*Disclaimer, I am not claiming this to be a 13 week progress picture. I have been becoming less fat for close to eight years now. Also, before you question whether it's the same guy in both pics, it is. I know someone is bound to question the tattoo also. I know it's a crazy concept, but I had more work done on it over the past seven years.

When following a flexible eating or iifym nutritional approach, cheat meals are not as needed as they are in a more traditional diet. I get to eat a variety of the foods I really like. That said, my tastes and or eating habits have changed which helps.

I no longer pine away for boxes of Ring Dings and bags of Doritos. Instead I enjoy lower fat snacks like baked Tostito chips and fat free pudding with crushed graham crackers. Fortunately I can fit those snacks into my diet no problem. What I am saying is that I satiate most of my cravings just fine on a regular basis.

There are however certain foods that just don't fit. Those are really high fat foods like pizza and donuts. Two of my favorite things in the whole world. Now I could probably fit in one donut or a slice of pizza here and there, but one of anything just doesn't do it for me. If anything it just causes me greater cravings.

With the meet coming in June, I have really been holding off on cheats. The number to get down to before my cut to the 198 class is 212. This week I hit 214.5 which is an all time low. I didn't hit the 212 yet, but I still have seven weeks to go. I have been obsessing over pizza for too long, so the time for the cheat was now. I knew if I could get it out of my system I could handle two months of whatever it takes to hit my number.

I decided to go with a cheat day instead of a meal. When I go with one meal I treat it like a challenge and stuff myself until I feel completely ill. With the day I told myself I'd exercise some discretion and self control.

Turns out I really wanted to test myself because all I could think about for breakfast was the two boxes of girl scouts cookies that I ordered before deciding to go to 198's. I had them hidden away. I knew I'd get to them eventually, but having them for breakfast would have set me off on the wrong foot for sure. Instead I chose to have healthy pre and post workout meals.

I held off until the afternoon and started off with a bagel which was damn good. Then it was time for the donuts. I wanted half a dozen, but settled for three. Later we went to the movies to see the Guardians of the Galaxy 2. Good flick by the way. Instead of eating the calorie dense movie popcorn that kind of makes me sick now, I smuggled in three bags of much healthier air popped popcorn that I love. I did have some candy though. Man, I have to tell you, there is a new Reese's candy out called Reese's Crunchers in a bag and that stuff is the bomb.

Shortly after the movie, we hit our favorite pizza place, Sally's Apizza in New Haven. Sally's has been voted best pizza in the country, and I have been going there for 31 years. Jess and I used to polish off two large pies between us pretty easily. This order was a small white clam and a large half plain half meatball, bacon, and pepperoni. The small clam came out first and we polished that off like an appetizer and then the large came out.

I am embarrassed to say we didn't finish it. There were four slices left. I could have finished them if I wanted to, but why. I was full. They would have made me feel sick. The old Vincent would have eaten them. The older wiser Vincent left them on the table (after being shamed by the waiter for leaving them).

When we got home I made some brownies that I didn't even like that much. So after I ate two I stopped. The old Vincent would have eaten them all. Later I made a run to Popeye's, another high fat food craving that I can't really fit in my regular diet. I ended up going with three pieces of fried chicken instead of my usual five. Lastly, remember those girl scout cookies I mentioned. Well at least there's still one box left.

Hopefully you noticed the trend. I no longer saw cheating as a challenge to eat as much as humanly possible. I made some better choices and left some food on the table. The old Vincent would have slapped this guy. But then again, the old Vincent might have been dead of a heart attack by now.

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