Bouncing Back From Cheat Day!

As I have explained before, I am currently on a weight loss journey. This journey has been especially hard for me when I allow myself the cheat day. Why you may ask? Because in college, cheat day was everyday for me. I didn’t limit myself to anything. Bouncing back from cheat day has been the ultimate challenge for my body and my mind.

The other weekend my brother and I were home alone, and we decided to make frozen pizzas for dinner (adult life is hard). On my way home from work, I thought to myself “Tonight should just be my cheat day, since gluten free pizza is still pizza and pizza= unhealthy.” So I hit up the grocery store and got my favorite kind of sugar cookies and a box of chocolate glazed donuts, along with a Coke because Coke is my ultimate favorite.

That evening proceeded with the following: my brother and I had about four of both total before we felt the ultimate guilt and for me, a horrible stomach ache. I ended up throwing out the rest of the cookies and donuts.

The next day: I ended up getting fast food. Why? I truthfully have no idea. If I had to guess, it was my guilt eating away at me. I think more people than I know can relate to this. The feeling of guilt and not being in control from eating badly. I ended up thinking because I allowed myself the sweets I should just continue to eat bad the rest of the weekend, because it couldn’t get much worse than that. Well- I ended up making myself horribly sick and full of regret and guilt.

The TRUTH about bouncing back from Cheat Day:

1. Each day is a fresh start.

You don’t have to let your guilt win. You ARE in control of what you put into your mouth. Just because you cut yourself some slack and gave yourself a cheat day, it doesn’t mean you should give up!!!! Reset your mind everyday. “Okay, yesterday was cheat day. Back to the grind. Back to fueling my body with good food to feel good.”

2. Positive mind, Positive Results

“Gross, lazy, no self-control, might as well.” All of these were things that consumed my thoughts the day after my binge. I’m here to remind you (and myself) that these things are NOT TRUE! Fill your mind with positive thoughts and start planning your next healthy meal. Positive things will happen. Get your mind off of all the negative. Read a book, call an old friend, go on a light jog! There is a lot more things out there to focus on than your guilt from cheat day.

3. Decide if a cheat day in the future is even worth it!

Get a journal. Write down all the different emotions you are feeling. Write down what you ate and how much of it as well. Remember while doing this that we are all human and unless you are Dwayne Johnson, we all have days like this! How could we not when donuts exist??? If you have gotten physically sick from any of the food you ate (like myself), write it down. Try to think about all the ways it has affected you. Everyone is different, so it might not affect others the way it affects me and vice versa. Try to decide if a future day of donuts and sugar cookies are worth it. Or possibly if you just need to not allow yourself as MUCH. I had a large quantity of sweets, because my self control was low that night. For me, I now know my body just can’t take the sugar and gluten overload. And that’s okay. You learn.

Overall- YOU CAN DO IT! You don’t need to beat yourself up from a cheat day. It is healthy to allow yourself some slack. Just remember that you don’t need to let your guilt and negative thoughts win. You are the one in control. And you (I) can do this.