"Cheat" Meals

There are so many diets that advocate a cheat meal, so I figured I would cover it today and give you my two cents. First of all, I hate the idea of a diet. What you eat should be a way of life. Healthy eating isn't something you are doing for 30 days to slim down. This goes way beyond simply looking good in a bikini....this is your life! Healthy eating means a healthier body. You only get one body in this lifetime so you'd better be good to it. Ok, off that soapbox. I think a lot of people get caught up in an entire cheat DAY instead of one indulgent meal. Every now and then if you want something that isn't exactly the healthiest thing you've ever laid eyes on, by all means I believe you should have it, otherwise you are either going to drive yourself or others around you batshit crazy. Enjoy it while it lasts, then get back on that health wagon. Don't throw away all your hard work and dedication to a healthy lifestyle because you had a cheeseburger and fries for lunch. You also needn't drive yourself nuts afterward with guilt...one meal isn't going to ruin your progress or make you a wholly unhealthy person. One cheeseburger isn't going to clog your arteries. In fact, one higher calorie meal every now and then is actually GOOD for you! Not only will it mentally help keep you on a healthier track of eating, but (without getting too science-y), calorie cycling actually helps rev your metabolism. If you constantly eat a set number of low calories, your body will adapt and need less calories to function, which is not a good thing. To keep your metabolism running effectively, you need to calorie cycle a bit. For most people, it's annoying and unnecessary to count every calorie in and out, but if you are eating relatively healthy all week and have an indulgent meal once every now and then, just know that it's actually good for you. Remember--one meal, not one day. So raise your glass of beer to that friday night pizza!