Nath
Based on fitness gurus, incorporating cheat day on a diet plan is beneficial in losing weight. If you are confused about the real deals that cheat day can give, here are some things that you need to know about giving yourself the freedom to indulge in your comfort foods.
What is a cheat day?
Cheat day pertains to a day wherein you reward yourself to eat something you really want after following your strict diet plan and workout schedules for 6 days.
Things that you should know
Some people use cheat day as their motivator to follow their strict diet plan and workout routines weekly. But keep in mind that you should only indulge your favorite foods in small portions and should not be treated as an avenue for you to overeat.
Even more, giving yourself a reward to indulge in your favorite food will help you to prevent binge eating and to reduce cravings when following your diet plan. Ideally, it could be helpful when you reframe a cheat meal as a ‘treat meal’ to avoid making you feel guilty.
It is important to note that cheat day should be a celebration of your short winnings of being on track of your fitness goals.
“In a 2014 study, people who associated chocolate cake with celebration lost more weight than those who felt guilty about eating it. Maybe it’s time to stop calling cheat days ‘cheating’ and start calling them ‘enjoying’ or ‘celebrating’ food,” Kelly Fitzpatrick explained.
Having a strict diet for a long time can reduce your glycogen store in your muscle. Consuming your favorite food that is high in carbohydrates and calories can replenish your glycogen.
Moreover, cheat meals can help to jumpstart metabolism and to regulate hormones such as leptin and grhelin, Emily Trinh stated.
Most importantly, having a day for your favorite foods is a leeway for you to enjoy the process of eating and pursuing a healthy lifestyle.
Having a healthy lifestyle does need to be difficult or a burden. As they said, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to have a diet plan for a healthy lifestyle. Life should be lived happily while being in control of having a better quality of life.
