Are your weekends DESTROYING your progress?

When I think about FRIDAYS, historically, they used to be the day of the week that meant my ONE "CHEAT MEAL"... Something that is no longer part of my week, nor in my vocabulary. But every now and again the question gets brought up when consulting with a prospective or new member, "Do I get a CHEAT MEAL or CHEAT DAY." 

Listen, I get it, when I first began my fitness journey in 2009, I was all about that cheat meal life. I restricted myself SOOOO much throughout the week on my "meal plan" that come Friday I was DYING for my CHEAT MEAL!!! I can tell you exactly what I would get:

-Choriqueso with ALL the chips and salsa

-Margaritas (way too many of them)

-This chicken and peppers dish smothered in more queso with rice, beans, and more chips

-Brownie Earthquake from DQ (no longer exists)

Then 9/10 times I would throw it up because I WAY over ate and also felt INSANELY GUILTY for throwing away my entire weeks of progress in one meal (or so I thought). 

This behavior embarrassedly lasted a few years until I discovered macro counting and began working/getting educated by my first macro coach.

The cheat meal verbiage and mentality drives me bananas now that I am on the other side of it and well versed in macros.

First let's look at the food psychology piece of it.

Cheating is never a good thing. Cheating on a significant other, cheating on a test, cheating in sports. Never does cheating have a good outcome.. so why do we we give delicious food a title that makes us feel shitty afterwards??

If you are a parent, would you call a tasty meal or treat a cheat meal for your child? Probably not, so why demonize food when speaking about it for yourself?

You would never walk up to your kiddo enjoying an ice cream and say, “Ohhhh enjoying your cheat meal, eh???” They would be like...🤔🤔🤔🤔

Did you know that you don’t have to give meals titles that make you feel guilty? 

In order to undo disordered eating habits and mindsets we must change our language. 

Weekend Challenge: 

NO CHEAT MEAL

Because there is no such thing. Food is food. Some food is more nutritious than others, some food is more delicious than others, but we can definitely get away from using language that feeds into the disordered eating trap. 

Find a balance with nutritious and delicious. Eat mindfully and intentionally. Track your macros and MAKE IT FIT! 

No I am not saying to fill your macros with 100% less nutritious foods, but you CAN easily fit in some of your favorite foods or treats without going over your calorie goal and macronutrients for the day.

So as we approach this weekend, keep the following in mind: 

Note: There are coaches and programs out there that say ZERO alcohol, ZERO eating out, SACRIFICE all the things to see maximum results in the shortest time frame. There are also coaches who prescribe CHEAT MEALS and CHEAT DAYS. I take issue with both of these methods. 

1. Teaching you to only restrict doesn't give you the tools to navigate these inevitable life happenings. Parties, meals out, the occasional drink, family pizza night, holiday feasts. These are all things that MOST people will encounter or would like to partake in throughout their life. I would be doing you a disservice to turn a blind eye to them and go, "Nope you have to say no to EVERYTHING. Discipline or die!"

2. The term "CHEAT" anything makes my skin crawl. I cannot stand the phrases, especially pertaining to lifestyle. Why would you want to create a lifestyle that you need to CHEAT on? If you feel the need to CHEAT on anything, a human, a test, a lifestyle.. it probably isn't a good fit for you. Let's get you on a path and following a nutrition plan that doesn't make you want to cheat! 

Okay, now that we cleared those two bugaboos up, let's proceed. 

5 Tips to STILL SEE RESULTS with some "fun" on the weekends 🍾🎉 

1- 🥩Come within 30 grams of your protein goal before your meal out. Example: Your protein goal is 150g/day, hit 120g prior to the meal out. Often times, when a client recaps their weekend, they mention knowing they have a meal out so they choose not to log the entire day. I disagree with this method, always log on the days up to that meal so you can ensure you hit your protein goal by days end. This will also keep you mindful and intentional with your consumption leading up to the meal out.  

2-💧 Hit your hydration goal. For some of you, a night out includes some alcohol, higher sodium foods, or just being distracted and not focusing on hitting water goals. Aim to hit 1/2BW in ounces + 16oz on workout days prior to going out. I also recommend taking your bottle with you in the car so you can drink water to and from your event!

3- 🍸Leave some extra wiggle room in your macro bank for carbs and fats. If you’re eating out, those foods will naturally be higher in fats, if you’re having drinks, those will take from your carbs. Leave about 40% of your carbs and fats for the meal out. This will prevent you from going too far over! 

4- 💪🏽Get your fitness in! Keep as much of your routine in tact as you can when you have extracurriculars planned. I always find date nights or dinners out more rewarding when I know I hit all of my other targets for the day. 

5- 🎉 Isolate the event. A common happening I see is the ONE dinner or meal out turns into a cascade of weekend debauchery. Having one off plan meal does not need to cause a ripple effect and derail your entire weekend. Leave the leftovers, head home, and get right back to your routine you know and love right away. 

Having a balance between a social life and a healthy lifestyle can be done but you have to stay mindful, intentional, and have a plan. There needs to be an understanding of how weekend habits play a roll in over all success and a commitment to return right back to plan after the event.

I will never be the coach that tells you, you can’t go on a date night. 

I will never be the coach that tells you, you can’t ever have a cocktail. 

I will never be the coach that tells you to shut your social life off completely so you can make faster progress(unless you want to).

I will tell you your results may be a bit slower, but sustainable. 

I believe in a sustainable balance, even if it is harder to learn at first. 

And I will TEACH you HOW to navigate all the above

Give this podcast episode a listen🎙⬇️

 https://open.spotify.com/episode/4q5yzsZPz3kMCtPeUeqPry?si=O2G7YcILQISWJLH95M03aQ