It’s Harder to Eat Clean When You Have Cheat Days

Summary

The article discusses the challenges of balancing clean eating with occasional cheat days, emphasizing the importance of discipline and willpower to maintain a healthy diet.

Abstract

The author, Destiny, shares a personal perspective on the difficulty of incorporating cheat days into a clean eating regimen. They acknowledge the struggle of maintaining a 60/40 balance between healthy and unhealthy foods, likening the challenge to an alcoholic trying to limit their intake. The article suggests that while cheat days can be managed with sheer willpower, they are not suitable for everyone, especially those with weight loss goals or tendencies to overeat. The author advocates for a disciplined approach to diet, highlighting the benefits of abstaining from processed foods and sugar to overcome addictions and form healthy eating habits. The article also promotes cooking nutritious meals as a strategy for making healthy eating more enjoyable and sustainable.

Opinions

Eating clean 100% of the time can be easier than balancing healthy and unhealthy foods due to the absence of cravings.
The concept of "treat days" or cheat days should be approached with caution, as they can lead to a reversal of healthy habits if not managed properly.
Processed foods and sugar are recognized as addictive substances that are best avoided entirely to maintain a healthy diet.
Cooking meals at home can significantly aid in eating clean, provided the meals are diverse and flavorful, not dull or monotonous.
The author believes that most people can lose weight effectively by cutting out processed foods, fast foods, sugars, bread, and sugary drinks, assuming their metabolism is not severely impaired.
The article suggests that obesity is not a natural state for the human body, implying that it is a consequence of poor dietary habits, particularly prevalent in America.

Embrace masochism or go the easy route

I like to eat “dirty.” I enjoy sugary, fast, and fried foods. I remedy the intake of these foods by aiming to eat 60% or more clean, and the rest is up for grabs.

Sometimes, I might eat one unhealthy thing a day. Other times, I’ll allow myself to eat whatever I want 2 or 3 days a week. Then there will be times when I balance unhealthy and healthy foods every day. I go through phases, but I always try to balance it to ensure I’m not hurting myself with a poor diet.

Here’s the thing, though, when I’m eating 100% clean, it’s surprisingly easy to stay away from unhealthy foods because I’m killing all cravings by staying away from them.

However, integrating both unhealthy and healthy foods takes massive discipline not to reverse that 60/40 to 10/90. I find it even more challenging to eat Friday & Saturday flexibly and then 100% clean Sunday —Wednesday or Thursday. It’s almost like giving an alcoholic half of a drink and not giving them anymore. They’re like, WTF!?

The only way I successfully execute eating 2 or 3 days dirty and then going back to a straight-clean diet is through sheer willpower. The first day or two are the most difficult, but the next few days tend to be a breeze.

I say all this to warn people who struggle with weight gain and overeating. Cheating on your diet is not for the faint of heart when you have weight loss and healthy habit goals. Ever seen the rock experience one of his massive cheat meals? Also, notice that he gets straight back to his regular diet once he is done. That’s some major masochism, self-restraint, and self-discipline right there.

Only implement cheat days, or what I like to call “treat days,” if you can get right back on track at least >70% of the time, or else you’ll do more harm than good to your body. Once you start eating clean, you kill cravings, addictions, and poor eating habits. It just takes a week or so for your body to fully adapt.

Processed foods and sugar are addicting. The primary way to kill these is to refrain entirely. If you implement them — and they’re already a weakness for you — you’re essentially playing with fire.

I often play with fire in my diet, but I’m willing to go through the pain to ensure I eat mostly wholesomely.

Cooking my meals has been an enormous help with eating clean. But not dull meals; I’m talking about colorful, nutrient-dense, and delectable meals. If you don’t like to cook, find someone who does or learn. You can do some easy tricks to spruce up your meals, though.

For example, instead of just warming up raw broccoli in the microwave, throw some olive oil, salt, and pepper on those trees and experience the mouth magic. Simple tweaks can make all the difference when it comes to consuming healthy foods. Your meals don’t have to be boring or take a lot of work. If you make it easy to eat healthily, you’ll eat healthily more often.

The biggest reason people struggle with their weight is often due to their diet. If they cut out most of the sh*t (e.g., processed foods, fast foods, sugars, bread, and sugary drinks), and their metabolism isn’t too jacked up, they can drop weight like crazy. I know this because I tend to lose weight quickly when I eat clean, and I’ve seen it happen to many others. Our bodies weren’t made to be obese; yet, it’s a rampant problem — especially in America.

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