Are cheat meals allowed while getting Fit?

I get asked this a lot, "do you allow yourself to have cheat meals while you are sticking to your goals?" (Whether I'm maintaining OR losing?) My answer is...YES!  I still let myself indulge every so often, for long term success. (The only time I cut back on it is if I'm wanting to lose a lot in a shorter time period.) 

Mostly I believe that everything should be in moderation or else you will end up depriving yourself,  which leads to yo yo dieting. And we don't want that!  So, are there rules for cheat meals?  Oh yeah.  Do I follow them to a T? I wish I could say yes, all the time, but I'm human, and I slip up.

For example, the other night I went to my friends wedding and went a little overboard. Ok, a lot overboard haha. I filled my plate with all the food they had to offer in the buffet line. And made sure to eat all of it not paying attention to the oversized portions.  I even felt stuffed at one point but I kept eating like I hadn't ate for days.  Then!  If that wasn't enough I went for cake!  Needless to say shortly after I felt miserable.  Gasy, bloated, you name it. My stomach felt like it had bricks in it. It ruined my mood, my blood sugar crashed -I felt awful. Made me realize something though.  THIS is why I don't eat this way all the time.  I physically get sick and hurt all over.  

 So what are the rules for cheat meals? They're simple. Follow these and you won't have to go through what I did.

(If you can't see the picture, it says: 1. No guilt, 2. Plan your indulgence meals, 3. Don't forget everything you know about portion control, Like I did. ) 4. Limit your indulgence meals, and 5. Move on-just because you let yourself go, don't allow it to continue. Enjoy and move on.

If you cheated on your lifestyle eating plan, and you're feeling guilty-first,  don't beat yourself up. And 2nd, you're human,  it happens. The most important thing is to get back up. Remember, it's not what happens to you, but how you REACT to what happens to you. Just a reminder!

Until next time,
Melissa

To follow me and my daily life,  follow/add me on facebook! Don't forget to send me a message! ;)