Have been wondering what the positive impact of cheat days are on your weight loss goals? Maybe you’ve been successfully following a healthy, low-calorie diet for some time. Yet you can’t stop thinking about chocolate filled doughnuts or that fat, juicy burger.
Perhaps this scenario sounds familiar to you. Sticking to a diet isn’t usually easy as it requires commitment, dedication, willpower and discipline. A major weight loss challenge for most is sticking to new habits and diets that support weight loss goals without missing out on foods you love.
So What is Cheat Day?
A cheat day is a reward-based diet strategy that allows dieters the opportunity to indulge in their favorite foods outside of strict diet programs. It is based on the idea that you can take a break from strict eating for one day a week, so long as it doesn’t ruin your weight loss efforts.
Incorporating cheat meals once a week is necessary in your weight loss plan. Pizza, doughnuts, burgers and ice cream, are just a few examples cheat day meals. It is completely natural to give in to your cravings and indulge in your favorite junk food once in a while. You are probably following the wrong kind of diet plan if you swear off your favorite food forever.
Cheat days may help prevent binge-eating, reduce cravings and provide a mental break from dieting. Depriving yourself can lead to intrusive thoughts of food that make it difficult to stick to your diet plan. The key is to eat healthy meals for the better part of your week, stay active and reward yourself by indulging in food outside of your diet.
This blog post discusses cheat days and meals, its positive impact your on weight loss and whether to incorporate them into your fitness journey.
So, What Then is The Positive Impact of Cheat Day on Weight Loss?
It Helps Boost Your Metabolism
After a cheat meal, the body increases its metabolism, resulting in burning calories faster. This is often linked to high levels of leptin, a hormone secreted by fat cells. It is responsible for maintaining energy in the bod and boosting metabolism. However, there’s no conclusive evidence on this.
When you get on a calorie deficit diet, over a period of time, it makes you hit a weight loss plateau. This causes your body to slow down its metabolism to conserve fat. Cheat meals can help to reset a sluggish metabolism, overcome weight loss plateau, and most importantly, stick to your diet program.
Induces Variety to Help Break Monotony
Adhering to strict low carb diet regimens like Keto can be monotonous. Extreme food deprivation can take a toll on your mental health. Taking a break from restrictive eating options, and switching things up helps you overcome your cravings.
A cheat day may provide you psychological relief from this monotony by introducing variety. This gives you the freedom to eat to what you want without feeling guilty.
The Positive Impact of Cheat Day: Encourages Consistency
It can be difficult to stick to a diet beyond a certain time frame. Extreme food restrictions can lead to intrusive thoughts of food that would make it hard to stick to your diet plan.
Cheat meals preferably once a week can help curb cravings and feelings of deprivation. When you allow yourself to occasional treats, it becomes easier to stay consistent and enjoy your weight loss journey.
Energize your Body for Better Workout
Strict diet programs for a prolonged period, is likely to deplete glycogen levels stored in your muscles. This may lead to fatigue in muscles, affecting your workout performance. Indulging in carbs on your cheat day will replenish your glycogen levels and energize you.
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