Why SOME people should not cheat on their diet over Thanksgiving. I have seen a number of nutrition coaches and experts out there recommending to take the day off from your diet for Thanksgiving. I’m not sure how many of them were once fat, but I was. I’m not saying they are wrong either. I just have a different opinion.
I have lost over 120 lbs. Even more important than that is, unlike some 95% of the people who have lost weight, I have kept mine off. I certainly don’t call myself an expert, but I certainly have a lot of practical experience.
Here is my take on cheating on Thanksgiving. Most people on a diet are much fatter than they’d like to be. It’s bad habits that land us in that place. Believe me, I know. Bad habits are hard to break, but really easy to fall back into.
Eating just a little bad food is kind of like being a little pregnant. There’s no such thing. Once you start, the floodgates of gravy and whipped cream will start flowing, although probably not at the same time, I hope.
It wouldn’t be too bad if it just ended there. The truth for most people is, that day can quickly turn into “Well, I’ll just have some leftovers on Friday.” Next will be “I’ll just take the rest of the weekend off and get back to it on Monday.” Yeah, that long weekend of debauchery can set you back weeks. Is it worth it?
Wait, it often gets even worse. Then there’s the attitude “With Christmas coming I should just start fresh in the new year.” Don’t tell me you haven’t done that yourself or at the very least, know others who have. It’s a thing.
The alternative, take the road I have taken, count your calories. If you plan on going over, save up calories from a few days before. Go out and burn a bunch off. If you didn’t have the time to bank some calories before, take them off the back end the next couple of days. Whatever you do, account for your calories.
As with many of you, I got fat over gluttony. I know it sounds harsh, but it’s true. I don’t care what hormonal or mental break excuse you want to use, gluttony for a day isn’t going to be helpful. At least that’s my take on it.
