So, you’ve been dieting for months and depriving yourself of anything even remotely tasty. You feel like you’re about to 
loose control and go raid a McDonalds or the closest candy or pizza shop. You try to stay sane but instead you end up gorging yourself on a massive quantity of unhealthy fatty foods. Now you’re craving has just turned into guilt.
loose control and go raid a McDonalds or the closest candy or pizza shop. You try to stay sane but instead you end up gorging yourself on a massive quantity of unhealthy fatty foods. Now you’re craving has just turned into guilt.Has this ever been you? If so listen to the following information. Any time you decide to go on a “diet” (and take notice that diet is in quotations) you end up depriving yourself. Just look at what the first three letters in diet spell…DIE. This is obviously not a very good word at all. When you deprive yourself all of the time it becomes harder and harder each time to resist that craving monster. It is situations like this that show the importance of a cheat meal.
Cheat meals really do serve several different purposes. For starters they help you to find that happy medium or balance, when choosing to commit to a healthy nutrition program. They allow you to enjoy certain foods that may not be good choices on a daily basis but are ok to eat in moderation. They also prevent you from falling off the wagon and loosing self control by binging or reverting back to old eating patterns. So if you love sweets or even pizza allow yourself a reward every now and again and enjoy that slice of pizza, piece of cake or cookie. When you do eat it you will savor ever bite and enjoy it much more.
Another interesting thing that a cheat meal will do for your body is shock it and speed up your metabolism. When you have been eating a clean diet for quite a while your body tends to get used to what you feed it. So if you eat a lot of chicken breast and salad your body is automatically expecting more of that. Throw it a curveball once in a while and reward yourself with something special. Not only will you have satisfied your hunger but you will feel fulfilled emotionally and mentally as well. You will have the strength to go back to that normal daily routine with ease.
I’m sure your probably wondering how often should I be doing this. I recommend once a week or every two weeks. I usually just listen to my body. Sometimes I don’t really crave anything and other times I feel like my body is depleted and needs that extra kick. Many of my clients prefer following the once a week rule. Just remember we are all different and it is best to listen to your body. Just avoid having a cheat meal more than once a week especially if you are trying to loose weight. And also remember to have a cheat meal not a cheat day. Keep in mind that you are aiming for balance, not overindulgence.
Another option when deciding to have a cheat meal is to cook it yourself. This is what I usually do and I prefer it. Take your favorite recipe and rework it to add in healthy alternatives. In doing this you are simultaneously enjoying your favorite foods and easing your mind of feeling guilty for eating something “bad.” Let me give you an example. Let’s say you love Mexican food, especially tacos or nachos. Instead of getting regular chips, cheese and sour cream try eating baked chips, reduced fat or fat free cheese and sour cream. This is a fabulous alternative; in fact this is what I ate for my last cheat meal. It really hit the spot.
As you can see rewarding yourself once in a while will not hinder all that hard work and progress you are making. One meal once every week or two weeks will not make or break your journey to be healthy and fit. If you exercise regularly and are consistent with your nutrition most of the time you will still make significant progress with what ever you goals might be.
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