No More Cheat Days!

At least for the next six weeks.

Yes, it's true - I'm giving up my monthly cheat days. They're just no good for me! I'll still have cheat days for special occasions, but I don't need one each month. I go into them saying that I'll only eat a few extra things, but I won't go totally crazy, but of course once the day comes it turns into an excuse to eat every freaking piece of junk food in sight, and I end up gaining 2 1/2 pounds in one weekend.

Uh, that last part may have happened this weekend. Which is why I've made this decision.

So, for the next six weeks at least (I might take a cheat day for Halloween), I am going to stick to around 1450 calories per day, and we'll see where I am when those six weeks are over.

As for current progress, thanks to the August 31st cheat day, that time of the month, and this last cheat weekend (because yes, my cheat "day" turned into a cheat weekend, because I have no self control), I'm still about 2 1/2 pounds heavier than I was on August 31st. Sigh. Basically, I just wasted two weeks.

No more cheat days, except on special occasions! Here are my cheat days that I'm allowed for the rest of the time I'm dieting:

*October 31st (or November 1st if it works better for J's work schedule), for Halloween

*November 26th for Thanksgiving

*December 25th for Christmas

*A second day for Christmas, to be determined, for when J and I have our own Christmas dinner, with our ham and sides and maybe a Christmas dessert

*February 14th, for Valentine's Day

That should take me to my goal weight, I hope, and I don't think there are any days that count as cheat days in March or April anyway.

So. Six and a half weeks until my next cheat day. I'm looking forward to making some real progress in that time. :)

The Peril of "Cheat Days"

I think I need to drastically rethink the idea of "cheat days." A cheat day, of course, is the one day per month that I'm allowing myself to eat whatever I want, without recording my calories in sparkpeople. There's only one problem with this concept - I seem incapable of stepping away from the bad food.

Seriously. In one day, I do NOT need to eat some of each of the following: Goldfish, Hint of Lime Tostitos, a giant Hershey's bar, a sampler of Whitman's chocolates (four pieces), brown sugar and cinnamon Pop-Tarts, a couple small handfuls of Pringles, homemade macaroni and cheese and mozzarella sticks. That's what I did yesterday, though.

What the heck? A "cheat day" is all well and good, but there needs to be a limit! Seriously, have a little bit extra of a few things, not that many.

So here is my vow for my next cheat day, which is September 13th, I believe. I will have ONE OR TWO extra snacks, plus not worry about whatever I eat for meals. AND THAT IS ALL. I will NOT use the term "cheat day" as an excuse to eat everything under the sun.

And if I go back on that promise to myself, then cheat days will just go away altogether.

And I think the Flavor Blasted Xtra Cheddar Goldfish have already had their death warrant signed. Once I open those things, I just can't stop eating them, and no one needs to eat a whole bag of those things in one sitting. They just don't. I don't. Good-bye, Flavor Blasted Goldfish. I loved you, but you're just no good for me.