Post cheat day coping? page

[the_puma]

So I was wondering... for those of you who do have cheat days (planned or unplanned), how do you cope after a cheat day? Is there anything that helps you get through the next couple of days? Snacks? Specific foods?

I'm only two weeks in but I find having a cheat day keeps me sane. That being said, the next couple of days are usually a bit rough because obviously your body goes "well those carbs were delicious, why can't I have them again today?!"

Right now, my typical breakfast (because I have no time in the morning) is a protein shake consisting of a banana/blueberries, coconut milk or lactose free milk, whey powder (New Zealand whey) and some almond butter. Seems filling... but it's not for long. I will usually have a couple of pieces of dark chocolate (80 cocoa or higher) to tide me over to lunch and a piece of cheese and nuts/seeds.

Can you recommend anything to add or substitute that might help?

Thanks, guys!

[cavequeen]

I add spinach to mine and it seems to fill me up.

As for cheat days, I just get back on the wagon eat on plan and drink lots of water and I seem to get through it. Drinking a cup of bone broth seems to also be very filling as well in the morning.

[JoanieL]

My equivalent of a cheat day is any day I go substantially over 75 gms of carbs. The next day I usually mostly eat meat and eggs to try and balance it out. It curbs my hunger as well averaging out the number of carbs over time.

[teach2183]

Shakes aren't going to be filling for very long because there's not as much digestive work for your body to do. Make some hardboiled eggs and bacon in advance, or some other egg-based recipe that you just have to reheat. You could try egg muffins and even use sausage in them - make ahead. Eating real food rather than a shake will likely help you stay full longer. That shake doesn't sound very low in carbs of itself (bananas are high, as is almond butter) and is fairly low in fat at a glance. More fat earlier in the day will likely help.

[healthy11]

I'd go lower carb... eggs and bacon for breakfast. Meat, veggies, fat for lunch and dinner... get back to the basics with plenty of fat to keep sugar cravings at bay. I'd ditch the smoothie myself after a cheat day.

[lastditcheffort]

I can't do a "cheat day"... I can do a cheat meal and I usually do that in the middle of day followed by a primal meal after. That seems to work out best for me. Otherwise, if I do a whole day, the next few days are rough!

[palebluedots]

Yeah, an entire cheat day sounds like it would be hard to recover from for sure. I agree about ditching the smoothies and almond butter... that's probably going to set you up to have more sugar cravings, and probably make you hungry a lot sooner than some eggs would.

[sbhikes]

The best thing is not to have a cheat day. Have a cheat item or a cheat meal at the most. Eating crap junk food is not a pleasure or a reward at all. Make your cheat something that has good healthy ingredients.

[SophieScreams]

Fat for breakfast is the way to go.
Fruit for breakfast will leave you hungry in a couple of hours, the mid morning chocolate is making it worse. Bacon, eggs, and half an avocado will stuff you for hours. Save the fruit for the afternoon.

And I agree that cheat days are absolutely out of the question, they can spiral out of control and turn into days of shitty eating. I'm in the middle of a Whole30, and felt like cheating yesterday. I stuffed my self with fat, mostly pork sausages and nuts, and couldn't even entertain the idea of a cheat after that. Not even sure I can eat today, it may be a fasting day.

[Credodisi]

I too go lower carb after a cheat to get back on track.

I just finished a book called "Making Shi(f)t Happen" that is written by a person who has adopted paleo lifestyle, but it's really about how to approach making changes in your life so they "stick". Great book. He recommends putting together your own very specific plan of exactly what you will do to get back on track after you have fallen off the wagon. If it's diet, what your next meals will be. I'm working out my own plan now. I think it's a great approach to take.