Are diet ‘cheat days’ ever a good idea?
A cheat day is a scheduled break in a diet. The concept emerged around the same time as ‘clean eating, and is based on the idea that a dieter can ‘cheat’ for one day a week as long as they eat to their diet plan for the remaining six days.
What is a cheat day?
Two main motivations for #cheatmeals are identified
- Boost your metabolism, causing you to burn more calories
- Help you stick to your diet
- Your leptin levels fall when you diet, making it harder to resist eating
- Both these ideas suggest that cheat meals should be planned into a diet rather than being a spur-of-the-moment thing
To cheat or to treat?
Some cheat day enthusiasts undo the progress they have made by tucking into a cheat meal, while others feel anxious about their cheat meal and analyze it to “get it right”.
- No one food is bad, it is how much and how often you eat it that counts.
Should you try a cheat day?
Cheat days can have a psychological effect, and it can be positive or negative.
- Some people need to let off steam in exchange for the discipline, and others feel a sense of achievement from adhering to a plan
- Letting off steam through cheat days can work, as long as your cheat diet is sensible and doesn’t include lots of high-calorie or unhealthy foods
Will a cheat day boost your metabolism?
There is no rigorous scientific research to support this
- “From a physiological perspective, the argument one needs a cheat Day is faulty”
- Someone who is following a meal plan or getting in shape for the first time shouldn’t be scheduling in huge meals
- Big cheat meals may not be a big deal for the Rock, as he is an ex-wrestler who has built up a diet and exercise routine over decades and is already in the shape he wants to be in.
Can a cheat day help you stick to your diet?
Cheating is more of a psychological tool than a physical one.
- A cheat meal can be a reflection of a restrictive and unenjoyable diet, and a moderate weight-loss diet with cheat days is more beneficial for physical and mental health.
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