Opinion
Most articles on this blog are summaries of research articles. Opinion pieces represent my opinion based on my experience on my own journey and from working with others.
“Cheat” day? Choice of words matters:
- Should a student include an occasional cheat day when taking exams?
- Is an occasional cheat day okay when you’re in a committed relationship?
- What would happen if someone were known to occasionally cheat when playing a game with friends?
- April 15th might be the perfect cheat day for a taxpayer.
See the problem? We think of cheating as morally wrong in any other situation. So calling a departure from your normal eating pattern a “cheat” day goes back to that “Some food is bad” mindset. You want to stay away from that place!
Instead of a cheat day or meal, have a
Flex meal or day!
See the difference? Being flexible is a positive thing and fits well with an attitude of “nourishing and cherishing” your body. You do not need to be rigid when building and maintaining the habits that will lead to a lifestyle change. In fact, building some flexibility into your habits makes them easier to sustain in the long run.
Strategy: Plan ahead for flexibility:
Planning ahead for flexible meals or holidays is especially important at the beginning of your weight loss journey. Once you are further along the journey, you will have acquired some go-to strategies and habits that you can automatically use.
If you are planning for some flexibility for a restaurant meal:
Try looking up the menu online. Many restaurants offer nutrition information about their food. Take advantage of that and choose what you will order before you get there. That way, it will be a true choice, not a last-minute impulse. It is also very easy to be influenced by what other people are ordering. When you’ve chosen ahead of time, you’re making your own choice, not being influenced by others’ choices!
Whether it’s a party, a single-meal, or a longer period such as a vacation or family holiday, consider these things:
Think about the people who will be there. Will there be a person there who often urges people to eat more? If the group typically eats and drinks more than you are planning to, you can expect pressure to fit in because other group members may see your new choices as a bit threatening to group norms. You’ll need to plan a short response for any pressure you receive to eat or drink something you actually don’t want to.
What foods are likely to be there? Which ones are part of your new eating pattern of nourishing your body? Which ones are not on your typical plan because they nourish primarily through calories? Which of those do you want to eat and how much?
Will alcohol be served? Alcohol both provides calories and can make it harder for you to stick with food choices. Decide ahead of time whether you will drink alcohol and how much.
Will the foods be produced in the setting of a meal or will they be available over an extended period of time? Will foods be visible to you the whole time? Foods placed where they are in view and available over a long period of time will require a different strategy than foods that will be served at a meal, then cleaned up and put away.
- If foods are in view and available over an extended period of time, you’ll need some strategies:
- If possible, sit or stand someplace where you can’t see the food.
- It might be helpful to sip a hot drink such as coffee or tea to have something in your hand, something for you to taste, and something to warm and fill your stomach.
- Create some goals that are people-focused
- Set a goal to meet someone new and find something you have in common
- Ask each person you talk with at least three questions about their life
- Compliment your host and 2 other people
- Make it a point to speak with someone who looks isolated
If you are planning for a longer period of flexibility such as a whole holiday season or a vacation, you will want to decide what your goals are:
- Do you want to keep losing weight during this period?
- Do you want to maintain weight?
- Do you want to allow for a pound or two of weight gain that you will need to re-lose after the holiday? What is your limit?
Once you know your overall goal, you can use the same questions as you would for a single event to plan.
