I felt like the idea of a cheat day was going to be good for me, but I had to establish some ground rules. So in that second month, I became strict about keeping Saturday only as my cheat day. Once Sunday came, it was back to meal prepping and eating healthy the other six days of the week.
My diet those days was about 90/10, eating tons of veggies, fruit, healthy fats, and protein, with the occasional handful of Baskin-Robbins' dark chocolate covered almonds or a vegan cookie. I focused on intuitive eating; eating the healthy foods I loved that made me feel good and energized like roasted sweet potatoes and tofu, avocado toast, and raspberries with almond milk yogurt. But I also made sure to focus on eating when I was hungry and stopping when I was satisfied.
By the end of the month, I felt amazing! I was loving taking care of myself by intermittent fasting six days a week, eating nourishing foods, but also allowing the opportunity once a week to eat the foods I emotionally wanted that I knew physically didn't make me feel good if I were to eat them all the time. I ended up losing those few pounds I had gained, but really the best thing was the control and happiness I had gained.
I'm a big fan of the cheat day, and I'll definitely stick with it. I don't feel deprived from eating sweet treats, but I also don't feel out of control or crappy when I do. Finding balance has offered me the control I've been craving since the holidays, and the flexibility allows me to feel a sense of freedom and calmness around food.
