Happy National Pizza Day, loves! In honor of this amazing day, I wanted to talk about why you deserve to actually celebrate it. Indulging in something greasy, fatty, cheesy, and downright bad for you may seem like the worst thing ever when you’re trying to get fit. However, it can actually be beneficial in a lot of ways.
I love pizza. It’s one of my favorite cheat foods – right after dark chocolate and pasta. Although it may seem like you can’t even look at junk food when you’re living a fit lifestyle, that’s not exactly true. I definitely indulge in some junk every now and then without ruining my fitness progress! Let me tell you why I think everyone deserves to enjoy their favorite junk food every now and then – especially on National Pizza Day.
1. It’ll actually help maintain your healthy lifestyle.
This may seem counteractive, but it definitely works for me. I know just how difficult it can be to stick to a strict diet – especially if you’re trying to lose weight. You may get so sick of healthy food that after a while, you just break and end up binging on the worst food all day. This type of indulging is the type that will halt your progress. But if you schedule a cheat meal here and there – like on National Pizza Day – it’ll give you something to look forward to and break up all of that healthy eating.
2. It keeps you sane.
How many of you feel like you go insane when you eat the same, healthy foods all the time? I know I even need a break sometimes. Allowing yourself to indulge every now and then will help keep you sane and it’ll also make you appreciate all the healthy food you eat regularly.
3. It’ll shock your metabolism.
When your body eats the same types of foods and the same amount of calories over a long period of time, it kind of adjusts to it. Meaning, your metabolism will get used to a lower amount of calories and it won’t burn as efficiently. When you hit it with some high calorie, fatty foods, it’ll rev up and burn much faster because it’s not used to it. This is my favorite part because you get a cheat meal without having to feel too guilty!
4. You deserve a reward for your hard work.
This is the biggest reason you should indulge sometimes. You deserve it! You work so hard all week to stay fit and eat healthy that you deserve a reward for all of that effort. When you get to reward yourself after a lot of hard work, it’ll help you stay motivated to do so. When you know a cheat meal is waiting at the end of the week, you’ll be more likely to stick to your healthy lifestyle.
5. It can even help fuel a more intense workout.
Many people may not realize this, but if you have a cheat meal full of high carb and high fats the day before an intense workout, you’ll be able to do a lot more. The extra calories and carbs give you more energy to pump out more reps at higher weights or to run even longer than you would otherwise. Before a big day of lifting or cardio, having a cheat meal can make it even more beneficial.
National Pizza Day should be celebrated by everyone regardless of whether or not you’re trying to maintain a healthy diet. Reward yourself for all your hard work and don’t forget to indulge every now and then. You deserve it!