I Guess It’s Going To Be A Cheat Weekend!!!
by Jennifer Mahone
I Guess It’s Going To Be A Cheat Weekend!!!
Photo by Uroš Jovičić on Unsplash
This used to be the favorite phrase in our home when we first started working out and eating clean. It was the ever anticipated trip, weekend away, dinner out or whatever excuse we could think of.
What can we celebrate this weekend? Seriously! It was a never ending thought!
Then there were the bread pick ups at the local grocery store. We had this WONDERFUL privilege of picking up day-olds 3 days a week (early in the morning – like 6am early) to deliver to a couple of schools for parent-student events and also a couple of food pantries. It was so rewarding! I mean SOOOOO REWARDING! We loved giving out food to people but we also enjoyed the treats as well. It was a dangerous relationship.
Let me break it down for you…we picked up the bread, delivered to the school, volunteered at the school, put pastries out for teachers and parents, ate some of the pastries because I was also a parent, took home leftovers because they would go bad otherwise, ate pastries again and again and again! Not to mention the weight piled on. YIKES! Not good.
When our eating habits began to change, the thought of giving people what I wouldn’t eat myself became somewhat hypocritical to me. Deep down I knew if it wasn’t good for me it couldn’t possibly be good for them. And then there was this guilt of “well, maybe its all they have or its their only choice”. And I would feel justified in helping feed others. It was a love-hate relationship. We eventually had to cut that service off because we moved out of town but I will never regret being able to help as much as we could in that time.
That story leads to today. We have entered into a season of helping others in a more healthier way and we are loving every second of it.
DISCLAIMER: I am not nor have I ever been a nutritionist or fitness expert. My position is to share with you what has helped my family and I gain more health in our personal lives and help you find what works for you through examples and testimonies. Please make sure to check with your physician before making any significant changes to your diet and fitness routines.
Ok…Not that thats out of the way lets move on to a topic at hand. CHEATS!
Don’t do it! Run, Run far away and never return!
LOL…only kidding!
CHEAT MEALS
There may be those who disagree but as I said before…I can only share with you our experiences and then you decide for yourself.
Some people say don’t cheat. The reason…
• You’ll mess up everything you worked so hard for
• It will become a constant temptation
• You’ll fall off the wagon and it will be so hard to get back on
- And then there are those who say “Go for It!” A cheat is fine…
• Top reason that I here “You never want to deprive yourself because then you’ll fall into temptation
• A cheat will help you as it gets leptin pumping again so you’re ready to burn fat again.
To read more on Leptin Click Here
We fall between these 2 categories – The DO’S and DON’TS
Here’s the truth in our case:
We were so excited about our cheats in the beginning that we took what was supposed to be a CHEAT MEAL once per week and it quickly went from a cheat meal to a cheat day to a CHEAT WEEKEND! Not Good At All! Our self-control flew out the window and left us devouring anything in site for 2 1/2 days.
So long story short…in 2 1/2 days we had gained back all of that weight loss we had worked so hard for and we found ourselves starting over every single Monday.
Now that being said, we do not deprive ourself and at some point our self-control came home and brought with it Pinterest recipes…Ha! I discovered that there are some wonderful alternatives to the sweets and treats we have loved for so long. I also discovered that I could no longer have wheat, dairy or sugar because it caused inflammation and irritation. So the discovery has been frustrating at times and very exciting at others. It’s all a learning experience. Everyone is different.
That being said…YES I DO CHEAT! But it is usually 1 time per month and it is most definitely ICE CREAM! It is my favorite food in this entire world and I will enjoy it dairy and sugar loaded that one time each month because for 1) I know my limits and I have to maintain this healthy lifestyle and 2) It will probably bother me later because of the dairy and sugar but because it is so limited I have found that it doesn’t bother me as much as it used to when I was consuming it just about every weekend.
So Do We Utilize The Cheat? Yes…we do but now with more self-control and determination to only have a taste and continue to pursue our healthy lifestyle.
With that said…I do want to be very clear that our cheats consist of good quality ingredients. We do not give in to the processed garbage or fast foods. I do not say that to shame anyone but I am very cautious of the items that contain more than 5 ingredients. Cautious shouldn’t even be the word…I just don’t do it. But again that is my preference. Btw…I only go to one Ice Cream joint and the stuff is out-of-this-world, home-made, made fresh each day and real ingredients (no additives or preservatives). It’s AWESOME!
TUNE IN TOMORROW!
I will be sharing on how you CAN eat clean on vacation and you CAN stay active!
See ya in blog world!
Jennifer