Cheat meals are high in calories and low in nutrition. Cheat meals can help boost your metabolism but moderation is the key.
A cheat meal can be taken every 10 days, 20 days, or 30 days depending upon your fitness level.
In this blog, I will share with you 10 simple yet effective CHEAT MEAL STRATEGIES that will help you stay on track.
So stay tuned.
Cheat Meal Strategies
Plan to Cheat
Plan your cheat meal at least 1-2 days prior.
If it is a festive season, a wedding or a social gathering is coming up.
So, it would be better to have a cheat meal then.
Planning the cheat meal will allow you to cut the extra calories on that day before the cheat meal.
Don’t Cheat When too Hungry
Obviously, you will eat far too much if you indulge in a cheat meal when too hungry.
Later, it can be really difficult to cover the far too many calories consumed in the cheat meal.
This takes me to my third point.
Include a Pre-Cheat Meal
So, pre-cheat meal means ensure a good amount of protein with green salad and lemon.
For eg: You can have grilled chicken breast with a green salad and squeeze a lemon on it.
So after 2-3 hours when you will have your cheat meal, you will feel satiated in a small amount.
This is because the pre-cheat meal protein will keep your cravings low.
Have a Cheat Meal Not a Cheat Day
If you will eat unhealthy high-calorie food the whole day then these large amounts of calories will hamper your next week’s progress as well.
Moreover, Cheat days generally get converted to cheat weeks, and so on…
Eat what you like and not what you can
Cheat meal does not mean that you have Pizza, Burgers, Desserts, Drinks all at the same time. Try to have one of these.
Save the rest two for your next cheat meal. Because, as said before “Moderation is the key”. If you will eat whole cheese burst Pizza in one sitting, then your fitness goals are bound to suffer.
Have a Mindful Eating. Use all your Senses
Now, this is my favourite point. When you are eating a cheat meal, enjoy it.
I mean do not eat it while you are watching TV or in front of your laptop.
Look at it, smell it, chew it, eat it slowly.
After a long period of clean eating, this is the meal that you truly deserve.
It is the reward for the effort you have put in. Enjoy it.
Also, studies have shown that people tend to eat 25% more when they are distracted.
Go Beast Mode before feast mode
Since you have planned your cheat meal and so on that day put in the extra effort while working out.
The point here is that muscle glycogen should get depleted.
This will minimize the bad effect of the calorie cheat meal that you will later consume.
Prefer Making Cheat Meals at Home
This is because you will know what exactly is going in your cheat meal.
If you eat in restaurants, that is ok but always remember that they don’t care about your health.
Drink More Water on the Cheat meal Day
Drink at least 1-2 litres more water on your cheat meal day. This will help flush out the excess sodium from your body.
But there is a way to drink water.
To know that I really feel you should check out this article.
Earn Your Cheat Meal
I think it would be helpful. What I mean by saying “Earn your Cheat Meal” is that, do not make it a habit of eating them every 4-5 days.
Mostly, eat clean but when you really feel the need to have it.
When your body is really deprived, then go for it and enjoy it with mindful eating.
If you crave junk foods all the time, I suggest you check out this blog.
Friends! That’s all. I hope you found these cheat meal strategies really helpful. Well, if you did do give this article your feedback and also do not forget to share
Thank You so much for reading.