“Cheat days” have become quite popular among individuals who are on a weight loss journey or following a strict diet plan. Before we dive into the details of cheat days, let’s first understand what they are. Cheat days are planned days during which you allow yourself to indulge in foods that are typically off-limits in your regular diet. These foods can include high-calorie treats, fast food, or any other guilty pleasures you may have. The purpose of a cheat day is to give yourself a break from your strict diet and enjoy some of your favorite foods guilt-free. The idea behind cheat days is to provide a psychological and physiological break from the monotony of eating clean and healthy foods. It’s a way to reward yourself for sticking to your diet and to satisfy any cravings you may have.
Now, let’s talk about cheat days more!
Table of content
- Benefits of having cheat days in your fitness journey
- Tips for having successful cheat days
- My story
Benefits of having cheat days in your fitness journey
Many people wonder if cheat days are beneficial to their overall health and weight-loss goals. The answer to this question depends on various factors, including the individual’s metabolism, activity level, and overall dietary habits. Some studies suggest that incorporating cheat days into your diet can actually boost your metabolism and prevent it from slowing down due to prolonged calorie restriction.
For example, if you are on a restricted diet, there is a point where your weight just keeps going down, but then you hit the plateau and your weight stops going down. Generally speaking, that is because your body is in “starving mode” and tries to conserve energy as much as possible so that you do not burn it as much as usual. That is one of the ideal times to have a cheat day to let your body know that it is not in starving mode so that it can burn more energy.
Let’s look at some benefits:
- Improving Nutrient Absorption
In addition to boosting metabolism and relieving stress, cheat days can also improve nutrient absorption. When you consistently follow a strict diet, your body may become accustomed to receiving the same nutrients and may not absorb them as efficiently. By introducing a variety of foods on cheat days, you can provide your body with a wider range of nutrients, which can enhance absorption and overall nutrient utilization. Also, You have to make sure you are getting nutrition rich foods to provide your body as much nutrients as possible in weight loss journey because your nutrition intakes could go lower than usual since you are in a calorie deficit. Therefore, by providing more foods to your foods than you are generally taking, your body probably could get improve your nutrition intake which makes both of your body and yourself happy. - Enhancing Motivation
Cheat days can also enhance motivation and adherence to a healthy eating plan. When you have a designated day to indulge in your favorite foods, it can serve as a reward for sticking to your diet throughout the week. Knowing that you have a cheat day coming up can help you stay focused and disciplined, as you have something to look forward to. This can be especially beneficial for those who struggle with long-term dietary changes and need occasional breaks to maintain their motivation. I personally think this is the best benefit I can get out of from having cheat days. Weight loss journey is a long way. Sometimes you could even feel it is an endless journey which makes your motivation low. Let’s enhance your motivation by providing you an idea there is a certain time you can eat something you truly want. It is very important to give you a break physically and mentally. - Boosting Physical Performance
Cheat days can also have a positive impact on physical performance, particularly for individuals who engage in intense exercise or athletic training. By temporarily increasing your calorie intake on a cheat day, you provide your body with additional fuel and energy. This can enhance your performance during workouts and help you push through challenging training sessions. Additionally, cheat days can replenish glycogen stores in the muscles, which can improve endurance and prevent fatigue during prolonged exercise. You might want to try strength training because you might feel you can lift heavier. You can lift more. If you try to run, you may be able to run faster and longer! When your performance is improved, that will definitely boost your motivation as well. - Build a Healthy Relationship with Food
Cheat days can promote a healthy relationship with food. It’s important to have a balanced approach to eating and not view certain foods as “good” or “bad.” By incorporating cheat days into your routine, you allow yourself to enjoy all types of foods in moderation. This can help prevent feelings of guilt or shame associated with indulging in your favorite treats. By fostering a positive relationship with food, you can maintain a healthy mindset and achieve long-term success in your dietary journey.
Imagine yourself saying, “Ugh, pizza is so unhealthy, I never eat it!” and yourself saying, “Pizza looks good; let me have one on my next cheat day; I cannot wait!” Which one do you like? For me, I sometimes tend to be the first one to judge myself for eating unhealthy food, and that leads to a feeling of guilt. However, I personally think there is no such thing as a food you should never eat (unless you really cannot have it because of your health condition, such as allergy, intolerance, etc.), but there may be a food you should never eat. Building a healthy relationship with food is very important in terms of truly enjoying food and yourself.
Tips for having successful cheat days
It’s important to note that cheat days should be approached with caution and moderation. While indulging in your favorite foods every once in a while can be enjoyable and help you stay motivated, going overboard on cheat days can easily undo all the progress you’ve made. It’s crucial to strike a balance between enjoying your favorite treats and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet. Let’s look at some tips:
- Plan Your Cheat Day
One important aspect of successful cheat days is planning. It’s essential to plan your cheat days in advance to ensure that you don’t go overboard. Also, that gives you. This could be a weekend day or a day when you have more free time to enjoy your cheat meals without feeling rushed. When planning your cheat day, it’s also important to consider the types of foods you want to indulge in. While it’s tempting to go all out and eat everything in sight, it’s better to focus on foods that you truly enjoy and have been craving. This way, you can savor the experience and satisfy your cravings without feeling guilty or deprived.
Personally, I like planning, especially for food. I like to look for good restaurants in an area we will be traveling to and see what I want to eat in the restaurants. Planning makes you look forward to something. Sometimes I feel like I am eating the same thing over and over, which makes me sad and not excited anymore, but if I have a plan for eating something I really want, I can also enjoy the process of waiting for the special day to come. - Practice Mindful Eating
Mindful eating is a practice that involves paying attention to the present moment and being fully aware of your food choices and eating habits. During your cheat day, try to practice mindful eating by savoring each bite, chewing slowly, and truly enjoying the flavors and textures of the foods you’re indulging in. This can help you feel more satisfied and prevent mindless overeating. Additionally, being mindful of your eating habits on your cheat day can carry over to your regular healthy eating routine, promoting a healthier relationship with food overall. Appreciating for food is very important. I truly want everyone to enjoy every bite of every food. - Keep a Positive Mindset
Approach your cheat day with a positive mindset and avoid feelings of guilt or restriction. Remember that a cheat day is a planned break from your regular diet and is meant to be enjoyed. Embrace the opportunity to indulge in your favorite foods guilt-free and without judgment. By maintaining a positive mindset, you can fully enjoy your cheat day and prevent it from turning into a cycle of guilt and restriction that may negatively impact your long-term progress. It is a reward for yourself for all the effort you are putting in. Simply enjoy it without any guilt.
My Story
I personally think it is very hard to have “a successful cheat day,” at least for me. Mainly because cheat days break my “door,” which I keep shut, and it makes it hard to close the door again. Once my door opens up, I just cannot control myself for mindful eating or healthy eating habits. Honestly, because I have been on the chubby side most of the time in my life, my brain is always leaning toward “chubby myself,” which makes it hard to get out of there. I now want to share how my cheat days have been and what solutions I have come up with.
- I baked “24 egg birthday cake” for my son’s birthday.
I bake a birthday cake for my sons every year. I love baking, and my boys are just so excited for their birthday cakes every year. I usually ask them what cake they want, and they usually say a cake with their favorite character, such as a super hero, Pokemon, Thomas the engine, etc. If you want to see what kind of cakes I have baked, you might want to read 3 FUN IDEAS FOR BAKING CHILDREN’S BIRTHDAY CAKES
This year, I was just out of control, mainly because I was on a restricted diet for 4 months without almost any “cheat days.” I ended up using 24 eggs to bake a cake and did not have enough whipped cream to cover up the whole cake. Just to let you know, we (4 of us) finished this whole cake in 3 days, and I ended up eating most of it. (My boy was still happy with this cake because this was the biggest cake he has ever eaten or seen).
I think that the main reason I was out of control was because of the time. 4 months of a restricted diet was just too long for me. At this point, I think 3 months works the best for me, so I am sticking with it for my “cut” period.
Another reason for this was probably because I did not give myself a break mentally or physically. I just did not have the idea to give myself a day of eating whatever I wanted or was craving. Because of that, I just wanted to eat everything after I reached my goal. I think this is where I should have utilized a couple of “cheat days” as a tool to satisfy my body and mind once a while so it just does not explode like this.
- There were “pre-cheat days” and “post-cheat days.”
Planning is very important on cheat days, as I stated earlier as a tip. But on one of those cheat days, I just could not wait for it and started a day before, which was my “pre-cheat day.” I also made a list (written) of all the foods I wanted to eat on my cheat day, but I could not eat them all, so that led to my “post-cheat day” for a couple of days afterwards. Having cheat days for a few days or even a week instead of just a day makes it very hard to go back to the routine you were having before mentally and physically.
First, I picked which day mattered to me. For example, I planned to have a cheat day on Friday, but I was actually off on Thursday, and I was home the whole day, which made me just dig into everything I was preparing for my cheat day coming up the next day. But I still wanted to have a cheat day on Friday because that was the day I was supposed to have a cheat day. Then the weekend came, and I wanted to finish all the foods I could not finish on my cheat day. Since then, I try to pick a day for the beginning of the week, usually Monday or Tuesday. In that way, I can shift back to my regular routine since the busy week is still going on. This turned out to be one strategy to prevent having “pre- and post’-cheat days” for me.
Second, making a list could be dangerous because that makes me feel like I have to finish them all. Since then, I have started picking only a few main things I really want to eat and just going along with the rest of the foods I feel like eating. That is another strategy I came up with.
After your cheat day, take some time to reflect on how it went and what you learned from the experience. Did you enjoy the foods you indulged in? Did you feel satisfied? Did you experience any negative physical or emotional effects? Reflecting on your cheat day can help you better understand your relationship with food and make adjustments for future cheat days. Use this opportunity to learn more about yourself and your body’s needs, so you can continue to make informed choices that support your overall health and well-being.
Cheat days could help you in your fitness journey, both physically by boosting your metabolism and emotionally by releasing stress. However, it might lead to overeating and could interfere with your fitness journey. Personally, doing one cheat meal once a week works better to avoid overeating at this point. I am still trying to figure out what works best, and I will definitely share this here with you all!
