I'm in the midst of writing a new blog explaining why I decided to move away from cheat meals altogether, even though I used to do them weekly.

 

There are several reasons, which I will be outlining in the new post, but the bottom line is that eating massive amounts of sugar in one sitting does us a disservice long-term.

 

I'll explain in a second. But first ...

 

Readers of JillFit know that I'm a proponent of moderation, and I use preemptive cheats to stay satisfied and satiated. With that being said, I can't remember the last time I went to the movies and killed a bag of candy or demolished an entire dessert after a dinner out.

 

I simply don't ever get to the point of complete deprivation anymore. And when I don't feel deprived, I don't need to binge on sugar. This took time.

 

People ask me all the time how to curtail cravings. Or how to curb their sweet tooth. 

 

I totally get that. I had a major sweet tooth. Heck, I used to schedule my day around my sweets (e.g. midmorning Sprees or a Tootsie Roll, and mid-afternoon yogurt-covered pretzels or Reese's Pieces). WTF? Yes. But at the time, it was the highlight of my day!

 

So how do you move from eating sugar daily to not feeling compelled?

 

The solution for me was 3-fold: 

1. I ate things that satisfied me BEFORE I reached that point (preemptive cheats).
2. I found workarounds. When I wanted the taste of sweet, I'd find something that gave me that experience without going all-in on sugar, like a few bites of sugar-free chocolate or a protein pancake made with chocolate protein powder, or almond bread.
3. I LET UP ON THE CARDIO.

I did 2+ hours a day of cardio FOR YEARS. And my sugar intake was the reason. It was a cycle: I binged on sugar, which meant I needed more cardio to "burn it off" and then the more cardio I did led to more cravings for sugar. #idienow

 

Awareness and then practice of these tools took time and patience, and THREE YEARS LATER, I'm out of the cycle.

 

So why no cheat meals? I mean, you earn them through tight dieting all week, right? You can build them into your macros, right? They are a psychological reward, right?

 

All fine explanations, except above all, they do one thing that I just can't get on board with: 

 

 

 

How is that healthy?? Physically or mentally?

 

In other words, cheat meals hold us hostage in the deprive-then-binge cycle. Don't they? They reinforce that we need to do penance for indulging. Sorry, I just can't get on board with that mindset anymore.

 

Now you might be asking, "But Jill, I know so-and-so fitness model or competitor who looks amazing and does cheat meals." 

 

Fine, but I guarantee years from now, he or she is going to be advocating moderation365 too. Because "on" and "off" times are not only unsustainable long-term but they keep us obsessed with food and dieting. 

 

And I don't know about you, but I'm sick of obsessing about food. 

 

I want to eat the same today as every other day. I don't want to be a "good little dieter," and have to earn my cheats. I want to eat healthy and do my best every single day and never feel deprived and never feel like I have to do penance and never feel as though my eating is dictated by rules and numbers.

 

This is a tough thing to wrap your head around. And if it doesn't feel true for you, then fine. Some people feel like cheat meals do them right. Great. Do them and enjoy the hell out of them. But stay mindful too. Ask, Could I throw myself a little bone earlier in the week, so that by the time I reach Saturday night I'm not ready to dive headfirst into Ben & Jerry's? 

 

Because I don't care what fits into your macros, eating copious amounts of straight-up sugar in a single sitting will never be healthy. And yes, sometimes it can't be avoided--we've all had those moments when the binge-bug takes over and we're helpless to resist. Of course. I get that. And the last thing I want to do is make you feel badly for giving in at times. I did it plenty.

 

 

You can always find ways for your eating to satisfy you TODAY. And when you do that, there's no urgency about a balls-out cheat. You just eat. No dieting. No deprivation. No "earning" your sugar. Just eating.

 

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this concept! I am going to be blogging on it soon, and also offering solutions and alternatives. Reply back and let me know how you handle this and your own experience.

Ox, Jill