We've all done it, sat down in front of the television at night with a big bowl of ice cream, wings, pizza, or any other large calorie item and said to ourselves "hey I earned this with that awesome workout today." In reality, that "awesome workout" may have only burned off 300-400 calories, and we could be ready to take in thousands. In fact, we just earned ourselves 10 more workouts in order to burn off our reward!
This practice is very common in the wonderful world of exercise; amplifying a hard day's work to justify a large caloric reward in the end. Rewards are great and they do wonders for extrinsic motivation, but they should be healthier, more tangible alternatives such as a movie, a download on iTunes, or an extra hour of sleep, etc. These types of rewards will actually help continue to fuel your ongoing progress, instead of stunting it with stomachaches or extra pounds!
Next time you are finished your workout and are busy raiding the fridge or concocting a "super high calorie, high protein, recovery shake," be sure that you actually EARNED those calories. Do a quick equation of calories in vs. calories out, if your goal is weight loss, you better be breaking even if not less. If you believe in "cheat days," you are only cheating your progress. A full day of eating off of the radar throws a wrench into your accountability. You have no basis to compare when it comes to your caloric ratio and your set calories to burn for that week. A cheat day often sounds like a good idea but it will most likely set you back in terms of reaching your goals.
EARN your rewards!
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