All of us have tried out different diets at some point or the other in our lives. Diets go in and out of fashion just like clothing styles do. In the ’80s and ’90s, fat-free diets were all the fad, now very opposite is true with the high fat keto diet. In fact, the keto was so popular that it was Google’s most searched diet last year.

The thing with diets though, is that they are hard to stick to. We start out all motivated and willing to see it through, but somewhere along the way, we start faltering and then we break down and go on a junk food binge. Human willpower can only go so far. 


Cheat days are the answer
How do you deal with this pesky problem of losing the will to continue on a particular diet? Cheat days. For once in your life, cheating will actually be good for you. 

We need to remember that we are not machines. We can’t just readjust our settings and recalibrate how we live our everyday lives. Human beings are adaptable but we’re not automatically so. We need time and space to adjust to changes, especially to lifestyle changes. 

 
This is why having a designated cheat day (or two) is the best way to avoid ruining a well-set diet plan. Give yourself a day where you can eat what you want. It could be a Friday where you want to celebrate the end of the work week or a Saturday so you can enjoy a night out. 

A cheat day lets you blow off steam. By the time we’re almost done with a week on a regimented diet, most of us are like a pressure cooker ready to blow its lid off. Instead of letting ourselves explodes, we should gently release the pressure. A cheat day does exactly that. 

Another important reason to observe a cheat day is that it keeps you motivated to stay on a diet. If you expect yourself to follow a strict diet every single day 100% of the time, when you do crack and end up binge eating, you immediately end up feeling demotivated. Most people give up on a diet as soon as they slide and end up junk food bingeing. 

You shouldn’t let one setback make you quit altogether. As clichéd as it is, failure is a stepping stone to success. We’re human and we should cut ourselves some slack. Nobody can be perfect, especially a person on a diet. So, give yourself a cheat day and chill.




By Idiva

Dieting is great if you want to lose some inches, cut down cholesterol or increase your energy levels. But hey, if you are dreading your diet routine, maybe it's time to give it a break. Here are 12 legit reasons you need to stop trying to lose weight, because truly your body will thank you for it.

1. You are hungry all the time.

This is a sign that your diet isn't fulfilling your body's nutrition. It makes you hungry and sometimes weak too. So quit starving yourself for a while.

2. Unhealthy relationship with food.

Is your relationship with food becoming a stressful one that you've begun to obsess over? This is proof that you've got to give yourself a much-needed break.


3. You binge-eat. All the time.

If you are binge-eating all the time, you are obviously not following your diet and end up starving yourself too. So why not take a break from it for a while.

4. You don't feel healthy or balanced.

Your diet is supposed to have a positive effect on you and your body and if that isn't happening then you need to stop.

5. You feel irritable and moody.

Feeling irritable and dabbling with mood swings is a sign that your diet is backfiring due to deprivation of essential nutrients.

6. You are having troubles with your periods.

Your menstrual cycle gets affected when there is a drastic change in your body and skipping your period is a negative sign.

7. You've lost your appetite completely.

Losing your appetite isn't a good thing. This means you're constantly anxious about what you put into your mouth and that's keeping you stressed.

8. You are getting depressed.

Depression is the result of less carbohydrates in your body which is needed for serotonin - the neurotransmitter that keeps you happy.


9. You feel like you are punishing yourself.

When you start feeling like you are punishing yourself is the time you need to stop your diet and start eating because otherwise you'll be miserable all the time.

10. You feel tired all the time.

This means the food you are eating isn't sufficient enough for your body and doesn't give you any energy.

11. Your diet becomes your life.

If you've begun to obsess over your diet to another level it's time to give yourself a break and indulge.


12. Your weight fluctuates.

If you can't come to a constant, balanced weight maybe it's time to look into your diet.


By Idiva