It’s Your Birthday!

Okay, well maybe it’s not your birthday, TODAY…but one day in the next 365 days it WILL be your birthday and I hope you EAT CAKE.

 

Life isn’t meant to be constant deprivation and if you never, ever eat cake or even if you think you can’t ever eat cake your going to feel kind of, well, how do I put it…crappy.

It’s about what you do MOST of the time that counts!

 

There was a time in my life that I walked around feeling terrible because I “couldn’t” eat anything tasty and good.

It was back in college and I distinctly remember going to Briken’s  (it was kind of like Stewart’s Root Beer Stand) and watching Mike eat a cheese burger with fries…I sat there eating a plain burger with pickles.

 

I almost wanted to cry and I probably did, thinking that this was the way the rest of my life had to be if I wanted to 1. Lose weight and 2. Keep it off….

 

I’ve learned a lot since then and one thing I learned is that I can happily, guilt-free eat ice cream, cake, candy, cookies or chocolate…BUT I have to plan for it.

 

And you can do the same thing!

 

If, most of the time, you eat well, those celebration or weekend get togethers won’t make or break you. 

 

How do you know how often your can deviate?

 

Use the 80:20 Rule.

 

Here’s a great visual I found on IG.

 

Count out how many meals you eat per week, multiply by 20% and that’s how many “splurge” meals you can enjoy – every other meal is squeaky clean.

You’ll  FEEL great! Emotionally and physically (at least on the clean eating days!) :)

 

P.S. – Keep a food journal so you KNOW how many times you’ve splurged!