However much you just WANT to be good and (hopefully) WANT to stick to your plans there are many events that crop up over the course of the year! People's birthdays, your own birthday, Christmas, Easter, Celebrations for a new baby, a new job, a Leaving Do, a Hen or Stag do. The list is endless! It is just life! And LIFE should be good! It should be celebrated! And enjoyed! And its OK! Yes it does mean your weight-loss journey may be halted for a week or two but it can actually be good for you!
Having a cheat day or planned day to binge can actually be beneficial! So it is totally OK to go over your calories to enjoy an event or celebration or maybe just
because you feel like it. So long as it doesn't weaken your resolve to get back to it and carry on with your weight-loss journey! Having the odd cheat day can actually
lead to "The Whoosh effect" according to some researchers and scientists. There is some skeptisism about how or why it happens but the fact that it does is not in dispute.
Take a look at this article here about more on the Whoosh Effect.
Whether you get a Whoosh effect or not, the key to taking a cheat day is to use it to strengthen your Will Power to get back to your mission with renewed passion! You know
that Will Power you had at the start of your journey? When you were eager to get started and couldn't wait to start seeing results? Yeah. After a cheat you could get that feeling
again! You can also use the time to reassess if you want to make changes. Change up your exercises, look up new recipes or research lower calorie treats to add to your menu choice?
First of all....Its OK! Forgive yourself!
Unlike a planned cheat, falling off the wagon is those times when you just lost your way. Maybe you had such a crappy day at work or some terrible news or stress. Whatever reason, you reached out for the comfort food you always used to have or reverted back to old patterns or maybe just had a 'I DON'T CARE ANYMORE' attitude that drowned out the little voice telling you that you don't really want to go off track and you will regret it later. Well boohoo. Suck it up. It might not have been planned but you can certainly pull yourself up and get back on target! Remind yourself of your goals and that giving up is not going to make you happier. Maybe you need to focus on something else if you fell off your wagon because of an event that needs attention. Thats OK too. But you can still do some damage-control. Be mindful of what you eat even if you can't plan and count it out. Ask yourself if you are really hungry or just stress-eating. Switching back to the 5:2 diet is a good tool if you think you can manage to control yourself two days a week instead of seven. And the great thing about the 5:2 is that you actually WANT to keep busy to distract from eating so you can use the time to try to solve whatever issues you might have getting in your way!
Remember: Your journey is a long one. You may get to your targets within a few months or a year but the mindfulness needed to maintain your weight, the tools you have learned to cope with events, the benefits of exercise and getting fresh air... these things are for life! So the odd blip on your plans is OK. You will know what to do and how to get back to where you want to be. Happiness and enjoying the journey and results is all that matters! I wish everyone the success that I have had and GOOD LUCK on this new beginning!
For extra reading check out these links below!