To cheat or not to cheat?

That is the question a lot of the time, isn't it?

Since I've been doing Take Shape For Life, I have been asked countless times how I avoid alcohol, candy, pizza and all the other yummy, but not on plan, foods out there.

For me, the answer is easy. This means more to me.

If given a choice between losing weight and getting the body I have always wanted to have or indulging in the alcohol or goodies nearby, I'm going to choose my body. I'm going to choose this program. I'm going to get what I want first.

Am I giving up alcohol, pizza, burgers, ribs, and cake forever? Absolutely not. But while I am in the weight loss phase of my journey, those things are not a priority to me. Losing weight is. I look forward to the day I can have a slice of pizza again or a pint of beer. But that's not going to happen until I hit my goal - and even then, I won't be overindulging. Once I am in my maintenance phase, everything will be in moderation. No longer will I pig out at a potluck or drink a bottle of wine in one evening. That was my life before and when I get the body I want, I fully plan on keeping it.

Several diets will have cheat days built in. Besides giving people an excuse to binge one day a week, this program has a very specific reason why cheating is not built into the program. On the 5 and 1 plan, the meals are nutritionally sound and also low glycemic. You have steadied your blood sugar, turned off the insulin and gone into fat burning mode rather than fat storage mode. To get into fat burning mode generally takes about 4 days. When you cheat, the spike in blood sugar can turn the insulin back on and knock you out of fat burning mode. You've now gone backwards and have to waste 4 days getting back to it. During that time, you have a good chance of being very hungry, tired and also having headaches. All this for a cheat meal or drink?

When I started on this plan, I was actually quite worried about not being able to drink my wine or have an occasional cheat. Was I really going to be able to do this? How do I go without my (sometimes daily) glass or wine? What about my favorite ribs or fondue? Once I started going and was seeing results quickly, I was surprised how easy it was to not even be tempted by my favorite foods and drinks. Unless there is a pizza right in my face, I really have no desire to have a slice and frankly, rarely even think about it. That right there is commitment, folks. Commitment to prioritize my life and not look back.

So what do you want more? A healthy body and healthy life or that slice of pizza and bottle of wine over there? You choose.