You probably all have heard of a cheat meal – or as some prefer: cheat day.
I’m actually a big fan of cheat meals. I believe they give the metabolism a boost, the variation in macro’s keeps your body alert. Also you don’t have to forbid yourself to eat your favorite unhealthy meal – which you never have to, as long as your meal plan fits your macro’s – you only have to tell yourself to wait patiently until cheat meal time.
There are a few rules about cheat meals.
- Don’t have a cheat meal everyday! In this way it won’t boost your metabolism, but screw your mealplan. Pick one day a week in which you can allow yourself to cheat.
- Don’t feel guilty. If you’ve been following your mealplan perfectly all week, this one meal won’t destroy all the hard work you’ve put in.
- Make sure your cheat meal isn’t the only tasty meal you have in a week. Your meal plan shouldn’t be a punishment, you should eat delicious everyday! Otherwise you’ll crack and have cheat meals more often..
- Be aware that your body got used to eating healthy. Eating loads of grease all of a sudden could cause discomfort to your intestines.
- Make a small party of your cheat meal! You’ve worked hard, so you deserved it. Invite your best friends, go to a restaurant or watch your favorite movie. Do whatever you were fantisizing about during the week.
- Try to plan your cheat meal on the same day every week. It is easier to stick with your saturday cheat meal for example, than with the ‘once a week I can indulge’. You might just forget that last time was actually also during the same week..
- Don’t plan your weigh in the day after cheat meal! If your meal for example contained a lot of salt, your weigh in will be unsound.
- Don’t listen to people judging your cheat meal. You’ve worked hard all week and who are they to judge in the first place? They should watch their own eating habits. Maybe you can help them, by giving a little of advice on how to get fit.
- Once again, really treat yourself! You’ve worked hard and after this cheat meal there will come another week in which you will work hard. But don’t forget about your results! You’re still working to a goal.
I’m repeating myself, but it’s really important. Your meal plan is not a punishment. Your cheat meal isn’t the only yummy meal you get once a week. Make sure your usual healthy meals are delicious. In that way, you will probably even feel like you don’t need a cheat meal. It’s also okay to treat yourself on a cheat meal that ends up to be healthy after all. Your cheat meal is not obliged to be full of calories and unhealthy ingredients! But if it is, thats okay too.
