On cheat meals

Ever since I first read James Hilton's novel Lost Horizon back in grade 9, I've loved the concept of moderation in all things.

Personally, I'm not great at it. It's a little bit too easy for me to either be too lax or too controlled, and for that reason alone, I fully believe that having a weekly cheat meal is actually important. It's all about balance: I don't fast all the time, but I also don't indulge in things which I know to be unhealthy for the particular goals I've set for myself all the time, either.

I've heard numerous people say things along the lines of "the best diet is the one you can keep to", and there's some truth to that. I think that deciding to rule out ice cream or fries or pizza (or whatever your go-to indulgence might be) is a guaranteed way to fail and fall off the wagon hard. It's about learning to control yourself, so that our spontaneous whims and urges don't make our decisions for us, so that we actively decide when and where and how to give ourselves some leeway. 

That said, the leeway should be done with some care, too. If you track your nutrients (calories + macros (fats, proteins, carbs) + micros (vitamins & minerals)), some people say that you should log absolutely everything you eat. I'm a bit less particular about it, though I generally do log everything. As long as there's balance. I recently went to New York for a few days and actively decided in advance that I would relax all of my "rules", and follow it upon my return with a longer fast than usual - not as a punishment, just as a way of balancing things out. It was a bit difficult to not feel guilty over eating more or less whatever I wanted, but I told myself firmly to make the most of being in New York, specifically with its MUCH wider range of culinary options that what Québec City has to offer, and that all would sort itself out in the end. And it did. I followed the trip with my first 60-hour fast and everything balanced out. It's about finding the balance between fasting and feasting, between discipline and letting go. 

So have a cheat meal. Not a cheat day, and obviously don't make it three meals' worth of cheating in one meal, but find your balance between rigid self-control and being unable to follow any sort of limits. Just my two cents on the subject, though!