Are Cheat Meals Okay?

I get asked this question quite often. “can I still eat this” or “can I still eat that”.  This is something that a lot of people struggle with including myself when I first started P90X. As some of you know I didnt go “all out” my first 140 days of P90X. I would still eat pizza with that fam and have a desert item 2-3 times per week. I figured that since I was working out, that I deserved it. Well I also wasnt getting the results that I wanted…

So are cheat meals okay?

That depends on what your goals are. In any case, I would highly recommend that during your first round of any fitness program like P90X or Insanity, that you completely avoid cheat meals in order to first develop a habit of healthy eating. Once healthy eating becomes a lifestyle rather than something done for a short period of time, then its up to you whether or not you feel you can have an occasional cheat meal without detracting your healthy eating habits or deterring your fitness progress.  Even if you decide that a cheat meal is deserved, only allow yourself a SINGLE cheat meal every 7-10 days. The reason for a 7-10 day period between cheat meals is to ensure that you dont fall into old habits. There is a bible verse that says “He who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall”. Basically, anyone is capable of falling off the wagon no matter how impossible you think that might be, or how strong you think you are.

What counts as a cheat meal?

For me, the definition of a cheat meal is something that I know would not fit into the P90X nutrition plan. It is something that you KNOW is not good for you. It could be something you would have normally eaten before you started working out and gettin all concerned with that health thing…For me, my cheat meal would probably have to be plain old high calorie, gut bustin, nasty delicious, greasy food; burgers, fries, pizza, pie, cake…should I keep going, lol?

How to cheat smart!

For me personally, from my commitment to clean eating for so long, I have learned to look forward to healthier choices for “cheat meals”. I use that term loosely in this context since my cheat meals would be considered a healthy choice to the average person. I now consider things like fruit, fat free sugar free jello, and of course my Shakeology as my cheat meals.  One of the greatest things about Shakeology is that it totally feels like I am having some amazing desert when in fact, its the healthiest meal of my day! You can train your tastes to enjoy tons of healthy foods as your treats. On the other hand if you do want a REAL cheat meal, make sure you control your portion sizes. This is where most people fail. You decide “you know what, I deserve this”, and you end up over doing it and stuffing yourself to the rafters with a giant meat lovers pizza rather than having just a few pieces. This is also a great way to make sure you stay in control! You can choose to have your cheat meal, but you can also CHOOSE how much.

So to some it all up, the cheat meal is up to you. This answer might surprise some of coming from me. I personally dont allow myself any cheat meals by any definition and that is because I know that if I did try and eat JUST two pieces of pizza…I would be back for a third and a fourth. Like I was saying earlier, my “cheat meals” are healthier choices. Thats just me though! You could be totally different. You have to decide that for yourself and make sure that cheat meal doesnt MESS WITH YOUR SUCCESS!

So do you have cheat meals or are you totally against it? What is a cheat meal to you?

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