Today, May 11^th is National Eat What You Want Day. According to Nationaltoday.com,

“Restricting yourself from your favorite foods can be difficult. That is why, on May 11, we celebrate National Eat What You Want Day! On this day, people are encouraged to treat themselves by giving in to their sweet tooth, carb-loading without having a marathon to run, and eating breakfast for dinner. Because on Eat What You Want Day, no one can tell you what NOT to eat.”

I like how you people think!

Why does the mere thought of this day make you smile?

Do we really need a reason? I say no. Our state of mind, relationships, and country are all in flux. We need to get out, we need to hug people, and we need to self soothe! I found out about this phenomenal holiday when I opened an email newsletter this morning from my friends at Death Wish Coffee. They posted the news of this ‘holiday’ along with temptingly delightful recipes using Death Wish Coffee. These treats are sure to encourage self-soothing under the guise of eating whatever you want!

What would you eat if you could eat what you wanted today?

National Today shared the results from a survey about NATIONAL EAT WHAT YOU WANT DAY. The results are from data gathered by a top Miami PR Firm.

Here is the full ranking of foods Americans would eat every day, if there was no worry about the consequences:

#1: Pizza (13%)

#2: Pasta (12%)

#3: Burgers (11%)

#4: Ice cream (11%)

#5: Tacos or burritos (9%)

#6: Chocolate (9%)

#7: French fries (9%)

#8: Donuts (7%)

#9: Cake (6%)

#10: Chips (5%)

#11: Cheese (4%)

#12: Cookies (4%)

I was both saddened and shocked that my beloved passion, cheese, was #11. Who did they poll? Everyone loves cheese. No surprise that pizza and pasta top the list. Tacos before chocolate?

What would you do if you could eat what you wanted today?

Cheat days exist because the thought of long-term dieting or deprivation is excruciating and may come under the umbrella of cruel and unusual punishment. We allow ourselves a cheat day to right the wrongs and take control of our health and weight destiny how we see fit.

So many of us eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner without tweaks or variations. Why don’t we use this day to order a pizza for breakfast, support local business and order something different? Why don’t we ‘eat outside of the box’ we have placed ourselves in?

What about drinking what you want?

Hmmm, interesting thought. Cheese cannot be fully experienced without a beverage of choice, say a glass of wine. Sadly, they did not call the day, Eat or DRINK What You Want Day. That could be interesting. We did miss National Moscato day this past Saturday the 9^th. Mimosa Day is the 16^th, National Wine Day the 25^th, and National Mint Julep Day is the 30^th.

I see cheese in my immediate future.

The rain has subsided, and the sun is peaking through. I took a 4.1 mile walk this morning and a 30-minute HIIT class online. That should equate to enough calories burned to justify a smooth slice of Provolone and a pear. As Amelia says, “you do you,” so delight in your snacks and choose wisely today. You are in a no judgment zone.