Buzz
Everyone loves the idea of a cheat day–what fun would a diet be if you didn’t have a chance to risk it all every Saturday? (quadruple bypass burger anyone?) While cheat days may help you stay on track throughout the week, they can also hinder your progress. The key is to shift your perspective on them.
Despite the solid research backing it, I often see dieters ruin an entire week’s worth of effort by misusing their cheat days. Sure, the majority of what you do matters, but if your occasional indulgences are enough to sustain you through winter, you’ll likely undo your hard work. As fitness expert and registered kinesiologist Kia Khadem states:
After tracking my cheat days, I realized the excess calories from Saturdays alone were sabotaging all the discipline I’d put in during the week. This was mainly because I restricted myself throughout the week to keep my carbs low or to eat “clean,” only to binge on foods that could feed an entire NHL team for a week.
If your scale isn’t moving (and you suspect those dozen donuts you devoured last Saturday had something to do with it), try this: reframe cheat meals as reward meals. This simple change can make all the difference, allowing you to enjoy a well-earned break without the urge to overeat. That way, you can have your metaphorical and literal cake and eat it too.
Image courtesy of lassedesignen.
