Had a cheat day today and went with Jordan F. to La Vic's to get some burritos. We made the obligatory stop at Yogurtland next door. I found myself not really wanting to eat the burrito I had ordered because I've mentally conditioned myself to have a distaste for fast-food and especially burritos. More importantly, I realized just how much my lifestyle has changed over the past six years. While in middle school I would frequent unhealthy foods. I ate dessert every night and often too much. Now I genuinely think refined sugar tastes worse than sugars from fruit. I'm so glad that I got on a path toward positive growth.
On conventional diets....
People get upset and disappointed when their diets fail because they don't realize that every diet is bound to fail. The key to improvement is through gradual changes in lifestyle. One less cookie a day and then two tomorrow. Eventually you eliminate the negative and hold on to the positive. It's a process that takes months and potentially years. It definitely took me about two years to realize that I can't hope to improve physically by starving myself of carbs for an indefinite period of time. Learning processes are long and tough. Your diet fails because it is a short term crutch rather than a long term solution.
On cheat days...
I do cheat days for a few main reasons: to get any urge out of my system, to realize that I truly dislike eating poorly, to see the sad reality that is the eating habits of Americans. Let me address the latter first. I find it very saddening that people choose to eat poorly when there are other options available, but I use it as encouragement and a fuel for my goals. When I sit in Yogurtland and eat my cookies n' cream yogurt with oreo crumbs on top I look around and realize how silly the very act is. Seeing the habits of many people who do not care for their physical health encourages me to work harder in order to maintain mine.
Cheat days are a mental reset button for anybody maintaining a relatively new lifestyle. I intend for this health "phase" to last for the rest of my life but it is rather new, so I am still adjusting from my old lifestyle. I occasionally desire sweets and fast food. It's a good idea to get this out of your system every now and then to keep progress moving forward. One day of high carbs and high calories will not hurt your long term progress. The cheat day is best had after a good single achievement or after a series of positive progress has been noticed. For example, a cheat day can be had after a couple weeks of perfect dieting or after a series of grueling workouts. The important thing is to stretch cheat days apart as far as possible; they'll mean more to you and you'll get more out of them when they're not frequently occurring.
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