There are lots of reasons beside stupid jean sizes to shrink your waistline. And there are even more methods to accomplish it. Noom. Weight Watchers. Calorie-counting apps.
Maybe your COVID-19 anxiety weight has got you feeling too sluggish, or maybe you’re trying to wean off medicine—or avoid it altogether. Maybe you’re trying to send a number in a medical test in the other direction.
Or that printout of the Mediterranean diet we put in all our exam rooms! We really love when people take those. 🙂
Anyway, it can be a slog, as we all know, and sometimes things happen. Sometimes STATE FAIRS happen.
Let’s say you were cruising along with your new clean-living lifestyle and then went to the Indiana State Fair (which just ended) and happened to eat a truly enormous plate of spiral potatoes and deep-fried mac and cheese. Or, and this is purely hypothetical, a cheeseburger wedged between two glazed donuts. Is that it? Did you ruin all your hard work? Is failure inevitable?
Well, and this is good and also surprising news, no!
A bit of a binge may cause a blip on the scale the next day, but it’s likely water retention from the less-than-ideal sodium levels in that treat you enjoyed. It should even out again as you immediately resume your good habits.
Emphasis on the word “immediately.”
“Cheat days” are used by many folks as motivators in the otherwise hard work of weight loss—science says they may even help. The problem is they can have a tendency to turn into cheat weeks, months and years. So, to cheat successfully, you need planning to start and will power to end.
What famous person said it’s not a solitary act that defines a person but their daily habits? Not us, but we agree.
Weight isn’t a moral issue. Food isn’t good or bad. No one should feel guilty after a little indulging.
Just enjoy it. Regret nothing! And then keep on moving.