Here I share about whether I have cheat meals, how I have a cheat meal, and my 5 Tips For A Positive Approach To “Indulgence Meals”.

If you’re new here, I lost 50 pounds in 6 months eating clean keto.

I’m always getting asked how I stay so disciplined, and if I ever have cheat meals. I share everything I eat on my Instagram Stories every day, and then round them all up on my blog at the end of the month.

Here are my thoughts on cheat meals, why in the beginning I’ve tried to avoid them, and my 5 Tips for Indulgence Meals.

Do I Have Cheat Meals?

Short answer?

For the first 6 months I have rarely have cheat meals. (At the time of writing this, I am currently 6 months in to my weight loss journey).

Here’s why.

In the past, I would be “good” for a month, lose weight, and then celebrate by over indulging in all my favorite foods that I felt deprived of. I would tell myself I’d get back to it the next day, but it would kind of snow ball into me eating ALL the foods, and I’d slowly slip back in to my old ways.

Instead, I’ve been avoiding cheat meals, because I know myself and that has been my downfall in the past.

Instead, I have been finding joy in being disciplined and my amazing results! Rather than rewarding myself with food indulgences, I treat myself with non food rewards like pedicures or new (smaller sized!) jeans. It’s been one of my biggest tips for success that I’ve adapted to.

The more junk food I eat, the more I crave junk food. But when I don’t have them, I barely think about them. So the further I distance myself from them, the easier it is to avoid temptation.

Have I Had Cheat Meals?

Yes.

I’ve had exactly 3 indulgence meals since starting clean keto 6 months ago.

The first wasn’t until 2 months in. It was Halloween, and I had 2 slices of pizza and 3 pieces of candy. It was more to show myself that I could have an indulgence meal and get back on track. And I did! But after eating that way, I noticed I didn’t feel as great, and having indulgence meals didn’t bring me the same level of joy that being healthy and losing weight did.

I had my 2nd indulgence meal 5 months in. My favorite food is deli sandwiches and chips. I had been craving it, and decided to have it. It was so delicious! But it made me so tired. I had to take a nap that day. Haha!

The 3rd meal was on my birthday, 6 months in to clean eating. We went to a fancy steakhouse and I had crab cakes, some risotto and a few bites of potatoes au gratin, then a few bites of dessert. Got right back on track the next day!

Will I Ever “Loosen Up” More Towards Indulgence Meals

I’m sure I will, and can feel that day coming in the near future.

I write more about that in my post Do I Have A Goal Weight if you want to learn more.

5 Tips For A Positive Approach To Indulgence Meals

1. Indulgence vs Cheat Meal

Don’t look at them as “cheat meals”, which has a negative connotation to it, and will cause you to have unnecessary guilt. You’re not going to go through life being 100% clean keto all the time. That’s unrealistic and unsustainable. Instead, look at them as indulgence meals.

2. Don’t Have An Indulgence Meal for A WHILE

Wait a long time until you are sure you’re strong enough before having your 1st indulgence meal. At least a month, if not 2. You want to wait until eating clean keto is 2nd nature, and 1 indulgence meal won’t completely knock you off track.

3. Try And Keep It Keto

If you can make adjustments to keep it keto, do it! For instance, I was craving pizza, but normally avoid dairy. I found a local restaurant that makes pizza with a keto crust. It is so good! It’s fun to indulge in dairy and be eating pizza, but doing it in a way that helps me stick to my health and weight loss goals. Win win.

4. Don’t Overeat

Eat until you’re satisfied, then stop. Don’t feel like you need to eat the whole portion because this is your one chance to eat whatever you want and you should go for it and overdo it. For example: on my birthday, Shawn and I split a small creme brûlée. I took a few bites until I was satisfied, and then stopped. It satisfied my craving, and I didn’t eat until I was sick.

5. No Need For Guilt

If you’re going to have an indulgence meal, enjoy it! It’s a wonderful part of life! Don’t beat yourself up, feel like you need to work out extra hard the next day, and that you’ve failed. You’re doing great friend! Enjoy those bites! And know that you are strong enough and worth it to get right back to it the next meal.