
The popular notion of sticking to your diet all week and then allowing yourself a “cheat day” or “cheat week-end” is under scrutiny. Health.com recently reported that people who have lost weight have a tendency to gain it back if they allow themselves to seriously over- indulge on week-ends or special occasions. While the problem certainly involves actual calories consumed during cheat days, it also has a lot to do with the psychology of eating. Seems when we purposely “let loose,” we REALLY go for it..most likely far surpassing what would be considered an minor splurge. In addition, the subsequent feelings of guilt, and the corresponding bad news on the scale the following morning, lead people into additional days of poor eating because (as Hillary so famously once said) “at this point, what difference does it make?” The suggestion from experts is to allow yourself smaller, strictly limited indulgences on a more frequent basis if needed. This way you are less likely to develop a sense of deprivation.
Self control while eating is under constant supervision with MyFitnessPal. It has helped me keep an eye on my cravings…and BOY do I love to eat. Thanks for the reminder to keep a cap on calories. 🙂
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I need the reminder every Friday! I’m reading this as I munch on fistfuls of cashew trail mix (my absolute downfall) ..I’ll admit I do let loose on the week-end..but not near as much as I used to- Mondays are depressing enough without having to wear a muu muu. 😧
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I lean pretty hard on coffee Mondays. 😉. Do you hike? That’s my great excuse for trail mix indulgences. Haha. Enjoy your Saturday. 😍
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