Jen Curtis
Sep 27, 2018
I love this analogy from @soheefit and when I saw this infographic I was excited to share it with you all since it's helped a lot of my trainees.
-
This phenomenon is also known as fuck-it-itis or "in for a penny in for a pound syndrome". Don't let a little slip up distract you from an overall good day/week.
-
A lot of women believe that they need to eat perfectly, all the time in order to be healthy/lose weight/maintain a healthy weight. So they attempt to eat perfectly "clean" and often succeed for a while. But the moment that they "slip up" and eat something "bad" they tend to think "fuck it. I've ruined my diet anyway". Suddenly a 200 kcal cookie (that was delicious, fun to eat, and didn't put too much of a dent into their caloric intake for the day) turns into 5 cookies and a 1000 kcal "snack" that can take up a huge chunk of the calories that they may have available for the day.
-
Calorie needs will differ from person to person, but MANY women will need 1600-1800 kcals a day to be in a caloric deficit. So a munch-session like this can take up a large portion of that, not be very filling or nutritious, and make it very hard to stay in range. It's not impossible, but very difficult.
-
With the right mindset though, one cookie can satisfy cravings and increase enjoyment from food, ultimately keeping you on track. It's not black and white, which is why many people succeed with an 80/20 approach to nutrition: 80% nutrient-dense whole foods, 20% whatever you enjoy!
-
Just let a cookie be a cookie and move on with your life! Don't let little indulgences totally derail you or trigger more unnecessary eating...