CHEATING!! What does that mean exactly and when and why would you do this? Can cheating actually help you lose weight?
First of all, "CHEATING", i.e. returning to the S.A.D. (Standard American Diet), is ALWAYS allowed! One of the biggest concepts in creating your own healthy diet is this: It's YOUR diet! YOU CAN and SHOULD PLAN to have CHEAT DAYS if you're going to be able to stick with this long term. Most days, you work hard to stay on track. When you choose to go off track, do so with GUSTO, have fun, and don't feel guilty! Just get your butt back on track ASAP!
If you've gone off the rails for longer than a day or two , getting back on track can be tough. Sometimes you need to DRAG yourself back kicking and screaming. Our Jumpstart Sugar Detox is designed to get you back on track quickly and easily. Stick with extreme low carb for a few days and feel the control return! Still, it can be tough to do this alone. Getting back on track with a partner for support is so much easier! This is why I encourage you to bring me your friends and family members. If you feel really alone in this process. JUMP on the S.W.A.T. Team for support!
Most times though, you've just had a little slice of birthday cake or a few French fries and getting back in line is no big deal. Keep in mind, the more little slips you have, the less EASY your diet will FEEL day-to-day. Allowing carbs to slip into meals trains your brain to want these TREATS repeatedly and soon enough no meal seems complete without a little something sweet. Remember, the magic of JUMPSTART is that it TAKES AWAY HUNGER by asking you to consistently keep carbs VERY LOW.
It's really only DURING JUMPSTART specifically that CHEATING is discouraged. To experience the positive changes in overall energy, mood, pain control, appetite control, etc associated with JUMPSTART it is necessary to stick closely with the plan. After those first 2 weeks and certainly after the first few months, ideally you start to TEST some "cheating". You may find you can cheat fairly often and still stay on track. This is a good sign of a HEALTHY METABOLISM.
So cheating is encouraged after a few months? YES! I actually want you to include more carbs at times. Of course, natural, complex carbs from fruits and vegetables are the CHEAT of choice, but you don't have to avoid processed sweets forever.
My PLATEAU BUSTER program provides education regarding what to expect from your diet as you progress. Your needs AND your desires will change with time. The more metabolically flexible you are and/or the closer to ideal health you get, the more your metabolism will tolerate cheating.
My young athletes can actually CYCLE their diet and have a high carb day EVERY WEEKEND, sometimes MORE if they are in-season. Most people can include more CHEAT days by simply gaining experience with FASTING. Join my FASTING education groups in the Fall and Spring to learn.
Every once in a while it can actually be beneficial to go COMPLETELY OFF TRACK. Particularly if you begin to feel exhausted day-to-day rather than ENERGIZED by your low carb diet.
It may be time to fill your reserves and give your brain some necessary REASSURANCE that everything is AOK! MENTAL BREAKS from low-carb are HEALTHY too!
Taking a BIG BREAK every once is a while, can actually move you past a fat burning plateau. This type of day can be planned or random. Go for it!
I'm talking anything goes- have your favorite fast food, drink your beer, order dessert... what ever makes you happy! Then ASAP back on track with more motivation than ever!
Just BE AWARE of what comes NEXT! Watch out for CARB CREEP... it that becomes a problem-- call on SWAT TEAM to get you BACK ON TRACK!!
Most importantly! FLEXIBILITY is a MUST for any diet to be a successful one long-term!
You got this!
❤️Dr. E
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