I’ve been searching for a while for just the right scholarly study to demonstrate to you that too much deprivation in your diet will only lead to binge eating later. I can’t find a good one. Then it dawned on me that I probably don’t need to prove that to you since most of us are probably case studies of this very point. We can all attest to the fact that when we feel deprived of something, we go after it with a vengeance once we let ourselves have it.
This post is to remind you of that fact, and to give you some encouragement to “cheat” on the Paleo diet every once in a while if you feel deprived on it. Yep, the nutritionist just told you to cheat and eat some cookies once in a while.
Considering that about 2/3 of this country’s adult population is overweight, I’m going to assume that most people who are reading this have at some point thought to themselves, “Wow, I could really lose a few pounds.” After noticing your bulging mid section, many people probably do some research to find the newest, most explosively popular, most unsustainable diet out there, wherein you will only be allowed to eat 500 calories per day. Never fear, though, you’ll get an injection of hormones derived from the urine of a pregnant woman that will magically cure you of your hunger pangs!
If you haven’t caught on yet, I’m talking about the hCG diet, which a lot of people have embraced lately, even though there isn’t any scientific evidence to support the claim that the hormone will suppress hunger. Most of the people I’ve heard of who’ve gone on this diet (except for one) have gained back all of the weight (or more) that they lost on it. Who wouldn’t eat like crazy after only being allowed to eat a fraction of the minimum recommended daily calories for months on end?
The hCG diet is a really extreme example of deprivation, and I’m not saying that the Paleo way of eating is totally comparable. However, almost all of us grew up on grains, legumes, dairy and refined sugars (some of us almost exclusively), and when you remove these things that you’re so physically and emotionally attached to, there may very well be some feelings of deprivation. Followed by a gluttonous backlash.
Fortunately, when you do it right, the Paleo diet is satiating, full of nutrients and it provides us with all the carbs, protein and fat we need, so it’s really sustainable in theory. In this modern world, though, we have to watch people every day eating all of our most favorite, doughy, non-Paleo foods. In order to avoid being totally stressed out by that and tempted to quit the diet altogether, I think it’s more sustainable to eat those foods once in a while. Or more often than once in a while. I’d rather see you eating Paleo 50% of the time than 0%.
The Paleo diet, in its purest form, is incredibly good for you. It’s nourishing. What isn’t nourishing is stress, though, so if that bowl of refined semolina pasta is what’s going to relieve your stress once a week, dig in.
And remember that Paleo Plan offers the option of having a “Flex” day on your grocery lists, for those people who want to eat their old favorites once a week.
7 Comments
I would never recommend that someone cheat. That is like telling a recovered alcoholic that it is okay to cheat once in a while. It isn’t. Gluten and casein can be addictive. They should be removed 100% from one’s diet for the rest of one’s life. When eating out, one can be flexible and simply be gluten and casein free. And one can do one’s best on the other parts of the diet. But when at home there is no reason to ever cheat.
Don Wiss
I appreciate your comment, but I have to say that for some, it’s better that they do the Paleo Diet in moderation rather than have an all or nothing eating regime. It just doesn’t work for some people, and they give the diet up altogether. There is a spectrum of addiction, and there is a spectrum of how badly grains, legumes, dairy and refined sugar affect people. Some people can handle them much better than others. For many, yes, these things should be removed forever if possible, especially if there is a food allergy or intolerance involved. For others though, it doesn’t have to be like that.
Neely
Wow this article gave me a lot of in site, for me I am a food addict and in the past the diets I have done, almost all I have quit on because I had lost my comfort and there was nothing else that I could think of at the time to help console me. I am actually going to start the paleo diet and I am excited, and this article has helped to realize that when I have those days no one is going to put me in the corner. I will say changing something in your life is hard especially when something has been a comfort zone for so many people in there lives, and I’m only going to take one step at a time and make small changes to lead me up to a greater life and be healthier. I am learning that food is not always what will comfort you, it can be your enemy. It has been a love hate relationship between us most of my life, and I know I need to slowly start cutting the ties. Thank you again for this article it has really helped.
Crys
I’m glad it could help – good luck to you!
Neely
Neely
I figured I would throw my two cents in as well! My husband & I started the Paleo Plan about 3 weeks ago. We were looking for a way to change our eating habits as we were starting to come home from work & have a bag of chips because it was too complicated to figure out what to cook. Thats when I started noticing the dreaded muffin top! I think initially, losing weight was the initiative, however, after just one week the difference that I felt on the inside made any food sacrifice completely worth the change in my diet. Not to mention having a food plan made this transition so much easier. I also noticed that it’s not actually a craving for ‘those’ foods, it’s more of a psychological thing. You think you should have it, because you always have. There was one blog I read in here about the flex day, and it said by all means go ahead, but when you end up feeling bloated & tired from that cheat, you will realize it wasn’t worth it. (That’s not an exact quote, just what I got from it) And to be honest, that second week when I had the bun on the hamburger, that’s exactly how I felt. Not fantastic because I got that yummy bun, just kind of icky. So now I’m pretty much cheat free (I do like my glass of wine once in awhile), and I feel better than I’ve ever felt. And I’m really glad I found this website.
zandctt
Thanks for sharing – I’m happy we could help!
Neely
Here is my opinion on cheating. Cheating is good for you, but only because it’s purely psychological. Face it, humanity’s two most primal needs (aside from like, water and oxygen) are Food and Sex. Basic Micro Economics tells us that we are happy and feel rewarded when either of these two things are increased. If you’re single like me, a hamburger (increase in quantity: food) is really damn good. This is a common philosophy known as “comfort food”. Now if you’re happily married and you and your spouse are embarking on the Paleo Diet together, then there’s no need to cheat. Why would you? You have a team mentality and automatic camaraderie boosting your morale higher than it was before you started any diet and you’re going to notice vast improvements in your body so you’re going to be even more motivated. If you’re not stressed, why cheat? But if your spouse is on a business trip and you get in a car crash, I think someone might be having some (insert your comfort food here) tonight.
George