How to have a Sabbath How to NOT diet eat well and still lose weight
How to have a Sabbath How to NOT diet eat well and still lose weight

Today is the final part of the series entitled How to have a Sabbath How to NOT diet eat well and still lose weight.

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. – Genesis 2:2

How to have a Sabbath How to NOT diet eat well and still lose weight

A day of freedom

If you have been following what I have outlined here in eating correctly for 6 days out the week, then on the 7th throw them all out the door. I mean literally forget every single glycemic index, pH balance or weight loss post I have ever made.

Today, you get to enjoy complete freedom to knock out a full dozen Krispy Kreme donuts then chase that with a 2 X 4 Gorilla Style from In-n-Out Burger (The un-cool will Google this now, the rest of us will wait). For me this means I can eat a half of a Sara Lee French Cheesecake for breakfast. If you want a Cinnabon in the middle of the day, by all means eat one. If you want a full pecan with a vanilla bean ice cream (the full fat kind), then eat it; only if you don’t save some for me.

The reason for going for the gusto once a week is 3-fold. 1. You will be training your body that there is not shortage of food so it won’t store fat for later, 2. To manipulate your ancestor’s DNA code you were given to burn fat when you do exercise and, 3. For the sure enjoyment that you need mentally to enjoy yourself.

It’s sort of like a conjugal visit in prison; you know you’re in prison, but at least you will get your weekly conjugal visit from the wifey. So you’re thinking to yourself, do you go stab this guy for ripping off your bag of Doritos and risk the visit or do I just pay Xavier to “make my problem disappear.”

Choices

Undoubtedly the hardest part for most people who want to lose weight is “giving up” certain things that they like to eat. Whenever somebody goes on a diet they usually set a goal to lose 15 pounds. This is fine, but then they go on to say that they are not going to eat “***” for the next 3 months. At this point, they just killed the whole diet before they even started! It’s the equivalent of going to Vegas to play blackjack and saying that you’re not going to lose a hand.

In other words, don’t set yourself up for failure. Don’t think that for the next 3 months you can only eat cardboard and free range gluten free tree bark and wash it down with a glass of purified Mt. Fuji oxygen.

I can’t stress this point enough; it makes the rest of the week actually enjoyable because you know your free day is coming. It also reminds you of what you used to eat when everyday was a “Free Day.”  Seriously, when you go back to eating what you used to eat, after that day you will actually WANT to go back eating healthy. By the end of the my free day, I usually feel like crap. While I’m eating that big hamburger I start to feel queasy and my brain and stomach start to tell me “Eat another bite and I’m going to feed it back to your mouth.” I have been eating this way since 1998 and to this day anything fried makes me nauseated, I can’t stomach it even on my free day.

I personally recommend you schedule your free day on a weekend or whenever you are off for a couple of days straight. This way you’re not “That guy that can’t eat anything” when going out with your family/friends.

How to have a Sabbath How to NOT diet eat well and still lose weight

Common mistakes on your free day.

I know that you’re not robots and it’s hard sometimes to “only” have 1 free day per week. Here I will discuss the most common mistakes people make during their free day.

  1. They don’t take free day seriously.

Seriously though, having a day to splurge IS actually part of eating correctly. As I explained above, you really do need to take a break once per week. You really need it more psychologically than anything. You need to have at least 1 day where you can let your guard down. This will give your brain a break in thinking about “How many calories is this” or “How much fat is in that.”  Physically your body can take a lot. Mentally, you can only be on your best behavior for so long, then you’re going to drop your guard and order a dozen Mrs. Fields cookies during your lunch break on a Tuesday afternoon.

  1. They don’t eat the stuff they really like.

Free day is seriously free day. Don’t hold back at all. Really eat all the stuff you like. Make it like a once per week Christmas where there is ZERO guilt and the last thing you’re thinking about is the next day.

  1. They think eating healthy on free day is a sin.

This is not true. I love FAGE Greek yogurt mixed with apple sauce. I eat this stuff regardless of free day or not. Eventually you will develop habits where good food tastes good to you….such a novel concept. When this happens you too will enjoy: How not to Diet, eat well and still lose weight. There are people out there who actually enjoy eating healthy…I promise 😉

  1. They fail to plan for free day.

Some people go overboard when going on a diet and throw out all traces of good food in the house. So by the time free day comes up they have nothing that they actually like eating in the house – bad idea.  Keep that big ass box of chocolate chip cookies in your cupboard, it will serve as a reminder that your free day is coming.

Free Day Open Book Pop Quiz

Refer to the literature above for the answers. If you’re really interested in losing weight but don’t know if you got it down and ingrained in your subconscious, here is a quiz. I will give you the answer after each question.

  1. On my free day I:

a)      Skip what the heck Charles is talking about and do what I want.

b)      Actually take a day off and enjoy the fruits of my labor and eat what I want.

c)      Pretend that I’m actually taking a free day but exercise anyway.

The answer is B. You really need to take a break and eat what you want AND not exercise. Don’t burn the candle at both ends. A free day encompasses exercise too…Pig out and don’t exercise, the week starts again tomorrow.

  1. On the day after my free day I:

a)      Go extra hard to try and compensate for my free day, by not eating and working out extra hard.

b)      Continue as if free day is a part of the process.

c)      Get all depressed and stuff because you “Ate the whole thing”.

The answer is B. Don’t try and compensate for a free day by working extra hard or doing extra reps because you feel guilty. Free day is fun and you should look forward it for guilty free eating.

  1. On free day I eat:

a)      Only stuff that is in the health food aisle of the grocery store.

b)      Whatever the heck I want…guilt-free (that usually includes chocolate chip cookies).

c)      Leftover’s but only if they are under 250 calories.

The answer is B. Seriously I think you get the point now. Free day is free day, keep it free!

This is the final part and concludes the series entitled How to have a Sabbath How to NOT diet eat well and still lose weight.


Charles Lloyd
Charles Lloyd

Self processed fitness missionary and author of most of the ridiculous fitness articles written on Charles Lloyd Fitness.com. I am not really a writer, but a workout fiend who happens to have a blog. The single mission of this website is very simple: Get You In Shape. I have been blessed with the gift of good health and want to share it with you. Join Me.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.