I am generally opposed to “cheat days” when trying to lose weight. I think allowing myself a day to stray from my dietary regimen creates a slippery slope. One cheat day per week becomes two cheat days per week becomes three, etc. Also, within the cheat day, if I allow myself chips and queso followed by tacos (to use yesterday’s example), then I’m more likely to allow myself other missteps later in the day (like chocolate-covered almonds and ice cream). However, I’m also opposed to avoiding getting together with a friend for lunch just to avoid indulging in a meal outside of my self-imposed restrictions. So, there will be the occasional cheat day. I’m not going to plan them, though, and I’m not going to have them by myself. They’ll occur only when I have a social engagement, and thus they’ll be fairly irregular.

I did have chips and queso followed by tacos yesterday, and all of it was amazing. I’ve been eating mostly salads with grilled chicken for a while now, and giving my tastebuds something different (and something I’d been craving) made for a highly enjoyable experience. I mean to limit myself to just that one meal for the entire day, but I took the day off from work to catch up on some other stuff, and that created an idleness late in the day during which my mind was stuck on filling my stomach a bit more. I had an apple, and then after a couple of hours I had another one hoping the fiber would fill me up sufficiently, but I still found myself craving something more in the evening.

I wanted to see if I’d actually lose weight after the lone cheat meal, and I very likely would have had I stuck to just that meal for the day, but I found myself at the grocery store somewhat late in the evening getting some things I needed for Cheeseburger Weekend. I could have gotten those things today, of course, but going yesterday provided me with an opportunity to extend my cheat day.

I meant to pick up only the chocolate-covered almonds in addition to the cheeseburger makings; I really did. But when I passed the single-serve ice cream cups, I found myself on that slippery slope, and I scooped up a few of them. The end result was a high-sugar, high-carbohydrate, high-calorie end to my cheat day. I was surprised this morning to discover that I’d only gained a fraction of a pound.

I don’t feel too bad about the evening’s additions to my cheat day. While I lament not knowing how much I might have lost had I stuck to just the meal with my friend, I recognize that there will be occasional indulgences of something sweet. And last night satisfied that particular craving; I don’t plan on doing anything similar until another cheat day made necessary by a social engagement provides that opportunity. I learned that I can get away with it once in a while, but obviously making it a regular thing would derail me on my way to my goal, and I just can’t do that.