The biggest conflict I have as a healthy eater are my "cheat days". On one hand, I can understand the need for a cheat day so viscerally, it's physical and emotional. It's more than a craving, it's a voice in the back of your head crying out for just one of those foods you used to love. Whining, cajoling, pleading in a little voice that you almost recognize.
On the other hand, those cheat days are the last thing you want to do, even if they're planned. They're a worry that if you cheat once, you'll never go back. You'll have one cheat day that will lead to a cheat week to a cheat month to an I'll eat better tomorrow.
And cheat days aren't even as good as you imagine. Not worth the worry. Pizza tastes like cardboard instead of magic. Sugar turns the roof of your mouth into a raw, sore, angry place.
I don't always like cheat days. But I have them. They're usually associated with awesome memories, too. Birthdays filled with tiramisu and best-friend date nights to see epic movies and first dates.
And I love these memories. Memories where I could care less about what I ate. I don't remember the food, but I do remember the laughter.
And so I have to wonder about cheat days and their purpose in any diet. Are they a necessary evil? Are they a means to a great night? A night without worry--without being "on" and reminding your friends that you are what you eat.
Here's to the cheat day, whatever you make of it.
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