There is one problem with this heading that I’d like to point out.
“Cheating” on your everyday diet, does not consist of “cheat days” rather, they are “cheat meals.” Sorry to disappoint you with that one. I definitely would not recommend you spend a full day of binge eating or sabotaging your diet with endless amounts of junk food that you can fit into one day!
There is too much at stake if you do this, and you will definitely undo all the goodness you have accumulated during the week, with healthy, balanced and clean eating.
Not everyone’s body responds effectively to cheat meals, although they are vital to dieting (when it comes to staying sane!). Let me get into a lot more detail regarding this.
When we restrict our eating 90% of the time, our bodies tend to get stuck in a plateau mode. We no longer respond to the initial caloric reduction, change of our dietary food plan, or the exercise. That’s because our bodies have now pivoted to a specific metabolic “set point” which is determined by your genetics etc.
We can add a little more “fuel to the fire” called our metabolism, indulging in a “cheat meal” once or twice a week. This gives our metabolism an added boost, and it’s something I’ve been familiar with since back in my bodybuilding days.
When I did a bit more research regarding this bodybuilding theory, I was greatly disappointed. There is no real evidence to suggest this is the case when it comes to creating meals. In writing this, I can assure you that not a lot of research has been done in this area, and it’s based on the experience of many people who do comp prep every year and those of us that have had to endure vigorous diets.
Cheat meals really helped me feel normal again because as you may appreciate, being on a diet for years and years does take its toll. Sometimes we too want to indulge in something sweet and inviting. That’s where the cheat meal comes into play. It allows a sense of normality and helps us feel human again.
This cheat meal never caused any harm with weight loss, but it does create some water retention and a bit of bloating for a few days. To offset this,
A lot of people do ask me how many cheat meals they should have per week. My…
