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Fitness blogger Anna Victoria [3] is constantly reminding her 1.3 million Instagram followers of the roller coaster of emotions of a fitness journey. Whether it's about the truth behind perfectly posed Instagram photos [4], how hard we are on ourselves for our "bad" angles [5], and even her own stomach rolls [6], she's always keeping it real. Anna's latest post tackles something everyone trying to live their healthiest lives knows far too well: cheat meals and cheat days.
Some of us are hard on ourselves for cheat meals [7], feel horrible after the fact, and often think we need to work twice as hard after indulging, but Anna is reminding everyone that it's more than OK to treat yourself, and it does not discredit the progress you've made so far.
"I took the first photo before our day at Disneyland," Anna captioned the photo above, explaining her day filled with churros, caramel apples, bread bowls, and all the delicious foods Disney has to offer [8]. "I was super bloated when I got home, but I just drank a ton of water and got some protein in before I went to bed. And guess what? I woke up this morning looking the EXACT same pre-cheat meal/cheat day."
Anna continued her message: "One unhealthy meal or day will not ruin your progress just like one good meal won't make you lose weight. In the moment of a cheat meal or shortly after when the bloat struggle is all too real, we let our minds go into a downward spiral and think we've just ruined weeks of hard work. No, you haven't!! In fact, that one cheat meal likely helped decrease cortisol (the stress hormone that causes your body to hold onto fat/prevents you from losing it) and can even help your body more effectively burn fat once you're back on track the next day 🤗 So let yourself LIVE!"
She explains the balance we need to maintain in order to stay on track in our goals and how the 80/20 rule [10] leaves 20 percent of our time "to indulge and remember that life is also about kicking back and enjoying yourself!"
Still not convinced that it's OK to treat yourself occasionally? Anna's side-by-side photos show just how serious she is — after a day of indulging, her body returned exactly to it's precheat state in the morning.
She closed her note with an important reminder: "When you are struggling, remind yourself why you're here and that you're doing this for you, and your future self will thank you for it."