Why your “cheat meal” mentality needs a makeover

Let’s chat about why!

It implies that you’re doing something wrong.

YOU’RE CHEATING.

We honestly don’t care about if you do a “cheat” meal or not but let us tell you what we do care about.

• How do you think your mindset will respond to your “cheat meal”?
• Will it mess with your head?
• Will it be a nice break?
• Will one meal turn into a day or a weekend?
• Are you going to be upset if you’re not seeing the progress you want over time?

What we can’t promise you as coaches is to help you not have the urge to eat all the things when the clock strikes 9pm or when you’re at a work party and they’ve got DONUTS or when your husband’s not on your plan and busts out your favorite flavor of Ben and freaking Jerry’s ice cream while you binge on your Netflix favorite after the kids go down.

Let me tell you what we can help you with.

To be okay with the urge.

To not create so much drama around wanting to eat all the things.

Allowing the discomfort of cravings or negative emotions of any kind, and NOT acting on them or JUDGING yourself for them...IS the secret.

MORE ON CHEAT MEALS:

Flexibility isn’t just meant for the weekend.

Stop labeling foods as clean foods or cheat foods.

Instead of focusing on restriction and willpower, focus on balance and flexibility!

Focus on those two things will help break the damaging restrict & binge cycle.

It’s also going to help you have a better relationship with food.

Not every weekend is going to be perfect, but that’s life!

Enjoy it, move on and make the next day better!

CHEAT MEAL STORIES:

Ok so a couple things:

A lot of people like to incorporate an untracked meal, a “joy eat” or a “cheat day”, and there isn’t a problem with it...it just depends on a lot of factors.

You are more than welcome to incorporate a “cheat meal” (not a day lol) but how do you think your mindset will respond to that?

• Will it mess with your head?
• Will it be a nice break?
• Will one meal turn into a day or a weekend?

It really depends on your personality. And it’s similar with your physical progress also.

Meaning if you notice you’re not making the progress you want & you’re not okay with that, then it’s tightening up the weighing and tracking and eliminating these kinds of extras that is your first step!

As far as the desire, you have to just allow it. It’s called riding the wave. Just allow it, don’t judge it, don’t make the presence of this desire mean anything about you as a person—or make it mean anything about your progress.

The more you allow it and don’t judge it and don’t act on it—the less these desires will have power over you in the long run.

ALLOWING THE DISCOMFORT OF CRAVINGS OR NEGATIVE EMOTIONS OF ANY KIND—AND NOT ACTING ON THEM OR JUDGING YOURSELF FOR THEM...IS THE SECRET.

You can just say, man I am really craving cookies and candy right now, that’s interesting.

And perhaps consider building them into your day, like an end of day treat for example or have them with your lunch!

It could be a good thing for you to understand what they cost and how to fit them in, you won’t be in a cut forever and when you reverse and count in maintenance they will be easier to fit.

You don’t have to live the rest of your life without cookies and candy to see or keep your results, it’s just a question of what’s worth it to and when/how to fit them into your day in a way that works for you physically and mentally.

WHEN A TREAT MEAL BECOMES AN EAT ALL THE THINGS MEAL:

Might want to stop viewing it as a treat meal!

We’d imagine here’s what’s happening…

• You feel like you’re off plan so you might as well have some more and start fresh tomorrow!
• You’re restricting yourself too much throughout the week and not eating foods you actually enjoy.
• A “last supper” vibe where you know you’re back at it tomorrow so you have to eat all the things while you can!

Oooor…

You’re just doing it because it’s a habit you’ve created for yourself and you’ve got to break that habit.

You gotta call yourself out on it.

Throwing in the towel and saying screw it and eating all things…

Sometimes it’s because we’re restricting too much or on too low calories and sometimes we’re using food as a buffer.

You have to intentionally decide to not let your treat meal turn into an eat all the things.

It’s all about making that quick decision.

Taking action and deciding to NOT let it turn into an eat all the things will build over time, so that’s your NEW habit to NOT eat all the things.

 https://www.butteryourmacros.com/membership