How to Handle an "off" Meal...
Written by Shoshana Pritzker Monday, 17 May 2010 15:58
April 09, 2009
I've been eating 6 meals per day for so long now it's become second nature. I would imagine that even if I weren't having my usual healthy fare that I'd still make sure I got all of my meals in for the day. Reason being, besides the fact that this comes as easily as breathing for me, is that providing fuel for your body every few hours will keep the furnace boiling hot (i.e. your metabolism). If for some reason on any given day you end up having a cheat meal this is not reason to forget about this fact.
Here's where a lot of people go wrong. They think that if they have had a large cheat meal say at lunch time that either a) they shouldn't eat for the rest of the day, or b) they think that because they've had one bad meal they might as well indulge for the rest of the night. Both of these options are the bad ones. You're not making up for any excess calories by starving your body or overloading it with calories. All you're doing is reversing all of your hard work that you've put in for the last few months, or however long you've been on your journey.
The answer is really so simple. You would think that more people would know better, but I can see where they're coming from with the above mentality.
Don't let a cheat meal turn in to a cheat day...
If you are planning a cheat or end up having one unplanned, the rules remain the same. Have something you enjoy and make it worth it but don't go overboard to where you feel sick. Enjoy that one meal and for the rest of the day go back to your regular healthy eating plan. For some people it may be easier to make their final meal their cheat because then the night is over and they can go to bed without the risk of having another cheat meal. Other people prefer to get their cheats in for breakfast that way they use the energy they've consumed throughout the day.
No matter what time you end up having one of these indulgent meals just remember how important it is for you to get right back on the wagon and continue with your regularly scheduled program.