Thread by @HFLOWCALS

*＊✿❀ how to have a productive cheat/metabolism day (that won't set you off track) ❀✿＊*

↻/♡ appreciated
#edtwt #edtwtthread #thinspo #sweetspo #egospo

okay, first of all, let's define what exactly cheat days and metabolism days are, and why they’re important.

so, let’s face it, if you’ve been restricting for a while, you’re at least on some level hungry. and the longer you go restricting, the bigger your binge is gonna be when you do eat.

a cheat day allows you to plan for and control that eating- hopefully meaning it won’t be a binge at all. it can also function as a metabolism boosting day. as most of us know, when you’ve been restricting for a while your metabolism tends to drop.

a cheat day like this can bring it back up again, meaning you’ll lose weight quicker once you do go back to restriction.

but first, a brief warning before we get into the rest of the thread- if you’ve been low restricting for a while, your stomach may have shrunk.

if your stomach has shrunk, it can be dangerous to go from restriction straight to eating a normal amount. the safer option is to increase slowly by about 200 cals every day. this being said, let's move on.

tip one) drink lots of water ❀✿＊* okay, so, obviously, i’m not exactly radical for suggesting this. if you’ve been on edtwt for any amount of time, you’ve heard that you’re supposed to drink water. but this is especially important if you’re going to be eating a lot.

your body, starved for food, isn’t gonna wanna stop eating once you start. taking breaks to drink water can help slow down your eating as well as fill you up more so you don’t seriously overeat. and at the very least, if you do overeat, some water can help quell the stomach pain.

tip two) eat food you enjoy and have been craving ❀✿＊* we all know there’s nothing worse than wasted calories. and this still applies if you’re planning on eating a normal amount. you want to make your cheat day count, so make sure to eat foods you’ve been craving for a while.

if you don’t, you may end up feeling unsatisfied, gross, or even wanting to try doing a cheat day again tomorrow just to eat food you might actually enjoy. this means there’s obvious value to meal planning even on a cheat day so you can make sure you’re eating food you’ll enjoy.

tip three) don’t eat food just because you won’t get the chance tomorrow ❀✿＊* what i mean by this is that if you, for instance, see a cupcake in your fridge that you don’t want to eat, it might occur to you that you won’t get to eat it tomorrow when you’re back to restriction.

even though you don’t want the cupcake in the moment, you eat it because you know you won’t get to later. don’t do this. like i said, eat food you’ve been craving. if you eat food just because you won’t get the chance to in the future, you’ll probably end up feeling gross.

tip four) count your calories ❀✿＊* i’m sure a lot of you would plan to do this anyways, even on a cheat day. but i still feel the need to explicitly say it. if you haven’t eaten in a while, you’re gonna wanna eat a lot when you do.

your hunger cues won’t be able to tell you how much you should really eat. therefore it goes double that you should keep track of your calories so you don’t go over your bmr.

tip five) make your cheat day double as a self care day ❀✿＊* making your cheat day a self care day places your eating, not in the context of overeating and general grossness, but in the context of self care and as a treat which you deserve.

trying doing a face mask, taking an extra long shower, etc. even working out. this should help to alleviate at least some of the guilt you might feel from eating.

tip six) pay attention to your hunger levels ❀✿＊* obviously, as i said before, your hunger cues are probably gonna be inaccurate because you haven’t eaten a normal amount in a while.

however, it’s still important that you pay attention to your hunger cues to stay physically comfortable if nothing else. notice when you feel full, how full you feel, etc. if you feel full: stop eating.

i repeat, if you feel full: STOP EATING !!! drink some water, take a break, you have the whole day to try different foods. don’t overeat all at once just because you haven’t eaten in so long and don’t want to stop.

if you keep eating when you feel full just because it’s a cheat day, you will end up feeling sick and gross. cheat days are not an excuse to binge, they’re a break when you need one.

that’s all for now. ↻/♡ both appreciated. stay safe, lovelies ❀✿＊* end of thread

tags: @caloriesrdumb @thindaisy000 @knifespo @1nthew1red @D3pr3ss3dwh0r36 @fa1ry_gutz @alphakennydiet @jungkookshawtyy @cherrypepsimaxz @Violetbadgal @heartingchuu @oliwcals