ChEAT days

There is a huge difference between cheat

 days and splurge days. Allow me to clarify.

To cheat on your diet is a simple thing. It's taking a spoon (or two) of ice cream when you're getting a bowl ready for your son. It's to get the side french fries instead of the "reasonable" salad (I say "reasonable" because who the heck fills up on salad?!) with your dinner. It's to take an extra piece of garlic bread with your one cup of spaghetti and your measured-to-the-millimetre tomato sauce. 


To have a day splurge .. well .. You forget what the word "diet" means. You've never heard the word before and it's certainly never applied to any day in your life. To splurge is to lock up all your son's Oreo cookies because he won't have any left after you've had your way with them. 


When some people start to diet, they do it cold turkey. They're all about the fruits and veggies and cutting out the carbs. For me, I follow a really good program that allows me to track what I eat and make sure I don't take in more food than I'll burn off in one day. It keeps me and my bad eating habits in check without having to cut out any food groups.


My splurge days used to be epic. I'd plan them out weeks in advance. Let me demonstrate.


Breakfast: this was the warm-up meal that would stretch out my insides to accommodate all the deliciousness that I would be throwing it's way throughout the day. Usually I would choose McDonald's for my splurge day breakfast. It's cheesy, it's greasy, it's artery-clogging .. It's everything a splurge day represents. Super-size my meal so I have a second hash brown and I'm a happy round girl. And of course, an apple pie for dessert, because what's breakfast without dessert? (you know you've ALL done it at least once in your lifetime!!)


Lunch: this meal would consist of something I'd be craving at some point on one of my good-dieter days. Let's go with Delissio pizza for this example. Would I get one to share with someone? Heck no! That sucker would be ALL mine. And it would be chased down by something cold and creamy, along the lines of pralines n' cream ice cream. And my beverage of choice would be diet coke (because I wouldn't want to get fat)


Stop judging me.


Dinner: cheese tortellini in a home made chicken and sausage rose sauce with lots of mushrooms, baked in more cheese and served with garlic cheese bread (notice how I didn't even have to think about that one?) and I wouldn't be measuring out my pasta and sauce and counting my calories. I'd be wearing my stretchy pants and sweatbands on my wrists and head. There would be sauce hitting walls, crumbs poking eyes out, cheese stretching your arms so far out you'd be pulling muscles. It would be a gory, ugly feast but so. damn. good.


I can hear you all gasping in disgust at the details of my ten-thousand calorie splurge day. Believe me, I look back on my splurge days with fondess ... and shame.


I'm hoping those days are behind me. It's a bad splurge day that would always push me off the wagon, and my weight-loss would turn into weight found. 


My goal now is to enjoy treats without having to go overboard. And so far, so good! I'll let you know how it goes .. Because even if I have a good day or a bad day, my blog will be written honestly! 


I had a bit of a rough week. I let my tiredness get in the way of decent eating. Instead of taking the time to prepare a healthy, balanced meal, I'd eat whatever I could get my hands on, as long as it was easy to make and clean up after. And that lack of effort showed on the scale this week. Instead of feeling disappointed, I feel motivated to kick butt again. So butt, meet my foot ..