Y'all are going to laugh at me, probably, but I did an experiment yesterday.
It had to do with threads I've been reading about people who have "cheat days" or "cheat meals" in which they could eat whatever they wanted, however much they wanted. I've been eating clean for months now, and the whole notion of gorging isn't something I worry about much anymore.
Those same threads talk about their "hangover" the next day from eating like that. I never liked hangovers- that's why I don't get drunk.
So I decided to try a "cheat" to see if it was something desirable, if I was too rigid, or if "cheats" would snowball into something horrible...like days-long binges.
Given that I really was worried about those things, I decided on one meal, with the children, at a local chinese place, and a go at what was my worst binge item - toffee peanuts. I used to like americanized Chinese, especially general tso's chicken. My SO is away on travel, so he could neither skew nor hinder the experiment.
We went in around 5 pm. I ate - a fraction of what I would have eaten at one time, but much more than I'm used to eating now. I felt full and weighted down in the middle. I couldn't touch the desserts (I would have, once, in addition to all the buffet stuff).
I tried the toffee peanuts, too. They taste uber-sweet and uber-salty now, but I think that they would still trigger carb cravings.
I am still full-feeling, as well as gaseous and bloated.
So, what have I learned?
1) Probably the most important thing I learned - cheat days are not for me. I would rather have the rare, special days when I choose to eat the gourmet stuff we cook at maintenance calorie levels.
2) That was a miserable experience. No wonder I was a miserable person..
3) I like the way I feel these days - energetic, confident, etc -- far too much to indulge in that sort of foolishness.
4) It would take time for me to backslide into my old lifestyle - I couldn't quit healthy living cold turkey.
5) I still have trigger foods, but they're not uncontrollable triggers now. Mostly I just avoid trigger foods, and the sweetest thing I eat is fruit.
6) Sodium is ****. The scale bounced up with a vengeance - I didn't eat enough to cause that kind of gain, so I'm not really worried about it. But that was ONE meal. What would happen if I ate crap ALL DAY?
7)I'm really glad it was such a horrible experience - I was terribly afraid I would like it.
8)I came away with a good comparison point. I was paying attention to my feelings, bodily functions, watching for cravings, etc. I will still be watching today to see how long the feelings and body stuff lasts. If I am ever tempted to overeat or eat poorly, I have a detailed, complete awareness of what will happen.
9) Food should help us be our best physical being. Bad food just isn't worth it to me.
So, there you go. I'm glad I tried it and am very, very glad that I live a different lifestyle now. Do y'all think I'm a nut?