As I read Adam’s blog on the cheat-free year, I was thrilled to see one LAST chance to reference Gretchen Rubin’s Better Than Before. One of the accepted tenets of the Meltdown food plans is that “cheats” are built in. Surely no one can survive with letting their hair down a little? Aren’t we supposed to “practice moderation in all things?”
But there may be some people for whom taking even periodic and time-specific breaks from our usual way of eating may be the first step down a slippery slope. Perhaps those people need to consider more of an abstention mindset. And that may be more of us than we think.
If you are a person who experiences cheat bleeds, abstaining from your trigger foods entirely may be a better option than trying to put on the brakes once you’ve started. The intent of the Prime program is to work toward a situation where cheats truly are a special occasion or “in case of emergency break glass” option, as opposed to something we do every other weekend after weigh-in (or for two or three days after weigh-in.)
If you are a person who has a history of other addictive behaviors, you may want to consider that those receptors continue to exist in the brain even after the behavior ceases, just waiting for a new (potentially maladaptive) coping mechanism to take its place. There is a reason people often gain weight after smoking cessation.
If you are a person who is a stress eater (and I know you’re thinking - are there stress NON-eaters? - YES - I’ve coached many) then you should consider that the longer we abstain, the less the pull on us those sweets or fats or salty chips have. Any unexercised muscle or receptor will atrophy over time. It’s also possible to bore your taste buds and brain chemicals into submission. The appetite is naturally modulated through dietary monotony. Many clients have expressed that after a period of clean eating, formerly enticing foods hold no sway, sometimes even sickening them to smell.
The TL;DR? If you can’t stop (and have proven that to yourself time and again) maybe never starting is a good strategy to try.
All the best,
Marcey
Coach Marcey Tidwell started as a client with NGPT in January 2011. Joining the team as an accountability coach, she wears many hats in assisting the Meltdown Nation! Nurse Marcey by day, she brings a wealth of knowledge the program! She readily acknowledges her control issues ;).
