What is the Point of Cheating on your Diet?
Most diet plans have cheat days or meals built into them. The first reaction to that might be, what exactly is the point of a diet if you are going to cheat? The very language used seems to help you psychologically as you struggle to maintain discipline throughout the week, knowing that you get to "cheat" on that one special day you've planned out. If you didn't call it that you would probably appreciate it less and it would just feel like another meal, built into your diet that you "have" to abide by. That's the beauty of it, that you feel as if you are rewarding yourself for your hard work, that you have earned it.
Unless you are a magnificently disciplined creature, you are going to cheat on your diet anyway. The very idea that you are telling yourself constantly that you cannot have this or that can be consuming. Building in scheduled cheats is to prevent you from going crazy and binging one day when you give in to your body's cravings and desires. The important part is that it is controlled and gives you the fortitude to continue going, because you know what you have to look forward to on the next cheat day. It holds you at bay instead of leaving you frustrated and cranky because you've sworn off of your favorite foods cold turkey.
Most diets require a lot of structure, incorporating cheat meals in helps your body in that you are changing up your routine. This in a sense, is a curve ball, that keeps your body on its toes instead of being lulled into a routine of the same foods every day. You make your body work harder by keeping it guessing in a sense.
In truth, cheating is a misnomer when it comes to dieting. The reality of it is that it is another form of discipline. By cheating, you teach yourself that you can portion control and limit what you eat of less healthy foods. After all, a diet should not be about restriction, it should merely be about a healthier lifestyle and eating habits. In the case of working towards a certain goal this can be acceptable, but it should only be temporary. By being disciplined this helps you to keep your weight from ballooning once you are suddenly free from all your rules and restrictions. In sum, cheating is a small part of a much bigger picture, of the end goal of working towards discipline.
Unless you are a magnificently disciplined creature, you are going to cheat on your diet anyway. The very idea that you are telling yourself constantly that you cannot have this or that can be consuming. Building in scheduled cheats is to prevent you from going crazy and binging one day when you give in to your body's cravings and desires. The important part is that it is controlled and gives you the fortitude to continue going, because you know what you have to look forward to on the next cheat day. It holds you at bay instead of leaving you frustrated and cranky because you've sworn off of your favorite foods cold turkey.
Most diets require a lot of structure, incorporating cheat meals in helps your body in that you are changing up your routine. This in a sense, is a curve ball, that keeps your body on its toes instead of being lulled into a routine of the same foods every day. You make your body work harder by keeping it guessing in a sense.
In truth, cheating is a misnomer when it comes to dieting. The reality of it is that it is another form of discipline. By cheating, you teach yourself that you can portion control and limit what you eat of less healthy foods. After all, a diet should not be about restriction, it should merely be about a healthier lifestyle and eating habits. In the case of working towards a certain goal this can be acceptable, but it should only be temporary. By being disciplined this helps you to keep your weight from ballooning once you are suddenly free from all your rules and restrictions. In sum, cheating is a small part of a much bigger picture, of the end goal of working towards discipline.
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