There is a lot of talk about “cheat meals” in the world of fitness and nutrition. When to use them, how to use them, and if you even should use them.
Personally, I have never been a fan of this terminology because “cheating” typically implies that there is something wrong or bad about the meal. But this really doesn’t have to be the case- when implemented properly, stepping away from your structured diet for a meal every so often can be beneficial- physiologically and psychologically- in a lot of ways.
Breaking from the diet can help rev the metabolism, help facilitate long term diet sustainability and help keep you consistent, it can help replenish depleted glycogen stores, help with recovery after hard training, and most of all it can give you a mental break- which is often needed.
But cheating- when done improperly can also be a fast track towards diet sabotage. If a cheat meal turns into a cheat day, or a cheat week, or becomes some excuse for you to binge with no presence of self control- then there’s a problem.
That unbalanced ‘all or nothing’ mentality is one of the most unhealthy mindsets towards food that I see when working with clients. It’s unhealthy when it leads to consistent caloric restriction, but it’s also unhealthy when it leads to complete over-eating as well. It demonstrates a lack of balance, self control, and responsibility when it comes to food.
In my opinion, breaking from the diet shouldn’t be seen as ‘cheating’ it should be viewed as part of the process- and part of life, because it is.
If you struggle with what I like to call “free” meals or diet breaks, you need to shift your mindset before applying them.
4 Cheat Meal Tips
1- Consider how you view your diet as a whole. If you are constantly consumed with what you “can’t” have, you’re not viewing it with the proper outlook. Your nutrition plan is a roadmap to your goals. Think of it as the path to what you want most. It’s meant to guide you and keep you on track, just like a map is meant to guide you to your destination by laying out the way in which you need to go.
2- You will not NEVER eat pizza or cookies or cake again. Let’s be adults. You won’t shrivel up and die if you pass on those foods for a while. They will be there when the time comes to eat them. Instead, take ownership of your decisions by adopting the mentality of “I could have this, but I’m choosing not to today because it doesn’t align with my goals.” I’m a big believer in personal responsibility. Own your diet, own your decision to diet.
3- And when you DO eat something outside of your plan, don’t call it cheating because it’s not. It’s part of the process. Call it a treat meal or a free meal and don’t freak out about it. It’s not an excuse to haul off and throw your diet to the wind, it’s a chance to make a calm, controlled, conscious, and educated decision to eat up, or have fun, relax, give yourself a mental break…. whatever the case may be.
4 – I would also suggest taking a fat burner like PhenQ an hour before you have your cheat meal. PhenQ has appetite suppressants in it that will help keep you form overeating so you can have a reasonable cheat meal without going too far overboard which is easy to do. The increased metabolism you get with it isn’t bad either.
Conclusion
No matter how beneficial it might be physically, you have to also consider them mental ramifications of “cheat meals”. Until you can approach the concept of diet breaks or “cheat meals” (hate this term) with some semblance of balance and control, I suggest leaving them out of your program. Your first priority should be cultivating a healthy mindset about nutrition, the process, and your goals.
Ryan is a former college wrestler and fitness fanatic who specializes in supplements for building muscle. He has written for online publications like TheAthleticBuild.com and FitnessTopFives. He is also an expert lawn mower and has been known to slay apple pie with little regard for his own safety. Hit him up on Linkedin below so he feels the love.