track? Why do you have to feel so guilty about it?? Should I feel guilty about it?
Well, to answer that, I first needed to examine what's affiliated with the word "cheat". It's a very negative word that brings to mind thoughts of people sneaking around in a very dingy and cheap-pay-per-hourly-use motel just to get their freak on!!! I looked up the definition of the word "cheat" in my trusty Webster's dictionary and found the following:
If I stray a bit, I don't want to consider it cheating. I mean, maybe I can PLAN to go slightly off the plan. Maybe I need to work it into the plan (ROB, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS ONE!). ALSO, I want to call it my "C'EST LA VIE DAY" (c'est la vie is French for "That's Life!"). So that I don't have guilt and bad thoughts/feelings associated with it. I don't want to feel like I'm weak for having a little something that is not outlined in my plan, no GUILT- I'm in control of myself!! I'm not getting OFF my plan, I'll get right back on track!!
I mean, I realize this isn't something I could do every week but maybe once a month or once every two months!! I know that part of the reason I have all this weight to shed is because of the way I've been eating and I want to get away from that but I also have to be realistic, I want to learn how to deal with these foods that will more than likely tempt me for the rest of my existence!
Okay, that's my rant for today...I would love your comments and advice. I'm hoping my trainer Rob will read this and post something (and by something, I mean telling me that he will see about working in a "C'est La Vie Day" into my plan) **smiles**
Joania (2000 MINE!!)
Then I started thinking to myself, "who the heck came up with this "cheating" concept anyway? Why does it have to be called "cheating" if you slip up and have something sweet whilst on your healthy journey?" What if you have a small sweet morcel and then got right back on track? Why do you have to feel so guilty about it?? Should I feel guilty about it?
Well, to answer that, I first needed to examine what's affiliated with the word "cheat". It's a very negative word that brings to mind thoughts of people sneaking around in a very dingy and cheap-pay-per-hourly-use motel just to get their freak on!!! I looked up the definition of the word "cheat" in my trusty Webster's dictionary and found the following:
- to deprive of something valuable by the use of deceit or fraud
- to influence or lead by deceit, trick or artifice
- to practice fraud or trickery
- to violate rules dishonestly
If I stray a bit, I don't want to consider it cheating. I mean, maybe I can PLAN to go slightly off the plan. Maybe I need to work it into the plan (ROB, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS ONE!). ALSO, I want to call it my "C'EST LA VIE DAY" (c'est la vie is French for "That's Life!"). So that I don't have guilt and bad thoughts/feelings associated with it. I don't want to feel like I'm weak for having a little something that is not outlined in my plan, no GUILT- I'm in control of myself!! I'm not getting OFF my plan, I'll get right back on track!!
I mean, I realize this isn't something I could do every week but maybe once a month or once every two months!! I know that part of the reason I have all this weight to shed is because of the way I've been eating and I want to get away from that but I also have to be realistic, I want to learn how to deal with these foods that will more than likely tempt me for the rest of my existence!
Okay, that's my rant for today...I would love your comments and advice. I'm hoping my trainer Rob will read this and post something (and by something, I mean telling me that he will see about working in a "C'est La Vie Day" into my plan) **smiles**
Joania (2000 MINE!!)
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8 comments:
I don't agree with the cheat day thing either. I feel it messes with a person's mind too much.
Personally, from experience that is, I think the reason you are craving those things is because you are depriving yourself of them in the first place. And you can not deprive yourself for the rest of your life. That's just not realistic. Eventually you would give in and then it might just be downhill from there.
So, just remember, everything is okay as long as it's in moderation.
Wow, congratulations! You're doing really well.
I agree with you, 'cheating' just sounds wrong. You could work it into your plan if you need to, not view it as cheating. I've read blogs of people who call it 'sane days' or 'sane meals', and do it every week. If you're on a very restricted diet, relaxing things once in a while allows your metabolism to pick up rather than getting sluggish as usually happens when you're on a very low-calorie diet.
Unfortunately for me it's never worked coz sane meal/day becomes 'insane' - I can't stop myself once I start! So I've resolved to moderate my intake, avoid some things as much as I can but not entirely.
Al/ the best to you, adn keep up the good work!
Joania, Joania, Joania
Well I have been down this road - if you do "cheat" you will only feel guilty later so what I did was this - I needed to lose 24 lbs - and when I hit 10lbs loss I treated myself to something - a reward for my hardwork - Ice cream whatever the fix i needed - next day I worked out twice to make up for it (or on the day) then I didn't "cheat" again I worked toward the next 10 lbs for a reward - why not "treat/spoil" yourself with a reward after 20 lbs - then look forward to the next after the next 20 lbs - Go for small goals to achieve the big goal in the end - whatever your reward, food, massage, pedicure - you worked to hard to do something special for yourself.
that pic is hilarious.. great blog Joania !
Jonia, you rock! You are doing so wonderful and like the others I have to agree, from experience that a cheat day can mess you up. I like the idea and this is what I'm doing. Every 10lbs I get a reward. Then you have something to look forward to and you haven't labeled it as something negative. Our brains work in mysterious ways and if you label it as a cheat then you feel like your cheating if you label it as a reward you only get one every 10lbs and you have done something positive.
Keep up the fight, you can do it! You're my inspiration.
Holly
Joania!!! Think about it!! You will only taste the "cheat" food for only seconds but then it stays in your body forever!!!! You are strong enough to get past this!! Drink a hot chocolate to get rid of that chocolate craving! You can do this!
Ooooooo the aweful cheat word...don't you HATE IT! just saying or thinking about it just brings on a huge feeling of guilt!!! Even if you just think it, it makes you feel guilty!
I would love to hear Rob's advice about this as well as I'm wondering the same thing. I know that when we get to our goals...we're not always going to eat perfect, we're going to want to eat stuff that we love so should we train ourselves in the process to be open to having a treat here and there...then just going back to eating healthy?
Hi Joania...I think that indulgence is a better word than cheat. You will have a lot of opportunities to enjoy indulgences in your life, but when and how often is what you need to build into your plan. If you decide those things, then you may obsess about it less. Do you have indulgences in your plan? (Friday night wine, baguette and steak dinner are mine). You'll enjoy them much more if you plan them and then you won't constantly be in a debate with yourself about whether or not to have them. When it's not the day/time in the plan for it, you can just say to yourself "NO CHOICE" and move on. The more you give in to cravings, the easier they become to rationalize. What would a fit/lean person do? How would they think? I think the changes in thinking and behaviour modification are harder than your toughest work out in the gym. It's our brains that got us to where we are with food, weight etc. and they need the most hard work!
You can do it Joania!!
Elizabeth
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